TACLOBAN CITY- In separate occasions, alleged members of the New People’s Army(NPA) staged attacks to three military detachments in Samar provinces on the wee hours of Thursday (March 30).
First to be attacked by NPA members were a detachment of the civilian armed forces geographical unit (Cafgu) located in sitio Cogon, Barangay 1-A, Motiong, Samar at about 2:55 am.
The second similar incident took place in another Cafgu detachment located in Brgy. Geparayan, Silvino Lobos, Northern Samar at 5 am.
And 20 minutes later, the rebel members attacked a military detachment in Barangay Pequit, Paranas town in Samar of the Charlie Company of the 52nd Infantry Battalion.
Reports reaching the regional Philippine National Police headquarters, however, disclosed that no Cafgu member coming from the three military posts were hurt during the separate attacks.
However, soldiers immediately conducted their pursuit operations against the rebel members who staged the raids.
The provinces of Samar and Northern Samar have been identified by the military officials in the region to still have active insurgency problem.
On Wednesday (March 29), marked the 48th year of the founding of the NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
NPAs staged attack on Cafgu detachments in Samar provinces
PAL opens more domestic routes out of Clark and Cebu
Philippine Airlines opened 12 new domestic routes with Clark and Cebu as its main hubs this March 2017.
The expanded operations in these operations in these hubs aim to make flights more accessible to more Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao customers and help decongest the Manila hub.
The airline launched flights between Cebu and Busuanga , Puerto Princesa, General Santos and Surigao.
(Cebu- Busuanga-Cebu)
PR 2680 departs daily at 8:40 AM and arrivesBusuanga at 10:10 AM; PR 2681 leaves Busuanga at 1:50 PM and touches down in Cebu at 3:20 PM.
(Cebu-Puerto Princesa-Cebu)
PR 2347 departs Cebu for Puerto Princesa four times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) at 8:40 AM and arrives at 9:55AM. Return journeys via PR 2348 operate on same days with departures from Puerto Princesa at 10:35 AM and arrivals in Cebu at 11:50AM.
PR 349 leaves Cebu for Puerto Princesa three times weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays) at 12:30PM and arrives at 1:45PM. Return journeys via PR 2350 operate on same days with departures from Puerto Princesa at 2:25PM and arrivals in Cebu at 3:40PM.
(Cebu-General Santos- Cebu)
PR 2355 leaves Cebu thrice weekly ( Tuesdays, Thurdays, Saturdays, Sundays) at 8:30AM, touching down in General Santos at 9:40AM ; PR 2356 operates on same days taking off from General Santos at 10:20 AM and landing in Cebu at 11:30AM.
PR 2357 departs cebu four times weekly ( Mondays, Wednesdays,Fridays, Sundays) at 12: 50PM and arrives in General Santos at 2:00 PM; PR 2358 leaves Cebu on same days at 2:40 PM and touches down in General Santos at 3:50PM.
(Cebu-Surigao-Cebu)
PR 2395 departs Cebu thrice weekly (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays) at 10:10 AM and touches down in Surigao at 10:55 AM. PR 2396 leavesSurigao also on the same days at 11:15AM and arrives in Cebu at 12:00 NN.
PR 2397 leaves Cebu for Surigao four times weekly (Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays) at 1230PM and arrives at 1:15PM. Return journeys via PR 2398 operate on same days with departures from Surigao at 1:35PM and arrivals in Cebu at 2:20 PM.
PAL flights between and Butuan will be increased from daily to twice daily to starting today (March 26) .
The Cebu hub also operates domestic flights to Bacolod, Butuan, Cagayan de Oro, Caticlan, Davao, Ilo-Ilo, Kalibo and Tacloban as well as International flights to Chengdu, Los Angeles, Nagoya, Osaka, Narita (Tokyo) , Incheon (Seoul) and Singapore.
Meanwhile new flights are now operating from Clark to Puerto Princesa and Busuanga.
(Clark- Puerto Princesa-Clark)
PR 877 leaves Clark thrice-a- week (Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays) at 10:50AM and touches down in Puerto Princesa at 12:20 PM; PR 877 departs Puerto- Princesa on same days at 1:00PM and arrives in Clark at 2:30 PM.
