NAVAL, Biliran, December 12 (PIA) – Even though firecrackers are not visible yet in the market stalls of Naval, the capital town and center of commerce of the province of Biliran, the Biliranons are warned on the use of firecrackers in celebrating the holiday seasons.
The Provincial Health Office has reminded the public to be cautious on the use of firecrackers amidst their merriment in celebrating the Christmas and the New Year festivities.
The public is urged to refrain from buying and using firecrackers in their merriment to be spared from additional expenses, risks, dangers, and other ill- effects of firecrackers to one’s health.
Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte planned to impose a nationwide ban on firecrackers but later deferred the plan as concerned groups in the firecracker industry requested him not to push through the planned ban for they have already purchased their products.
The President himself has appealed to the public to take precautions in using firecrackers and other pyrotechnics during the revelries.
It was learned that Davao City, where President Duterte was mayor for a long time, celebrates the holiday season with solemnity. (PIA-BILIRAN)
Biliranons warned on firecrackers during the holiday seasons
Pres. Duterte supports PNP beyond question – Sueno
By: ROEL T. AMAZONA
PALO, Leyte- President Rodrigo Duterte will continue to support police personnel who figures in the anti-drug campaign of his administration.
This was assured by Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno who visited the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP, based this town, Thursday (December 15).
But while the President, the Commander-in-Chief of the country’s armed forces, will continue to back the police forces as they carry out their anti-drug operations, Mr. Duterte will not allow any extrajudicial killings committed by them, Sueno stressed.
The relentless and brutal campaign on the proliferation of illegal drugs in the country being carried out by Mr. Duterte raised cries of opposition from various human rights groups and foreign organizations and governments like the United States and the United Nations.
“We encourage you to be good; many of you are good and performing very well. That is why, our President loves you,” Sueno said before the police officials and personnel of the PNP-8.
Sueno was welcomed by police regional director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar.
And in a press conference, Sec. Sueno said that while there are “bad eggs” in the police organization, there are more “good eggs” who are carrying out their sworn duties to protect the civilians.
He also said that despite of the strong criticism against the illegal drug campaign, Mr. Duterte will not be cowed by them.
“The President is really very strict against the illegal drugs,” Sueno said.
Mr. Duterte had earlier said that he backed the raid conducted by the members of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) at the Leyte subprovincial jail that killed Albuera mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. on November 5.
The killing of Espinosa, father Kerwin, self-confessed drug lord of the region, was described by Mr. Duterte’s critics as a glaring example that policemen carry out extrajudicial killings in the course of the campaign.
But the DILG, in a report, dismissed that no summary killings have occurred amid the anti-drug campaign of the government.
Sueno claimed that that the campaign is now gaining positive result as crime incidents related to drug use have gone down, to include Metro Manila, the country’s center of activities.
“The crime rate has significantly gone down and you can now walk in the streets feeling safe,” Sueno said.
Meantime, Sec. Sueno encourages the public to actively participate the MASA MASID campaign of the government spearheaded by the DILG.
MASA MASID (Mamamayan Ayaw sa Anomaliya, Mamamayan Ayaw sa Ilegal na Droga), is a barangay-based campaign anti-criminality, anti-corruption and anti-illegal drugs program which encourages barangay residents to help the campaign.
“So we ask our barangay people to volunteer to provide information who are drug pushers, criminals and corrupt officials,” Sueno said.
The program will also serve in “educating” the children, especially the grade schoolers, on the ill-effects of the illegal drugs.
EV’s dengue fever cases highest in 5 years
With 32 Deaths
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The Department of Health (DOH) has reported that dengue fever cases in the region has already killed 32 people and stalked 6,000 others.
This year’s dengue fever cases, covering January up to last week, are the highest for the region for the last five years, Roderick Boyd Cerro, DOH-8 chief of the epidemiology and surveillance unit.
In 2015, four people died due to the mosquito-borne disease and downed 800 others.
The latest casualties due to dengue fever were from Ormoc City, Mondragon in Northern Samar, and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.
Cerro said that the high number of dengue fever cases in the region, while very alarming, was expected.
“We were expecting a high number of dengue fever cases (which) usually arise in every three to four years and 2016 is the fourth year. There is a high possibility that those people who have not yet diagnosed in dengue will be diagnosed this time,” Cerro explained.
This week, there are 14 dengue patients still confined at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in Tacloban City for treatment.
The DOH expects that the number of dengue cases will go down during summer season next year.
“For areas with many dengue cases, our advice is to conduct fogging operation to kill any adult mosquitoes. This can be done once a week for three weeks to control the mosquito population,” Cerro added.
