TACLOBAN CITY-The anti-drug operatives of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA-8), together with Guiuan Municipal Police Station and Eastern Samar Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) scored anew with the arrest of a drug personality in Guiuan, Eastern Samar during a buy-bust operation.
In a report submitted to PDEA Director General Isidro S. Lapeña, elements of PDEA Regional Office 8 under Director Edgar T. Jubay, arrested Ericson Pestanio during a buy-bust operation on Tuesday (September 27) at about 11:45 pm in Barangay Sulangan of said town.
Seized from Pestanio, 38, single, jobless and a resident of 167 Real St. of Brgy.50 in Tacloban City, was one piece heat-sealed transparent sachet containing what is believed to be shabu or methamphetamine hydrochloride with a weight of 0.9625 grams and two pieces sachet containing marijuana.
Pestanio, who is detained at the Guiuan municipal jail, was charge for violations of section 5(sale of dangerous drugs) and section 11(possession of dangerous drugs) of article 2 of RA 9165 or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drug Act of 2002. (PR)

MAKATI CITY- Nine local government units from the region have joined the roster of Municipal Leadership and Governance Program (MLGP) completers, overcoming the six building blocks of the country’s health system.
On Thursday (Sept.29) afternoon, the University of the Philippines (UP) Manila-School of Health Sciences in partnership with Zuellig Family Foundation (ZFF) and the Department of Health (DOH) held a colloquium at the Asian Institute of Management Conference Center in Makati City.
The colloquium is a final requirement to complete their MLGP. During the event, mayors shared how their personal and leadership transformations paved the way for much needed reforms in their local health systems to help their poor constituents.
MLGP graduates were former mayors Loreto Yu of Alangalang, Leyte; Alden Avestruz of Barugo, Leyte; Fe Renomeron of Burauen, Leyte; Manuel Sia-Que of Dulag, Leyte; Mayors Kathleen Prudenciado of Almagro, Samar; Gemma Zosa of Sta. Margarita, Samar; Marilou Latorre of Villareal, Samar; Mark Biong of Giporlos, Eastern Samar; and Mario Madera of Mondragon, Northern Samar.
The local leaders were accompanied by their respective municipal health officers who also graduated from the MLGP.
“It is our duty to implement health plans and programs, allocate the maximum resources available, and support health workers and staff to ensure the well-being of our constituents,” said Salvador Isidro Destura, dean of the UP-Manila-School of Health Sciences.
The health department emphasized the value of building the capacities of local government units considering that they are frontline service providers after the devolution of health programs.
“Our graduates this afternoon can now be truly called bridging leaders. We also look forward that through them, we will be able to sustain all health initiatives,” said Exuperia Sabalbarino, DOH-8 local health system development system section chief.
ZFF vice president Arlene Gelia noted that the program enables transformation of mayors and local health leaders.
“You have true commitment to improve health in your communities by greening your score cards,” she said.
Score cards are tools used by the program to measure the local government’s performance before and after joining the program.
Indicators with green colors show good performance while red signifies poor performance.
The program has training and leadership coaching on local health system development, with focus on the World Health Organization’s 6 building blocks of health system.
These are good governance in the health sector, health service delivery, health workforce, health information, access to essential medicines, and healthcare financing.
The benefits of the program include personal development in health leadership and governance, improvement of municipal health outcomes, translate health outcomes into political gains, academic units leading to a master’s degree, networking and partnerships (building social capital), opportunity for health program grants and infrastructure development, and opportunity for Seal of Health Governance recognition.
In Eastern Visayas, there are already 49 mayors who completed the program, according to DOH.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

NAVAL, Biliran- The employees of Biliran District Engineering Office (BDEO) joined the 156th Naval Pueblo Day celebration on Monday (Sept. 26) with this year’s theme “Lingi sa Kagahapon, Asenso sa Kaugmaon.”
The day was declared as a special non-working day in the entire municipality of Naval under Proclamation No. 14 to give the people in the area full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies.
The event was started with a thanksgiving mass at 6:00 am at the Naval Cathedral Church followed by a parade around the town wherein Biliran DEO employees actively participated on the said activity.
It was the longest parade so far in the town wherein numerous participants from local government, national government agencies, students of the different schools in the municipality and the provincial government of Biliran.
The parade lasted for two hours from 7:30am t0 9:00 am followed by a program at the municipal building rounds with various activities were lined up.
Among the activities were the presentation of Miss Naval and Festival Queen, Cosplay contest and people’s day activities such as tabo sa municipyo, free legal assistance, trabaho sa municipyo, passport requirements assistance, pakasal sa municipyo (mass wedding),bingo panalo sponsored by Coca-Cola and the cultural and employees night at Naval Gymnasium and Pasundayag Night 2016 at the municipal grounds.
The annual celebration is in commemoration of the recognition of the town of Naval as a ‘pueblo’ by the Spanish colonial government. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The AIS Hotel has formally opened for business on Tuesday and is ready to accept its guests.
A lion dance was performed to usher good vibes, as they say, before delighted guests.
The AIS Hotel, located at Manlurip district, this city sitting on a 1,200 square meters, is owned and operated by Golden Ox Asia Pacific Inc.
Each room of the AIS Hotel boosts with a 32- inches flat screen television with cable; hot and cold shower; keyless room and with intercommunication devise.
All the rooms are also equipped with smoke and fire safety detector; maternity size bed.
Out of the projected 50 rooms of the AIS Hotel, 10 rooms are ready to accept guests as constructions of the 20 rooms located at the second floor are underway.
Another 20 rooms are soon to be constructed at the hotel’s third floor to compete its 50-rooms capacity.
Aside from the amenities the hotel offers to its guests, AIS Hotel offers free breakfast and has also its own parking area.
What makes AIS Hotel an ideal place, particularly to tourists and travellers, is its proximity to the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport.
Also, guests of the AIS Hotel could also take a walk and visit the historic MacArthur National Memorial Landing Park at the nearby Candahug in Palo, Leyte.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)