HILONGOS, Leyte- Financial assistance were extended to the 32 individuals who were injured due to the twin explosions that hit this town last December 28.
The financial assistance came from President Rodrigo Duterte, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the office of Presidential Assistant for the Visayas, Michael Dino.
During his visit to the town on December 30, Pres. Duterte handed P10, 000 each to the 32 victims who were hospitalized due to the injuries they sustained due to the explosions.
Gov. Petilla also gave P10, 000 for those who were hospitalized and P5,000 for those who were out of hospital while the DSWD gave P5,000 each.
Dino, who visited the town a day after the blasts incidents, also gave P3,000 each to the wounded individuals, 10 of them were children.
But while the survivors were thankful of the cash windfall that they have received, they are still seeking for justice.
The explosions incident hit the town on the night of December 28, town fiesta, inside the Rizal Park.
The first explosion occurred at 9:01 pm located at the water tank and minutes later, another explosion was heard near the stage.
While the police authorities have yet to arrest the perpetrators, they claim that vendatta could be the reason.
They claimed that the perpetrators could have staged the incident, using an improvised explosion devices of 81 mm mortar detonated through a cellular phone, after authorities arrested a high profile drug pusher or after an alleged group involved in the counterfeit activity was neutralized. (ROEL T. AMAZONA/RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Blasts victims received financial assistance from gov’t
Using a caliber 38, a 16 year old shot a 13 year old
ORMOC CITY- A 16 year old boy accidentally shot another 13 year old boy inside a farm house in this city on the night of December 30.
The victim, whose name was withheld, was hit on his stomach by the suspect, identified only as Wilson, who works as a guard of a farm house located in Barangay Sabang Bao, this city.
The mother of the boy, Marites Mahinay, also works in the same farm house owned by Gravila Rele.
Based on the investigation of the Ormoc city police, the victim was playing the caliber 38 gun reportedly owned by the 16 year old.
But upon seeing the boy playing his gun, the suspect grabbed it but he accidentally pulled the trigger, hitting the boy at his right stomach. He was immediately brought to the Ormoc District Hospital for treatment where the suspect was arrested by the police.
While the incident happened on the night of December 30, the mother of the victim reported it only on the following day, Inspector Rito Pallomina, chief of the police station 2, said. It was not clear how the suspect obtained the gun.
It was learned from Pallomina that they would file appropriate charges against the suspect.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
Bridge now serves remote barangays in Leyte town
TACLOBAN CITY- An P11.09 million bridge linking remote barangays of Burauen here in Leyte is now open, making transport of people and goods easier.
This was disclosed by Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla.
Petilla said that the bridge located along Daguitan River will serve as the main link of Barangays Patag, Rojas, Villa Aurora, Calao and Tagadtaran to the town proper.
Majority of the residents of these remote villages depend on farming as their main source of income.
“With this bridge, the farmers can now transport their farm products easily to the market at low cost unlike before,” the governor said.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Leyte’s second engineering district receives P1.7 B for 2017
CARIGARA, Leyte- The Leyte second engineering district will have P 1.7 billion allocation for the regular infrastructure project for this fiscal year.
This was disclosed by Engineer Carlos Veloso, head of the second engineering district office.
Of the amount, P201 million will be spent for the rehabilitation of the Binahaan Bridge, particularly located along the municipality of Pastrana.
It was learned from Veloso that flooding during heavy rains always results in this area.
Veloso also said that part of the 2017 allocation will be used on the widening of bridges, flood control, re- blocking of Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road, as well as the widening of the Maharlika Highway.
He added that they will also focus on the maintenance of all the roads in the district as well as paint the guard rails.
Veloso disclosed that when he was the district engineer in Southern Leyte, his district was adjudged in 2010 and 2011 as the number one best in road maintenance which he wants to replicate in the second district.
Veloso took pride that in the year 2016 the Hiagsam Bridge in Jaro was finished, a first of its kind in the region except for Tacloban, which has four lanes.
The district is also targeting to complete the widening of the primary roads in the district, he added. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
RDC seeks immediate start on DZR Airport terminal building project
TACLOBAN CITY – The Regional Development Council (RDC) urged the Department of Transportation (DOTr) to push through this year the construction of a new terminal building for Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport here.
In a statement, the RDC’s infrastructure utilities and development committee asked DOTr-Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) to prioritize the Tacloban Airport development under the present administration to meet the demand for increasing air traffic.
CAAP officials admitted that the ongoing feasibility study has derailed the facility’s actual construction.
RDC private sector representative for business Oliver Cam emphasized the need to continue the construction since the current terminal building is already overcrowded.
“Regardless of the findings of the study, our request to DOTr is to continue the construction of the said facility,” Cam said.
The national government is eyeing to complete the study by March 2017, according to a report from the National Economic Development Authority.
Under the 2017 proposal, the DZR Airport will get P652.8 million for the construction of a new terminal building, P253.5 million upgrading of existing runway, P2.55 million procurement of service vehicle, and P50.2 million acquisition of maintenance and service equipment.
The two-storey passenger terminal building, according to CAAP, will be equipped with passenger loading bridges, departure and arrival conveyors, elevators and escalators, flight display system, and security equipment.
The upgrade aims to improve the airport’s facilities to current aviation standards and cope with the increasing air traffic demand of Tacloban City and the whole of Eastern Visayas region.
Under CAAP’s original timeline, the new terminal building will be completed on Sept. 30, 2018.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
Reported teenage pregnancy is alarming
Teenage girls are still within that preparatory period of development in their lives towards maturity. They are still in school to acquire skills they will employ to effectively manage living when they reach maturity. They are still largely dependent and need close caring from their parents.
The report from the Department of Health on teenage pregnancy is quite alarming. It is an indication that parents have become so lax these days in the way they supervise activities of their teenage girls. Parents are more carried away with other concerns in life leaving teenage girls the unsupervised freedom to move around.
Our educational system has included sex education in schools in these modern times. Sex was simply a wonder in our long, long past, and teenage pregnancy never was a problem. Has the inclusion of sex education in schools opened the curiosity, wonders, even challenges to “try” sex after being aware about it? Just asking!!!