The Philippine Air Force (PAF) and Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) reinforced their growing defense partnership through a joint flight involving PAF’s FA-50 and a JASDF E-2D within Philippine airspace, as the Japanese contingent returned home following its participation in Exercise Pitch Black 2026.
More than a coordinated flight, the activity demonstrated the two air forces’ growing interoperability, operational coordination, and readiness to work alongside one another capabilities essential to strengthening collective responses to evolving regional security challenges.
The joint activity further underscores the PAF’s commitment to expanding engagements with like-minded partners, enhancing its operational capabilities, and contributing to a more secure, stable, and resilient regional air environment.(PR)
WORLD CLASS. Leyte powerlifters Lyra Shane Silvano, left, and Jane Erasmo celebrate after winning four gold medals each for the Philippines at the IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Silvano also set a new world record in the women’s Sub-Junior 43-kg category.
(Photo courtesy of Leyte Sports Academy)
WORLD CLASS. Leyte powerlifters Lyra Shane Silvano, left, and Jane Erasmo celebrate after winning four gold medals each for the Philippines at the IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa. Silvano also set a new world record in the women’s Sub-Junior 43-kg category. (Photo courtesy of Leyte Sports Academy)
TACLOBAN CITY — Two young powerlifters from Leyte dominated their respective divisions at the International Powerlifting Federation (IPF) World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships in Sun City, South Africa, winning four gold medals each for the Philippines.
Fourteen-year-old Lyra Shane Silvano of the Leyte Sports Academy (LSA), a native of Dulag, Leyte, captured four gold medals in the women’s Sub-Junior 43-kilogram category in her first appearance at the world championships.
Silvano topped the squat with a 105-kilogram lift, the bench press with 60 kg and the deadlift with 117.5 kg for a total of 282.5 kg, securing the division’s overall title.
Her performance also made her a new world record holder in the category.
Jane Erasmo of Matag-ob, Leyte, meanwhile, also swept the women’s Junior 57-kg category, winning gold in the squat, bench press and deadlift, as well as the overall title.
Erasmo lifted 200 kg in the squat, 132.5 kg in the bench press and 192.5 kg in the deadlift for a combined total of 525 kg.
Her victory enabled her to successfully defend her world championship title.
Erasmo was previously a sports scholar of LSA before joining the powerlifting team of Jose Rizal University, where she is pursuing a degree in criminology.
The IPF World Sub-Junior and Junior Powerlifting Championships began on Aug. 18 and will run until Aug. 29.
MORE SUPPORT FOR LGUS. Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone welcomes the expanded Local Government Support Fund, saying additional national government assistance can help the province accelerate priority infrastructure and public service projects. In the photo, Evardone leads a rice distribution in Dolores town under the BBM-LGSF Rice Distribution Program.
(Photo courtesy of the Eastern Samar Provincial Information Office)
Added funds can speed up E. Samar development
MORE SUPPORT FOR LGUS. Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone welcomes the expanded Local Government Support Fund, saying additional national government assistance can help the province accelerate priority infrastructure and public service projects. In the photo, Evardone leads a rice distribution in Dolores town under the BBM-LGSF Rice Distribution Program. (Photo courtesy of the Eastern Samar Provincial Information Office)
TACLOBAN CITY — Eastern Samar Gov. Ralph Vincent “RV” Evardone has welcomed the national government’s expanded Local Government Support Fund (LGSF), saying additional funding could help the province pursue priority projects and improve public services beyond what its regular revenues can support.
Evardone said Eastern Samar’s regular share from the national government remains vital to the operation of the provincial government, but available resources are not always enough to address the province’s infrastructure and development needs.
“Additional support from the national government can make a real difference in our ability to deliver better services and bring development closer to our communities,” Evardone said in a statement.
For 2026, Eastern Samar has been allocated more than P2.53 billion in National Tax Allotment (NTA), formerly called the Internal Revenue Allotment, while the provincial government expects to generate more than P222.17 million in local income this year.
The NTA is the regular share of local governments from national government revenues and serves as a major source of funding for their operations and delivery of basic services.
The LGSF, meanwhile, is a separate source of national government assistance for local governments. It is intended to provide additional funding for priority programs and projects, particularly those that may not be fully financed through an LGU’s regular resources. The fund has several components, including financial assistance to LGUs and the Growth Equity Fund.
For next fiscal year, the national government appropriated P57.872 billion for the LGSF, substantially increasing the resources available for local government support.
Evardone said the additional funding can help LGUs accelerate projects that might otherwise be postponed because of limited resources.
“Local governments are closest to the people. We see their needs firsthand. We know which roads require attention, which public facilities need improvement, and which communities remain underserved,” he said.
For this reason, he said LGUs should have a meaningful role in identifying projects where additional national government funding can produce the greatest benefit for local communities.
