TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) committed to deliver 50,000 liters of water daily to the northern relocation site, heeding President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to ease the sufferings of families badly displaced by supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
The infrastructure agency converted its four trucks intended for maintenance works into delivery trucks carrying water storage bladders.
Last week, the DPWH main office brought two trucks to this city intended for water service of families now living at the resettlement sites.
Each water bladder can store 10,000 liters while each truck holds 8,000 liters of water.
The volume is enough to supply the needs of 500 families living at Villa Sophia in Barangay Tagpuro and Villa Diana in Brgy. New Kawayan, Edgar Tabacon, DPWH regional director, said.
The city government, local water district, and some non-government organizations support the water needs of other resettlement sites.
“We will continue to bring water to relocation sites for as long as the medium term or long term water supply projects are not yet done,” Tabacon said.
During the 3rd anniversary commemoration of Yolanda on Nov. 8, Duterte asked Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Dino and government agencies involved in reconstruction works to ensure enough water supply in relocation sites.
Earlier, the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) has approved the P159 million water supply plan as a medium term solution to the water shortage problem at the resettlement area.
The project will run for six months while waiting for the implementation of the P527 million level 3 Tacloban North Water Supply Project of LWUA and Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD).
The LMWD and DPWH agreed to iron out issues related to right of way acquisition needed for the installation of water pipes. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development has urged local government units (LGUs) in the region which have not liquidated their social pension grants to indigent senior citizens to settle their cash advances for the pension program to have a continuous assistance for the beneficiaries.
DSWD-8 Director Restituto Macuto in an interview said that as one of its major programs and services of the DSWD, his office is currently evaluating the implementation of the Social Pension Program and at the same time urging the LGUs as implementing partners to fast track their liquidation process.
Macuto said that as much as possible his office is looking forward that no single LGU will be left behind in implementing the social pension grants to indigent senior citizens in the region.
“We are requesting earnestly for the other LGUs that are not updated with their releases to be more proactive in complying with the documentary requirements. The amount given to beneficiaries is just so small but for them, especially those older people who are less fortunate that even their own family members cannot afford to support them, is something very valuable for them,” Macuto said.
Macuto said that in 2015, there were only three municipalities in Eastern Samar, two in Southern Leyte and one in Northern Samar which have not yet made their liquidation.
The DSWD director added that for the current year, out of 143 LGUs across the region, 108 LGUs that have not yet accomplished and submitted their liquidation reports.
He added that his office has extended coordination to these LGUs so that the cash grants will be downloaded to them as soon as possible.
For this year, Eastern Visayas received an allocation of P527 million for the social pension program intended to benefit 87,920 senior citizens who are to avail P500 monthly pension.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

PALO, Leyte – The computer examination meant for aspiring government employees has been suspended in the past four months due to unstable internet connection.
The Civil Service Commission (CSC) computerized examination was last used by examinees on July 29 this year, according to CSC assistant regional director Rowin Riños.
“The internet provider from our central office could not supply sufficient internet connection simultaneously with other regions. This glitch had been happening even in the past years, but it was still manageable,” Riños recalled.
She said that she is unsure when the examinations will be available again but he assured that their central office is doing their best to fix the internet problem.
Since last year, there were already 117 examinees who went through the automated test in the region. The center has 18 available computers housed at the CSC regional office here.
Similar to the paper and pencil test, the automated examination lasts for three hours and 10 minutes.
Launched in 2014, the examination is a system that automates and integrates each step in the administration of computerized examination, making the entire process faster, easier, and more efficient.
It is undertaken by the CSC in collaboration with the Advanced Science and Technology Institute, the research and development arm of the DOST.
Account registration is done online through the website www.comex.csc.gov.ph. In this phase, an individual personally encodes his or her personal information.
After creating an account, the applicant will gain access to weekly examination schedules – dates, time and venue of the test as well as those offered by the different regional testing centers.
An applicant may then choose from among the online offerings and make a reservation.
With the suspension, applicants can take the exam through paper and pencil test scheduled twice a year in different province.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

MAASIN CITY – Infrastructure projects in Southern Leyte are expected to kick off early next year with the completion of some pre-detailed engineering (PDE) activities for the P1.74 billion projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways Southern Leyte District Engineering Office (DPWH-SLDEO).
District Engineer Ma. Margarita C. Junia said the PDE for 24 projects have been completed.
These projects are scheduled for bidding this month. They are optimistic to substantially complete the bidding process by the end of December 2016.
“As agreed in principle, we started the bidding process last month even without the final approval of the central office for the authority to bid and implement projects beyond our authority of P50 million,” Junia said.
The 2017 regular projects include bridges repair, flood control structures, road widening, road rehabilitation, tourism access roads, among others.
The district office closely coordinates with the office of Southern Leyte lone district Representative Roger Mercado to identify projects in line with the national government’s thrusts and local needs based on the lawmaker’s consultation.
Detailed engineering activities covered the setting of design standards, conduct of field surveys and investigations, preparation of design plans and design report, preparation of contract plans, determination of contract packages.
Included in the preparation are technical specifications, quantity estimates, cost estimates and approved budget for the contract.
Under the proposed 2017 infrastructure projects based on National Expenditure Program, the district office is tasked to implement P1.74 billion worth of projects, higher than this year’s P1.3 billion outlay.
The district office managed to pave all primary and secondary national roads before the deadline, which is the end of 2016.
The SLDEO is tasked to maintain 298.93 kilometers of national roads and 153 bridges, built in 18 towns and Maasin City, the provincial capital. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-Security personnel have been provided to the family of murdered Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. by the Philippine National Police (PNP).
This was disclosed by Chief Inspector Ma. Bella Rentuaya, regional information officer of the PNP, as clamored by of Espinosa.
Earlier, the relatives of Espinosa sought for their own security detail in the aftermath of the killing of Espinosa inside the Leyte subprovincial jail in Baybay City during an alleged shootout by the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) on November 5.
“Since Saturday, the family has been provided with security detail coming from the Leyte provincial police,” Rentuaya said.
Four policemen have been assigned to look after the security of the family. Rentuaya, however, declined to provide details on the security arrangement given to the family.
The family fears for their own security after Espinosa, 54, was gunned down. They claimed that Espinosa was “intentionally” killed. They, however, declined to say, who they suspect to be behind the murder of the former mayor.
A member of the family, who asked not to be named, said that without any police security, they could be an easy target coming from their “enemies.”
The family are still preoccupied with the wake of Espinosa at their residence in Barangay Binolho.
No internment has been scheduled by the family and where Espinosa would be burried.
While Espinosa served as mayor of Albuera, his siblings are either living in the United States or in Cebu where their father originally came from.
His mother is a native of Albuera.
The killing of Espinosa sparked a Senate inquiry by the committee on public order and dangerous drugs with Senate Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who chairs the committee, as a case of extrajudicial killing (EJK).
Espinosa, prior to his imprisonment and death, executed an affidavit naming several high profile personalities whom he claimed to have provided them protectors for their illegal drug trade.
Among them were former Justice Secretary and now Senator Leila de Lima who denied the allegation.
Among Leyte officials named as alleged protectors were Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto, Rep. Vicente Veloso and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez.
All have denied the allegations with Gomez filing on Wednesday an administrative complaint before the National Police Commission for linking him on the illicit drug trade.
Gomez filed the case against Albuera police chief, Chief Inspector Jovie Espenido, Inspector Leo Laraga of the CIDG who named during the Senate inquiry and PO3 Hydie Yutrago.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)