TACLOBAN CITY– The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is targeting to complete the pay out of social pensioners under the its unconditional cash transfer (UCT) program by the end of this month.
The distribution of UCT to social pension beneficiaries is a government intervention after implementing the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion or TRAIN Law that affects fuel prices triggering for the increase of prices of basic commodities.
Each social pensioners will be receiving additional P200 cash grant every month.
DSWD Regional Director Restituto Macuto said that the simultaneous pay-out started last Friday (July 20) and will end on July 31.
However, this target may be extended considering the large number of beneficiaries that are expected to receive the cash grant.
The request of local chief executives to bring the pay-out in their respective localities is also a problem considering that Landbank of the Philippines has only 15 branches in the region covering its seven cities and 136 municipalities.
Macuto said that lack of Land Bank outlets was the reason why they were not able to meet the original deadline, which is this month, in the distribution of the UCT.
He added that bank personnel could not also handle the influx of beneficiaries going to their bank during banking hours.
Here in the city, a total of 4,902 social pensioners are to receive the cash grant from the DSWD which will be divided into two batches, half of the total beneficiaries will receive the cash grant that is to be distributed at Balyuan Park in the morning while the remaining half receive their share in the afternoon.
Macuto said they consider the conditions of the social pensioners who have delicate conditions and may not be able to withstand severe weather and standing for hours reason why they have to do it at the Balyuan Park.
Macuto added that aside from the UCT for social pensioners, beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program will also receive additional P200 a month.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The committee on transportation and terminal administration of the Sangguniang Panlungsod here has endorsed a P9 fare hike for motorcycle-for-hire (MCH) during a public hearing conducted on Thursday (July 19).
The P9 fare agreed by the committee, which is chaired by Councilor Edward Frederick Chua, however, is lower by P1 compare to the demand of the Tacloban Federation of MCH Drivers and Operators, Inc. (TAFEMADO).
The group, headed by its president Joseph Tangeli, had earlier passed their position paper demanding that the current P8 MCH fare be increased to P10 covering within the city’s main streets.
The group cited the rising cost of gasoline, the implementation of a rerouting scheme by the city government which is taking longer routes, and the enforcement of the TRAIN (Tax Reformation and Acceleration and Inclusion) Law as reasons why they were demanding for a fare increase.
“Due to these circumstances, we appeal to the honorable Sangguniang Panlungsod (members) and the honorable Mayor Cristina Romualdez for fare increase to MCH from the current P7 for the two kilometers to P10 for the first one kilometer and additional P1 for succeeding kilometer,” the group on their May 7 petition submitted to the city council said.
They also asked for a fare for a ‘special trip’ which means routes outside the main streets of the city.
The group, cited as an example, that a ride from downtown area to Abucay bus terminal would have a fare of P48.
They used the current fare of public utility jeeps at P8 multiplied by 3(seating capacity) and multiply again by 2(round trip).
But during Thursday’s public hearing held at the Legislative Building, the Chua committee agreed with a proposal made by a commuter to just put the fare hike at P9, Councilor Jerry Uy, member of the committee, said.
Councilor Uy said that a P9 MCH fare within the city streets is ‘reasonable’ reason why the committee would endorse it to the entire city council for approval.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

10 of EV’s electric coops have triple A ratings

CALBAYOG CITY-The Federation of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Region 8 (Frecor-8) with the support from the National Electrification Administration (NEA) recognized the electric cooperatives in the region during the first regional Lumens Awards held on Friday, July 13 here.
The Lumens Awards recognizes the exemplary performance of the electric cooperatives in extending a valued electrification service to their consumers as well as services aside of their electrification duties.
The regional Lumens Awards was initiated to show to the whole country that Region 8 is now doing great, Edgardo Masongsong,NEA administrator, said.
Among the 11 electric cooperatives in the region 10 got the rating of triple A.These are the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative, Leyte II Electric Cooperative, Leyte III Electric Cooperative, Leyte V Electric Cooperative, Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative, Biliran Electric Cooperative, Samar I Electric Cooperative, Samar II Electric Cooperative, and Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative.
Leyeco III general manager Allan Laniba, in his state of the electric cooperatives address, said that Frecor-8 is positive that by next year all of the eleven cooperatives including Norsamelco will recieve triple A rating.
Leyeco II, Leyeco III, and Leyeco V were recognized as the only electric cooperatives in the region with the single digit systems loss award.
Laniba further stressed that all of the eleven electric cooperatives in the region are typhoon-resilient.
Soleco and Leyeco IV received an excellence award for consistent A+ and triple A for 10 consecutive years.
Dorelco, Samelco 1 and Belico were acknowledged as the most improved electric cooperatives.
In his message, Calbayog City Mayor Ronaldo Aquino stated that electric cooperatives has an active role in local economic development and in nation-building.
“Many local government units made electric cooperatives as an indispensable partners in the development efforts,” Mayor Aquino said.
Aquino further added that the awards received by the electric cooperatives will help the local government units attract more investors to invest in the locality.
Meanwhile, NEA administrator Edgardo Masongsong was amazed on how Frecor-8 was doing to help electric cooperatives rise especially those which are not doing well.
“I have been pronouncing that we should follow what Frecor- 8 had been doing, in helping the region be the most improved,” Masongsong said.
He further acknowledged the organization for taking over in behalf of NEA in recognizing outstanding performance of the electric cooperatives.
Masongsong added that electricity is essential in development.
“Government agencies should look at electric cooperatives doing the provision of the power so there will be development in each and every locality,” the NEA administrator said.
“This will serve and will definitely encourage other regions to struggle to realize of becoming outstanding EC,” Masongsong added.
He likewise hope to stage another regional Lumens Awards in Eastern Visayas next year.

