TACLOBAN CITY – The office of the Second Leyte Engineering District (2nd LED) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) assures cleaner and wider highways as part of its maintenance thrust for 2017.
2nd LED District Engineer Carlos Veloso said providing safe and convenient highways will help sustain economic gains in the district.
The 2nd LED has undertaken widening of primary roads in the past year particularly along the Maharlika Highway and the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc road serves as a route connecting Luzon to places in Mindanao in the south and to Cebu through Leyte’s western part.
Veloso said his office will be providing safe and convenient travel for the public by removing obstructions along these primary roads and will clear the road shoulders.
“Now that we have widened our roads, our goal is to have them maintained all the year through,” Veloso said.
Road signs will be put up as well to guide the travelling public.
Meanwhile, it was learned that not only roads are to be widened this year but also vital bridges in Leyte’s second district.
Upgrading of bridges will be two-lane to a four-lane road.
The recent four-lane road opened to the public the 2nd LED is the Hiagsam Bridge in Jaro town which was destroyed during the onslaught of typhoon “Senyang” in 2014.
The bridge is said to be typhoon resilient which will become a basic quality of the other bridges eyed for widening in 2017.
This bridge widening project set this 2017 will target the Calbasag Bridge, Bocog Bridge, Balocawe Bridge, Bawon Bridge and Balire Bridge along the Maharlika Highway.
The Ponong Bridge, Sagkahan Bridge, Tagak Bridge and Cocot Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road are likewise part of the bride widening project.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The bombings incident that hit the town of Hilongos that injured 32 people, 10 of them were children, were carried out by the Maute Group, a radical terrorist group based in Lanao del Sur, Mindanao.
This was disclosed by Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, regional police director, who said that the conclusion was reached based on the findings of bomb experts that examined the fragments used by the suspects.
Members of the Philippine Bomb Data Center conducted their examination on the fragments of 60 mm and 81 mm mortar rounds used by the suspects in carrying out their acts.
“Per intelligence information we gathered, the main suspect is a member of the Maute Group but he was not alone when they planned and executed the bombings. They were three of them,” Beltejar told Leyte Samar Daily Express in an interview.
“They were sighted few days before the bombings and hours before the bombings. We are exploring some witnesses, yun nalang ang kulang natin,” the regional police director added.
The December 28 explosions incident occurred at the town’s Rizal Park while about 1,000 people were watching an amateur boxing match.
The first improvised explosive device exploded at the water tank at 9:01 pm and a minute later, another explosion was heard near the stage.
Beltejar said that the improvised bombs used by the suspects in the Hilongos incident were similar with the one used in Davao City on September 2,2016 that killed 14 people and injured 70 others as well as those found in a trash bin near the US Embassy in Manila on November 27,2016.
Authorities have not named the suspects but said they know their location.
Beltejar told Express that based on their intelligence report, some drug syndicates in the area are financing the Maute Group to retaliate.
The Hilongos incident happened after the October 22, 2016 arrest of Raidah Ampaso Sarip, a native of Marawi City but lived in the said town.
She is known to be engaging in the illegal drugs activity in Hilongos and nearby areas. Sarip is now detained at the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City.
“It is a way for Maute (Group) to show that they are a force to reckon with to get the nod of ISIS for affiliation and to get funding,” Beltejar said.
Beltejar was referring to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria that is leading in the terroristic activities in various parts of the world.
Beltejar said that their investigation continues until those responsible would be arrested and charged.
Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, during his Dec.30 visit to Hilongos, vowed to arrest and charge those responsible.
The incident, while declared as isolated, resulted for Beltejar to issue an order to all provincial, city and municipal police stations to undertake extra security measures to ensure that no similar incident would take place in the region.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The city government of Tacloban City has started 2017 with the opening of the business-friendly Kanhuraw Business Center to address all transactions on the renewal and application of business permits and licenses.
This was revealed by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez in an interview.
“We open a business-friendly business center to serve our taxpayer clients that they be given a smooth and systematic flow of transaction. I personally visited the center to see for myself that our taxpayers be given an at most service by our workers. Interacting with them means we have a personal touch with them,” the city mayor said.
“It is the vision of the city government to give an efficient, prompt and business-friendly Business Permit and Licensing Office to our taxpayers,” Mayor Romualdez added.
The Kanhuraw Business Center caters to the processing and issuances of business permits, licenses, occupational permits and special projects.
It is a one- stop shop that also issues health certificates, barangay and police clearances, residence certificates, real property tax, DTI clearances, among others.
Applicants are advised to look for the information counter to go through the process or visit the Tacloban City website. (GAY B.GASPAY, TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM/PHOTO: TIM CANES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The campaign of the city police to stamp out the proliferation of illegal drugs here continues to gain headway.
In separate buy-bust operations on January 10, six individuals were arrested by the members of the city anti-illegal drug special operation task group led by Chief Inspector Steve Castillote which resulted to the seizure of metamphetamine or shabu with a combined street value of P100,000.
Arrested during the 4 pm operation at Barangay 37, Reclamation Area were Joel Abuda,43; Jet Malquisto,26 and Jeffrey Alcaraz,35.
Confiscated from the suspects were five sachets of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu with street worth of P50,000 and three pieces of P100 bills.
And half-hour later, another buy-bust operation at Brgy.91, Abucay district, resulted to the arrest of Jovy Jacobe,29; Eduardo Jabulan,44 and Jenny Rose Abuda,23.
Seized from the suspects were seven sachets believed to contain shabu with street value of P50,000 and two pieces of P100 bills.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to evidence custodian of the Tacloban City Police Office.
The six arrested suspects are now under the custody of Police Station 2 Custodial Facility while cases for violation of Sections 5 and 11of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-8 under the supervision of S/Supt. Rolando V. Bade, acting city police director. (PR)

To mitigate flooding

TACLOBAN CITY – With the heavy downpours experienced recently, officials at the second Leyte engineering district (2nd LED) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) will prioritize in flood control projects.
In the pipeline for 2017 is a P 61. 8 million worth of flood control projects in major rivers and waterways in Leyte’s second district.
Six major flood control projects are to be started this year, district engineer Carlos Veloso said.
These will include the drainage systems along Socsocon, Arabunog-Sapsap and flood control project Malirong, all in Pastrana town.
These three projects has a combined total budget of P18 million.
Rehabilitation and reconstruction of Binahaan River along Tingib, Pastrana town is also scheduled this year in the amount of P 25.4 million.
The Malirong River flood control in Guindapuan, also in Pastrana town, gets P 9.5 million while the Anonang River flood control in Barangay Anonang, Burauen town gets P 8.19 million.
Veloso said that these projects are expected to be completed within the year.
Although floods are natural phenomena, human activities and human interventions into the processes of nature, such as alterations in the drainage patterns from urbanization, agricultural practices and deforestation, have considerably changed the situation in whole river basins.
At the same time, exposition to risk and vulnerability in flood-prone area have been growing constantly, it was noted.
Veloso advised that with the infrastructure being put in place to mitigate the hazards of flooding, non-structural measures should likewise be enforced such as strengthening the flood information and warning system, and relocating people living along the river lines.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)