(Clark- Busuanga-Clark)
PR 2867 Departs Clark daily at 12:10 PM and arrives in Busuanga at 1:30PM;
Return flights leave daily at 10:30AM with arrivals in Clark at 11:50AM.
The Clark hub also operates domestic flights to Caticlan, Cebu and Davao as well as an International flight to Incheon (Seoul).
Seat-sale hunters can also look for PALmazing Deals, PAL`s seat sale every weekend available online, any PAL ticket office or partner travel agency from Friday-Sunday.
For those who want a hassle –free vacation, PAL offers Swingaround, a travel package that lets passengers book flights and Hotel accommodations in one go. There are over 60 local and international destinations to choose from, and booking is available 24/7 through PAL`s Swingaround website (swingaround.philippineairlines.com).(PR)
Brgy. chair arrested for shabu, explosives
ORMOC CITY- A barangay official of this city was arrested by the members of the anti-narcotics group of the Ormoc City Police on Tuesday (March 28).
Nabbed was Josela Dumaguit, 57, and identified as the barangay chairwoman of District 4.
Aside from the 10 sachets of methamphetamine or shabu, police operatives also seized from the suspect a hand grenade and a 357 revolver with ammunition insider her house.
Dumaguit, said to be a level 2 high-value target, denied owning the seized items.
The raiding team, led by Chief Insp. Joseph Jeovel Young, was armed with a search warrant issued by Judge Girlie Borrel-Yu, presiding judge of the Regional Trial Court-Branch 35.
The village chair previously surrendered to the authorities during the height of Oplan Tokhang on July, 2017 but allegedly continued her illegal activity.
Her husband, Mario, was killed a few months ago during a police operation in an upland village where he established farming.
An inquest proceeding was prepared against her for violations of Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and illegal possession of explosives while waiting for confirmatory results from the regional crime laboratory of the seized items.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
DPWH-8 welcomes its new assistant regional director
PALO, Leyte- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office VIII welcomes Engr. Armando G. Estrella as its new Assistant Regional Director (ARD) in lieu of Engr. Virgilio C. Eduarte.
Assistant Director Armando G. Estrella was previously the ARD of Region V, Legazpi City, Albay.
He has been serving the department for 36 years starting as a civil engineering aide of the DPWH Design Team in 1974.
He rose from the ranks to become a project manager in 2002 of the DPWH Region IV-A which then he was promoted as Officer-In-Charge Assistant Regional Director (OIC-ARD) in August 2003 and became full-fledged ARD on September 7, 2005.
On March 10, 2014, he assumed the ARD position in Region V.
He attended various trainings and seminars like problem analysis and decision-making workshop conducted by the Career Executive Service Board in July 2007; disaster preparedness training program conducted by the Department of Interior and Local Government/European Commission in November 1996; budgeting procedures and techniques under the Budget Reform Decree conducted by the Ministry of Budget in 1978; and seminars given by the department like IT for Executives; Reorientation Course for ARDs; Total Quality Management for Executives; and contract preparation system, bidding and proposal.
He also attended the road maintenance-pavement management conducted by Denmark’s Ministry of Transport.
His rich experience and exemplary service were recognized by the department as he was awarded as a Model Employee of the DPWH Region IV-A.
He has been tapped as resource speaker of reorientation on road/bridge maintenance. He is affiliated with the Philippine Association of Technical Assistance Participants Incorporated.
In July 2001, he served the Philippine National Volunteers Service Coordination Agency-NEDA in screening applicants to the United Nations Volunteers Posts.
Assistant Director Estrella passed the Management Aptitude Test Battery in 2000 with an 81.30% rating. He earned his Masteral degree in Management from the Philippine Christian University (PCU) in 1997.
He obtained his Bachelor Degree in Civil Engineering at the Far Eastern University (FEU) in 1976, passed the Civil Service Exam for Career Service the same year and Civil Engineering Board Exam in 1977.
