TACLOBAN CITY – The recent spate of diarrhea outbreak that killed 81 people and afflicted 9,432 others here in the region is now over, the Department of Health (DOH) declared this week.
“For the past three weeks, diarrhea cases have steadily declined. This is the result of our strong message sent to affected communities that diarrhea kills if neglected,” said Health Regional Director Minerva Molon.
With 50 cases, Samar recorded the most number of deaths due to the water-borne disease.
Mortalities have been reported also in some parts of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Leyte including Tacloban City, the regional capital. The last death was recorded on July 10.
Molon also attributed the significant decline of diarrhea cases to the massive information drive, distribution of medicines, provision of aquatabs or water disinfectant tablets, and support of local government units and non-government organizations.
“We will continue to monitor the situation to ensure that diarrhea will not plague these communities again,” she added.
The DOH-8 chief cited the summer season that dried up some of the water sources affected areas as the culprit.
The situation prompted people to get their drinking water from non-potable sources.
Molon urged local government units to prioritize water supply projects to diarrhea-affected communities.
Fiesta celebrations between May to June this year, according to the DOH official, also aided the increase of cases due to person-to-person transmission and improper handling of food.
The health department advised the public to drink water only from safe sources, eat well-cooked and properly prepared food, keep food away from insects and rats, use toilet when defecating, and always wash hands before and after eating and after using the toilet.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO

PALO, Leyte- Measures on making the agriculture sector endure the ever-changing climate was discussed during a summit held this town attended by the concerned sector.
The one-day summit, dubbed as “climate change and agriculture summit”, aim to provide a platform for local government units, development planners, farmer leaders and other stakeholders in the province to deliberate the challenges and threats to agriculture in general and create a plan of action to minimize the impact of climate change on agriculture.
The summit, held this town last August 23, was organized by the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. and Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco Corporation (PMFTC).
The summit was also launch in part to protect hundreds of farmers in the province through proper information on available technology and practices to cope with the changing climate in agriculture.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Petilla said there are continuous efforts from the local and national governments as well as private partners such as the PMFTC to help farmers cope with the impacts of climate change and ensure agriculture productivity.
“Farmers in Leyte have experienced firsthand how climate change is impacting on our agriculture as we are ground zero of supertyphoon Yolanda,” Petilla said.
He likewise mentioned that the agriculture industry in the province also suffered a setback during typhoon ‘Senyang’ in 2014 just more than a year after Yolanda.
“Storms are getting stronger and we cannot do anything to stop it. Thus, we have the need to adapt to these changes,” Petilla added.
Meanwhile, PMFTC president Roman Militsyn shared with the participants that the company has been involved in various undertakings that aim to improve the lives of farmers and help improve the state of the country’s agriculture.
He said he is hopeful that summit such as this will be helpful to the farmers and support the government in making the agriculture sector sustainable.
A similar climate change and agriculture summit is set to be conducted in other key regions. Leyte was chosen as the launching pad as it was Yolanda’s ground zero.
Varinia “Bayen” Elero-Tinga, PMFTC director for external affairs, said the province is the best area to launch such a campaign on climate change as it experienced firsthand the devastation of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
The summit was aimed to facilitate the formulation of concrete plan of action for climate resilient agriculture industry; build partnerships for resilience in agriculture; promote the application of information, technology and policies conducive to increased and sustainable agricultural production yields, productivity and sustainable development; and explore and share knowledge and responses of agriculture to climate change adaptation and mitigation.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

PALO, Leyte- The Philip Morris and Fortune Tobacco Corp. (PMFTC), an affiliate of Philip Morris International (PMI), and the American Chamber of Commerce of the Philippines Inc. (AmCham) sponsored a climate change summit held on Tuesday(August 23), this town.
The gathering, attended by mayors and stakeholders in the agriculture sector in the province, was part of the climate change and agriculture series of summits.
Leyte was chosen as the launching pad for the summit series as it was ground zero of supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013.
Another summit is being planned for Samar towards the end of the year.
AGRI Party List Rep. Delphine Gan Lee of the Agri party-list group, served as the guest of honor and speaker of the event held at the municipal hall of Palo.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla both delivered their respective messages, emphasizing the significance of the summit in making Leyte’s agriculture sector resilient to climate change.
PMFTC president Roman Militsyn, in his remarks, shared with the participants that the company has been involved in various undertakings that aim to improve the lives of farmers and help improve the state of the country’s agriculture.
“Through this summit, we will try to come up with a Plan of Action and recommendations that would contribute to a strong climate-resilient agriculture industry,” he said.
“With the assumption into power by the Duterte administration, the agriculture sector is given a new lease in life and we are excited of the prospects ahead for all of us in this sector,” Militsyn said. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY –Apparently driven by fear for his life, Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa temporarily holds office at the town police station starting Thursday (August 25).
Chief Insp. Jovie Espenido, Albuera police chief, said the mayor occupies their investigation room as he sought for a protective custody from the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The beleaguered town mayor asked for protection after unidentified gunmen shot dead his lawyer, Rogelio Bato, Jr. on Tuesday (August 23) in this city.
The lawyer, tagged as high value target by the regional police is Espinosa’s legal counsel and lawyer of the mayor’s son Kerwin, the alleged top drug lord in the region.
The embattled mayor arrived at the police station around 9 a.m. on Thursday. A mattress was later delivered to his room where he will also stay overnight.
The mayor’s room is next to the police chief’s office.
“We can assure the mayor’s safety inside the police station,” Espenido said.
The local police provided chairs and a desk for the mayor to be able to work. On Monday (August 22), Espinosa met with Espenido for the first time after the latter’s assignment on July 18.
The meeting lasted for five hours. The mayor allegedly linked to illegal drugs trade, formally sought police protection on Wednesday (August 24) as he executed an affidavit disclosing names of government officials protecting drugs trade in Eastern Visayas region.
Espenido welcomed the decision of the town mayor to ask for protective custody.
“This will assure as that we can arrest him immediately once warrant of arrest against him is released by the court.”
The police earlier filed cases against Espinosa for illegal drugs and illegal possession of firearms.
Espinosa surrendered to PNP Chief Director General Ronald Dela Rosa on Aug. 2 few hours after President Rodrigo Duterte demanded for his surrender and Kerwin within 24 hours or face a “shoot on sight.”
The son remained at large. After four days, Dela Rosa kicked out Espinosa from his official residence after the son failed to meet the deadline for him to surrender.
The mayor was admitted in a hospital in Cebu after he left Camp Crame on Aug. 6. He returned to his hometown on Aug. 16 and stayed at the town hall day and night for about a week before he asked for police protection.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)