The expanded LGSF forms part of the Marcos administration’s efforts to provide more direct assistance to LGUs.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. launched in February the “Sa Bagong Pilipinas, Bawat Bayan Makikinabang” initiative, which seeks to strengthen national government support to local governments and enable them to respond more quickly to the needs of their constituents.
The Palace has also emphasized that LGSF assistance should be distributed fairly among LGUs regardless of political affiliation.
Palace officials said the fund does not favor any particular political group, municipality or locality, and urged local officials and the public to monitor the implementation of projects and report possible irregularities.
Evardone said he recognizes the importance of transparency and accountability in the use of LGSF funds, particularly because they involve substantial amounts of public money.
“The LGSF has established guidelines and safeguards governing its use. These must be applied consistently and fairly to ensure that public funds are spent for their intended purpose and that projects reach the communities that need them most,” he said.
He said the success of the LGSF should ultimately be measured by its impact on communities, including better roads, improved public facilities, stronger government services and increased economic opportunities.
“Additional resources are important, but equally important is ensuring that every peso translates into genuine public benefit,” Evardone said.
FIRST NEST DOCUMENTED. A South Philippine Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) chick stands in its nest in a forest in Burauen, Leyte, where the Philippine Eagle Foundation documented the species’ first active nest on Leyte Island and in Eastern Visayas. The chick successfully fledged on May 17, 2026, after 76 days of monitoring.(Philippine Eagle Foundation)
FIRST NEST DOCUMENTED. A South Philippine Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) chick stands in its nest in a forest in Burauen, Leyte, where the Philippine Eagle Foundation documented the species’ first active nest on Leyte Island and in Eastern Visayas. The chick successfully fledged on May 17, 2026, after 76 days of monitoring.(Philippine Eagle Foundation)
TACLOBAN CITY — A rare South Philippine Hawk-Eagle successfully raised a chick in a forest in Burauen, Leyte, providing conservation researchers with the first documented record of an active nest of the globally endangered raptor on Leyte Island and in Eastern Visayas.
The Philippine Eagle Foundation (PEF) discovered the nest in November 2025 during fieldwork conducted by a team consisting of a biologist, field technician and local forest guards.
The team initially heard a hawk-eagle repeatedly calling from a large native tree locally known as tiga. A second eagle later landed on a nearby tree, prompting the researchers to scan the area with binoculars.
They spotted a large stick nest among the branches and observed one of the birds arranging fresh twigs, indicating that the pair was actively building the nest.
Because nesting birds are particularly sensitive to disturbance, the team left the area and avoided further observation for nearly two months to allow the pair to continue nesting undisturbed.
When researchers returned in January 2026, they found the female incubating a single egg.
The PEF team then began daily monitoring from sunrise to sunset from a camouflaged observation blind designed to minimize disturbance to the birds.
After 41 days of monitoring, the egg hatched on March 2.
Researchers documented the parents’ roles in caring for the chick. The male regularly brought food to the nest, while the female stayed close to the chick, shielding it from rain and heat and protecting it from possible predators.
The female also tore food into smaller pieces for the chick, removed food remains and helped maintain the nest. Both parents were observed bringing fresh leafy branches to the nest.
As the chick grew, researchers observed it standing and walking around the nest and eventually flapping its wings as it prepared for its first flight.
After 76 days of monitoring, the young hawk-eagle successfully fledged on May 17.
PEF said the discovery is significant because it is the first documented active nest of the South Philippine Hawk-Eagle (Nisaetus pinskeri) on Leyte Island and the first recorded active nest of the species in Eastern Visayas.
The observation also enabled researchers to document the species’ complete nesting cycle, from nest construction and egg incubation to hatching and successful fledging.
The South Philippine Hawk-Eagle is found only in parts of the central and southern Philippines. Although the species has long been recorded in Leyte, previous sightings were largely limited to adult birds and juveniles after they had already left their nests.
The new findings could provide valuable information on the species’ breeding behavior and help guide conservation measures, particularly the protection of its remaining forest habitat.
The discovery has already prompted local conservation initiatives.
The Protected Area Management Board of Mahagnao Volcano Natural Park approved four resolutions aimed at protecting the nesting site and the hawk-eagle family.
The local government of Burauen is also preparing an ordinance recognizing the South Philippine Hawk-Eagle as one of the municipality’s flagship species for conservation.
PEF said its research team is preparing scientific papers on the findings, along with evidence-based recommendations for protecting the species.
The foundation also plans to launch later this year the first telemetry study of the South Philippine Hawk-Eagle. The project will involve fitting GPS transmitters to adult birds and the fledgling to determine their territory sizes, forest-use patterns and movements after young birds leave the nest.
PEF said continued research and stronger local conservation measures are essential to protect the globally endangered raptor and the remaining forests on which it depends.