ARD Estrella is from Bustos, Bulacan born on March 01, 1954. He is married to Welby Caperina Estrella and blessed with three children: Arvin, Aivee, and Andrei. (PR)
PBA coach swears into office officials of newly-formed coaches group in Ormoc City
ORMOC CITY – The city’s premier basketball coaches association formally took their oath last March 25 at Mimay’s Seafood House.
Philippine Basketball Association champion coach Bethune “Siot” Tanquingcen administered the ceremonies.
The Ormoc City Basketball Coaches Association (OBCA), formed December last year, is the first coaches’ association in the city.
Headed by multi-titled basketball coaches Heracleo “Rac” Juba and Cliff Andy Tesocan, OBCA is composed of school-based, barangay-based and aspiring coaches of Ormoc City.
Juba and Tesocan are the organization’s president and vice-president, respectively. Former Philippine Basketball Association defensive stalwart Rey Evangelista serves as adviser and consultant.
Evangelista, the city’s program director for basketball, explained that the association aims to upgrade the capacities and expertise of coaches in the locality.
He also revealed that alongside the improvement of coaches, the association will inculcate values formation into the athletes.
Such development will enable players and coaches to compete healthily, enabling coaches to influence more their athletes to spend quality time in their academics while exerting their best during practices and games.
OBCA also envisions athletes to grow spiritually and know God more.
University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) head coach Albert Alocillo shared that “the Philippines have over 42,000 barangays. Not all of these barangays have churches but for sure, almost all has basketball courts.”
This scenario will steer OBCA to lure children to the hard court not just to play and learn basketball, but to know God and grow spiritually, he stressed.
Evangelista also disclosed that he foresee OBCA to organize tournaments within this year, both locally and regional invitationals.
With the presence of Vice Mayor Wilmar Candido of Hernani, Eastern Samar, Evangelista anticipates a regional league to prosper.
Earlier that day, OBCA held a coaching clinic at St. Paul’s School Gym. Some 47 basketball coaches from different parts of Eastern Samar, Tacloban City and Ormoc City underwent the said activity.
The said clinic was facilitated by Tanquingcen, Alocillo and former PBA long range specialist Al Solis.
(JOEY VINCENT C. MOTEL)
Tacloban, 4 provinces in EV tagged among priority areas of the country’s 6-year nutrition plan
TACLOBAN CITY- This city and four provinces in the region have been listed as among the priority areas in curbing stunting and wasting among children under the Philippine Plan of Action for Nutrition (PPAN) 2017-2022.
Catalino Dotollo, National Nutrition Council (NNC) regional coordinator, said the national government will step up interventions to address the irreversible impacts of stunting and wasting in the first 1,000 days of life.
The new PPAN has included Tacloban City and the provinces of Biliran, Leyte, Southern Leyte and Northern Samar as priority areas due to high incidence of stunting and wasting and their vulnerability to natural calamities, which adversely affects the nutritional status of children.
“These are the priority areas, but it does not mean that other cities and provinces are not included since there are still regular programs of the national and local governments,” Dotollo said.
The action plan aims to reduce wasting from seven percent in 2015 to negative five percent in 2022. Wasting or thinness indicates in most cases a recent and severe process of weight loss, which is often associated with acute starvation and severe disease.
The nutrition roadmap also seeks to reduce stunting from 33.4 percent to 21.4 percent in the next five years.
Stunted growth reflects a process of failure to reach linear growth potential as a result of suboptimal health and nutritional conditions.
“The consequence of stunting is irreversible. A child’s potential is not maximized if a child is stunted,” Dotollo said.
Tacloban, the regional capital, and the four provinces in the region are among the 38 priority areas in the country where local government units will be mobilized to achieve better nutritional outcomes.
“It will involve capacity building and mentoring of local government units (LGUs) on nutrition program management to transform them to self-propelling LGUs able to plan, implement, coordinate, and monitor and evaluate effective nutrition programs,” Dotollo said.
The PPAN 2017-2022 is an integral part of the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022. It is consistent with the Duterte administration’s 10-point Economic Agenda, the Health for All Agenda of the Department of Health, and the development pillars of Ambisyon Natin 2040. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO, PNA)