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Five people faces obstruction of justice following buy-bust operation against a relative

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ORMOC CITY-The local police in Carigara,Leyte filed formal charges against five people for obstruction of justice and resistance, and disobedience to a person of authority at the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office last September 23.

Charged were aliases Ana, Michelle, Cherry Ann, Melanie, and Jevy, all legal age and residents of Brgy. Camansi of said town.

The charges filed against the suspect’s stemmed after obstructing the operation of the operatives of the Station Drugs Enforcement Team (SDET) of the local police during the buy-bust operation against the suspect Jesmark Brazil, 22, single, unemployed, resident of Brgy. Camansi at about 5:00 pm on September 19, 2025.

A video posted on social media showed several people obstructing the operation of the SDET after the suspect was already apprehended.

The five people charged are close relatives of the suspect. The obstruction resulted in the wounding of one of the fingers of town police chief Major Reymund Quinagutan.

But despite the disturbance created by the people who were charged by the police, the police continued their operation, bringing the suspect to the police station to continue the investigation together with the law-mandated witnesses.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect was one sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P500.
Also recovered from the suspect was a plastic container that contained four more sachets containing the same white crystalline substances, also suspected to be shabu, and one P500 bill, a court-subscribed money intended for the operation.

The suspect was informed of the nature of his arrest and was apprised of his constitutional rights in a language that he understood and spoke.

The Carigara SDET said that the estimated weight of the recovered illegal drugs from the suspect was 0.50 grams with a street value of P3,400.

Charges of violations of RA 9165 were already filed at the Provincial Prosecutors’ Office against the suspect, who is temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of Carigara MPS.

(ROBERT DEJON)

CSC-8 honors 12 outstanding public servants and groups in Eastern Visayas

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TACLOBAN CITY – Twelve outstanding government workers and groups from the region were recognized by the Civil Service Commission Regional Office VIII (CSC-8) for their integrity, innovation, and exemplary contributions to public service.

The awardees were honored during the Gawad Lingkod Bayani Program on October 3 at the Leyte Normal University, this city, carrying the theme “Pasasalamat at Pagkilala: Parangal sa mga Natatanging Lingkod Bayani at Katuwang sa Serbisyo Publiko.”

Formerly known as the Search for Outstanding Government Workers, the program conferred three major distinctions: Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo, Gawad Dangal ng Bayan, and Gawad Pagasa, which recognize extraordinary individuals and groups whose service has gone beyond the call of duty.

Among the honorees was Ramon Martil Sumagang, farm worker II of the Calbayog city government, who emerged as the 2025 national winner for Gawad Dangal ng Bayan. Other notable awardees included Janet Alexis De Los Santos, associate professor IV at Visayas State University (Baybay City), named 2025 national semi-finalist, and several regional winners such as Abuyog Mayor Lemuel Gin Kanen Traya, FSInsp. Zardoz Villanueva Abela of Bureau of Fire-Naval, and faculty members from local state universities.

For the Gawad Lingkod Bayan ng Pangulo, Victor Cañezo Jr., president of Biliran Province State University, and the Abaca Researchers and Innovators Group from Visayas State University stood out as national semifinalists, with other regional achievers recognized for their contributions to education and governance.

Meanwhile, the Gawad Pagasa highlighted collaborative efforts, with Gladys Ludevese Pascual of Southern Leyte State University named national semi-finalist, and the Padayon Beterinaryo team of Visayas State University recognized as a regional winner.
The CSC also extended recognition to partner agencies that helped advance professionalism and service excellence in the region’s bureaucracy.

Through the Gawad Lingkod Bayani Program, CSC-8 reaffirmed its commitment to spotlight public servants whose work embodies leadership, innovation, and compassion, serving as role models in the civil service.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Tingog party-list sends urgent aid to Cebu quake survivors

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Tingog Party-list distributes relief packs to quake-hit residents of Brgy. Poblacion in Borbon on Friday. Reps. Yedda Romualdez, Jude Acidre, and Andrew Julian Romualdez assure survivors that Tingog will continue its relief efforts and stand with them as they rebuild their communities.
Tingog Party-list distributes relief packs to quake-hit residents of Brgy. Poblacion in Borbon on Friday. Reps. Yedda Romualdez, Jude Acidre, and Andrew Julian Romualdez assure survivors that Tingog will continue its relief efforts and stand with them as they rebuild their communities.

TACLOBAN CITY – Tingog party-list has launched its first wave of relief operations for families devastated by the powerful earthquake in Cebu, distributing food packs, tents, and other essentials to thousands of residents in Bogo City and the nearby towns of Medellin, Borbon, and San Remigio.

The initiative, led by Reps. Yedda Romualdez, Jude Acidre, and Andrew Julian Romualdez in partnership with Cebu 4th District Rep. Sun Shimura and local officials, seeks to immediately address hunger and provide shelter to quake-hit communities.

In a joint statement, the Tingog lawmakers assured Cebuanos that they are not alone in the aftermath of the tragedy, pledging sustained assistance and solidarity as rehabilitation efforts move forward.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

House endorses 2026 DWM budget, eyes more fund for NMP’s modernization

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TACLOBAN CITY-The 2026 proposed budget of the Department of Migrant Workers (DMW) will now move to the next deliberation phase after scrutiny in the House of Representatives on Thursday, October 2, 2025.

Under the DMW’s budget next year, the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) based here, will receive an allocation of P407.578-million, reflecting a significant increase of 78 percent from its Php228.402 million approved budget for the current year.

As part of its multi-year modernization plan, the bulk of NMP’s budget next year will fund the upgrading of the facilities within its training complex in Tacloban City, particularly its two dormitory buildings and construction of another training pool.