Other strategies of the DOH to combat rising cases are intensified mosquito control efforts, coordinate with local government units in information drive, conduct fogging and larviciding in areas with clustering of cases, install dengue express lanes in hospitals, purchase and preposition of fluids.
Dengue fever is marked by an onset of sudden high fever, severe headache, pain behind the eyes, and pain in muscles and joints. Some may also have a rash and varying degree of bleeding from various parts of the body.
Cerro urged those who show the symptoms to immediately seek consultation from local health workers to prevent deaths from this mosquito-borne disease.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
DOT exec says tourists nowadays want to be educated and not to see beautiful views
PALO, Leyte- Today’s tourists are not just travelling to destinations to see tourist assets but more so to be educated as well.
Thus said Tourism Undersecretary Alma Rita de los Reyes- Jimenez who was the guest speaker during a regional gathering among tourism stakeholders held this town on Wednesday (December 14).
“In tourism, people are not anymore looking for sites to visit. People are more interested to know what people are doing when visiting a place; what stories are being told and what kind of culture can be imbibe,” Jimenez said during an interview.
Jimenez disclosed that today’s tourists can be classified into two: the millennial market which constitutes 35 percent of the total market and the silver market or those 55 years and above, which constitutes the remaining percentage of the market.
And both markets should be tapped by the market, Jimenez.
“The millennials want mission, they want to visit places that has significant culture in terms of heritage, we even had what’s called last chance tourism and bucket list tourism,” Jimenez said.
“We should recognize how the DNA of tourism is changing; how do we as destinations adopt to this kind of changes; how do we configure our products and services to appeal to the market that we want, these are the things to be considered” the DOT official.
However, Jimenez emphasized that the most important thing that they want to consider is not disrupt the lives of the communities.
“We don’t want to force the communities to change because of tourism,” she added.
Meantime, DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said that the gathering, held at the Oriental Hotel, this town, aim to draw the target of the tourism industry in the region for the next six years.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
9-Day Misa de Gallo for Christmas
Yesterday began the first Misa de Gallo, the Roman Catholic Church official observance of Christmas celebrations to comemmorate the day, JESUS CHRIST, son of the living God, Savior of humanity was born December 25, endearingly known as Christmas day.
Catholic Christians however celebrate christmas even as early as November when the business communities take advantage of the strong belief and spirit of Christmas joy burning in the hearts of people belonging to the church.
Christmas is celebrated with love as its guiding motivation. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten son….” to bring us to eternal salvation and happiness.
Christmas therefore should be celebrated not only for our own merry-making, but to share with those who have less in life the graces and the happiness we enjoy.
Merry Christmas to all!
NZ ambassador turns over regional warehouse to Red Cross
TACLOBAN CITY- New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan turned-over on Wednesday (December 14) of a warehouse intended for the storage of relief goods funded by his government.
The P12 million worth facility, located along Magsaysay Boulevard, is part of the commitment of the New Zealand government to help the recovery effort of the country in the aftermath of super typhoon “Yolanda” that hit the region on November 8, 2013.
Strachan said that the three-storey facility would help the Philippine Red Cross(PRC), the recipient of the warehouse, to hasten in the delivery of relief goods in case a disaster strikes the region, considered one of the areas in the country prone to natural disasters like typhoon.
“This will strengthen the capacity of the Philippine Red Cross to provide fast of relief response (during a calamity),” the ambassador said in an interview after he led in inauguration of the facility which will also serve as a training center on disaster response by the PRC.
Strachan said that his government is “committed” to help the Philippines and other Asean countries “mitigate and adapt to climate change.”
“Our support to the Philippine Red Cross is an example of our commitment to disaster risk management and humanitarian relief in the Philippines,” he added.
The New Zealand government was among the countries to immediately respond after Tacloban, ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
It provided more than $5 million for relief operations with a Royal New Zealand Force C-130 loaded food and medical supplies to the city and also helped transport survivors to Manila.
Oscar Palabyab, secretary general of the PRC, said that they are happy that the New Zealand government extended assistance in building the warehouse.
He narrated that day after Tacloban was struck by Yolanda, their eight 10-wheeler trucks from Bicol were positioned outside the city due to lack of facility to store the relief goods.
But with the operation of their regional warehouse, they have now an area where they could preposition the relief items and could be easily delivered to an area hit by a disaster, Palabyab said.
Asked if his government will continue to provide assistance to the country despite of the human rights issues affecting the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, Strachan said that both countries are “good neighbors” which provide assistance in case of a disaster.
He recalled that when his country was struck with a deadly earthquake in 2010, the Philippines was one of the countries that sent a rescue team.
There are more than 60,000 Filipinos who lives in New Zealand.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)