By: JENNIFER SUMAGANG-Allegado

CATARMAN, Northern Samar – An alleged top official of the New People’s Army (NPA) and this town’s former president of the Association of Barangay Chairmen (ABC) were arrested by operatives in an operation on July 13.
Arrested by police and soldiers operatives were Marieta Bartolo, 46, said to be a top official of the NPA operating in Northern Samar, and Ruth Figueroa, 56, former ABC president of the town.
Bartolo was said to be carrying the aliases of ‘Tawang’ and ‘Silang’ while Figueroa is the incumbent chairwoman of Barangay Zone 3 of the University of Eastern Philippines (UEP), former ABC president of the town.
Chief Inspector Rafael Tayaban, civil relations officer of the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office, said that the two were arrested at about 6 pm in Barangay Bankerojan, this town, on board a vehicle owned by Figueroa.
Also arrested were their companions identified as Emboy Loberiano, 21, single, resident of Brgy.Cal-igang; Danny Basiloy,35, single, resident of Brgy.UEP Zone 3 and Gil Mijares, resident of Brgy. Ipil-ipil, driver of the vehicle.
The operatives flagged down the vehicle where the suspects and their companions were on board to effect the warrants issued by local courts against Bartolo.
However, instead of heeding the authorities, the driver of the vehicle did not stop which resulted for them to hit the tires of the vehicle, Tayaban said.
The warrants issued by different local courts against the alleged top NPA leader involved for murder, double murder, and frustrated murder.
Bartolo and her companions were arrested by joint elements of the Catarman Police Station, the Northern Samar Police Provincial Investigation Bureau (NSPIB), the Regional Intelligence Unit 8 (RIU8) and the 803rd Brigade Philippine Army.
Captain Ryan Velez, civil military officer of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, said that Bartolo had been under surveillance by the police and the Philippine Army for a long time before they executed her arrest.
“This (arrest) is the product of long planning and surveillance… we received information that she was about to travel so we conducted the apprehension.” Velez said.
The Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) recovered six firearms and cash worth P330,000; bags of bread and some personal belongings.
Velez said they will file charges for illegal possession of firearms against Bartolo and all her companions.
Except for Figueroa who was brought to the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital after she felt ill while being investigated inside the Northern Samar Police Provincial Office in Camp Carlos Delgado, all the suspects are now detained at the local up cell of the provincial PNP headquarters.
(RACHEL V. ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY- A top official of the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) allayed fears of the public that the country’s main health insurer company is facing financial problems.
Renato Limsiaco Jr., officer-in-charge as senior vice president for fund management sector, said that PhilHealth remains to be ‘liquid’ with more than enough cash position to pay claims of its more than 50 million direct members.
“As of July 6,2018, we have P70 billion cash position. In other words, PhilHealth is very much liquid. PhilHealth has more than enough money to pay the monthly payments, so wala tayong problema,” Limsiaco said over the weekend.
“Mayroon tayong pondo para pambayad ng claims para sa taong ito. So on the report that PhilHealth has no money, forget about it.We have lots of money to pay the claims of our members,” he added.
Limsiaco said that the fund stability of PhilHealth was assured by its president, Roy Ferrer.
And on top of their own fund, PhilHealth has just received notice of cash allocation from the Bureau of Treasury of P27 billion on July 5 for this year.
Limsiaco said that PhilHealth monthly payout is about P8 billion.
And for this year, PhilHealth paid P51.8 million, representing 5.3 million claims at an average of P9,811 per member or patient.
Earlier, fears that the funds of PhilHealth will be depleted came about amid report of the P10.6 billion diversion of funds used for the construction of health centers during the previous administration.
The said fund was intended for the premiums for senior citizens covering the 2015 period.
The reported diversion of the P10.6 billion is now being investigated by the Senate. (JOEY A. GABIETA)