During the budget hearing, Representatives Sarah Elago of Gabriela and Raul Daza of Northern Samar 1st District manifested support for NMP and pushed for the agency’s full modernization as the only state-run maritime training and research institution in the country.

At present, it offers a total of 56 maritime training courses both mandatory and non-mandatory. Of these, NMP already developed 22 out of 40 Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping (STCW) courses prescribed by the International Maritime Organization (IMO), where 21 are currently offered, with one additional course set to be opened upon accreditation by the Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA).

NMP Executive Director Victor Del Rosario underscored that prevailing challenge lies in addressing the critical gaps in training equipment and facilities necessary to develop and offer the remaining mandatory courses. In response, he emphasized that NMP already taken significant strides in modernizing its facilities and resources.

In 2024, the agency secured P52-million for the acquisition of state-of-the-art simulators, including the Full Mission Bridge Simulator, the Liquid Cargo Handling Simulator, and an upgrading of the Engine Room Simulator to its latest software version.

For the current year, an additional P63-million has been allocated for the procurement of specialized training equipment and facility improvements. This is over and above the ongoing infrastructure projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways, which cover road network improvements and the rehabilitation of NMP’s multipurpose gymnasium, as well as its school and training buildings.

Looking ahead for the next fiscal year, NMP seeks additional funding on top of the endorsed budget under DMW. This includes the proposed P46.24-million for the acquisition of various maritime training equipment and P125.6-million construction of a two-story training building with roof deck.

Such investments are vital to ensure compliance with MARINA’s one-to-one trainee-to-equipment ratio and to enable NMP to fully develop and deliver all 40 STCW-mandated courses.

In support of these initiatives, House Majority Floor Leader Representative Sandro Marcos, committed to assist DMW-NMP in advancing its developmental plans.

As the country’s premier government maritime training and research institution, NMP reaffirms its commitment to develop and offer all 40 STCW mandatory courses by 2027, thereby ensuring that the Philippines sustains its position as the world’s leading source of competent and highly skilled seafarers.(PR)

DSWD Eastern Visayas, Bicol join forces for disaster caravan in typhoon-hit Masbate

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QUAKE ASSISTANCE. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) VIII and V regional offices have teamed up to help in providing aid to quake-hit victims of Bogo City, Cebu which was pummeled by a 6.9 magnitude quake last Sept. 30. (DSWD-EASTERN VISAYAS FACEBOOK)
QUAKE ASSISTANCE. The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) VIII and V regional offices have teamed up to help in providing aid to quake-hit victims of Bogo City, Cebu which was pummeled by a 6.9 magnitude quake last Sept. 30. (DSWD-EASTERN VISAYAS FACEBOOK)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) VIII and V regional offices have joined hands to deliver a unified disaster response caravan in Masbate, extending vital aid to families recovering from the devastation of Typhoon “Opong.”

The Eastern Visayas contingent deployed its mobile clinic and “Angels in Red Vests” team to provide medical and welfare services, while their Bicol counterparts brought in a mobile command center and mobile kitchen. Together, they formed part of an inter-agency caravan that continues to roll out assistance across the province.

Residents benefited from health check-ups, laboratory and dental services, wellness support, and other immediate relief interventions.

DSWD officials stressed that the joint effort highlights the agency’s commitment to a “whole-of-government approach” to disaster response, a directive from President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. designed to ensure that no community is left behind during crises.

Through this collaboration, the DSWD said it aims not only to provide emergency relief but also to restore hope and resilience among families rebuilding their lives after the storm.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Unburden them

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Celebrating Teacher’s Day is a meaningful gesture, but it also exposes a sad truth: teachers today are overworked and underappreciated. While society praises their role in shaping the youth, the system continues to burden them with tasks that strip them of the time and energy needed to teach. Recognition, therefore, must go beyond words—it must confront the conditions that cripple their vocation.

Teachers are meant to be mentors and educators, not clerks and event organizers. Yet under the Department of Education, many find themselves buried in paperwork, data collection, and endless compliance reports that have little to do with instruction. They must attend meetings, join committees, and handle school celebrations—all for “school improvement” but at the cost of actual learning. When teaching becomes secondary to bureaucracy, classrooms suffer. Lessons lose depth, and students are left behind, unable to read with understanding or perform basic computations.

The situation reveals not a failure of teachers but a failure of the system that governs them. Teachers did not choose to abandon their teaching hours; they were compelled by a structure that values documentation over education. The endless cycle of reports has turned teachers into functionaries of an inefficient bureaucracy, reducing their noble profession into a daily struggle for compliance. This misplaced priority betrays the very mission of education—to develop minds, not to fill folders. The decline in students’ performance in national assessments and the growing reports of functional illiteracy among learners speak volumes about this institutional neglect.

Celebrating Teacher’s Day, therefore, must be more than ceremonial. It must serve as a national reckoning—a reminder that teachers are the pillars of the country’s future, yet they stand weakened by the weight of unnecessary work. To continue lauding them with flowers and speeches while ignoring their plight is hypocrisy. True honor demands reform. It requires that society acknowledge how much has been taken from teachers in the name of compliance and how much time has been stolen from the classroom by bureaucracy masquerading as accountability.

The most fitting tribute to teachers is not a token celebration but liberation from the piles of paperwork and redundant reports that waste their intellect and passion. Their time must be restored to teaching, their purpose reclaimed, and their dignity upheld. The Department of Education must look hard at its policies and realign priorities: let teachers teach and administrators administer. Only then can Teacher’s Day become a celebration that truly means something—not just to teachers, but to the students whose minds and futures they shape.

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