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales lead the inauguration and turnover of the Phase 1 Maritime Building at the Eastern Samar State University Guiuan Campus on Aug. 14. The facility is expected to pave the way for maritime education programs that will allow aspiring seafarers to study closer to home.
(ESSU-Guiuan Campus)
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales lead the inauguration and turnover of the Phase 1 Maritime Building at the Eastern Samar State University Guiuan Campus on Aug. 14. The facility is expected to pave the way for maritime education programs that will allow aspiring seafarers to study closer to home. (ESSU-Guiuan Campus)
TACLOBAN CITY— Aspiring seafarers in Eastern Samar will soon have the opportunity to pursue maritime education closer to home following the inauguration of the Phase 1 Maritime Building at the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) Guiuan Campus, Guiuan town, on Aug. 14.
Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales led the inauguration and turnover of the facility, which is envisioned to support the establishment of maritime programs at ESSU Guiuan.
Gonzales said the new facility would help prevent aspiring seafarers from having to leave the province just to take maritime-related courses.
He said Nautical Studies and Marine Engineering are among the programs that many Eastern Samar students have had to pursue outside the province.
“This will give our young people the opportunity to study maritime courses here in Eastern Samar instead of leaving the province,” Gonzales said.
The initiative is particularly significant for Eastern Visayas, which has a strong maritime tradition and is home to the National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) in Tacloban City, one of the country’s major maritime training and research institutions.
Gonzales said the idea for the facility emerged after he and Rep. Marcelino Libanan of the 4Ps party-list group and House minority floor leader, examined the courses commonly pursued by Eastern Samar students and identified programs that often require them to study outside the province.
While education remains among the most commonly pursued fields by students in the province, Gonzales said maritime courses were also in demand but were not readily available locally.
This led to efforts to establish a maritime program in Eastern Samar, including the construction of the Maritime Building and the filing of House Bill No. 7693, with Libanan as principal author and Gonzales as co-author.
The proposed measure seeks to establish the province’s first state-run College of Maritime Studies, offering a Bachelor of Science in Maritime Transportation aligned with International Maritime Organization standards and the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers.
Gonzales also stressed the importance of cooperation among provincial leaders in advancing education and infrastructure projects.
“We now have many good infrastructure projects and many good programs. Many positive things are happening in our province because our leaders are united. You can see the progress of education in our province. Eastern Samar is not a rich province, so we need to support education. That is why this is one of the things we are focusing on,” he said.
ESSU President Andres Pagatpatan Jr. said putting up a competitive maritime program would require more than a building.
“Establishing a competitive maritime program requires more than a building. We need modern, industry-relevant equipment, qualified and competent faculty members, facilities, and advanced technologies such as navigational simulators and other maritime training equipment,” Pagatpatan said.
Libanan, meanwhile, pledged continued support for education initiatives benefiting Eastern Samar youth, saying investments in knowledge and skills would contribute to the province’s future development.
He also emphasized the importance of bringing higher education closer to students so they can pursue their chosen professions without imposing additional expenses on their families for schooling outside the province.
The Phase 1 Maritime Building has an allocation of P50 million, while P60 million has been allocated for Phase 2 and another P50 million for Phase 3. Construction of Phases 2 and 3 is ongoing.
Once completed and fully equipped, the facility is expected to expand ESSU Guiuan’s academic offerings and provide maritime education and training opportunities to students from Guiuan and other parts of Eastern Samar.
HAMPERED BY MISINFORMATION? Health workers administer measles-rubella vaccines to eligible children in Calbayog City as the City Health Office intensifies its campaign to raise vaccination coverage amid concerns over misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.(Calbayog City Information Office)
HAMPERED BY MISINFORMATION? Health workers administer measles-rubella vaccines to eligible children in Calbayog City as the City Health Office intensifies its campaign to raise vaccination coverage amid concerns over misinformation and vaccine hesitancy.(Calbayog City Information Office)
TACLOBAN CITY — Health officials here are urging parents to reject misinformation about vaccines as the city struggles to reach eligible children in its measles-rubella (MR) vaccination campaign, with only 18 percent of the target vaccinated as of Aug. 18.
The City Health Office (CHO) reported that 3,484 children had received the MR vaccine out of the city’s target of 19,225 children, prompting health workers to intensify efforts to convince parents and guardians to have their children vaccinated.
Rowena Bracamonte Faller, city program coordinator for the National Immunization Program, said health workers have encountered parents who became hesitant or resistant to vaccination because of misinformation circulating online and in communities.
In some instances, health workers conducting the campaign have also encountered hostility from parents and guardians.
“Unta diri tumuod sa fake news kay kairo man san aton kabataan,” Faller said in an interview posted online, appealing to parents not to believe false claims about vaccines.
City Health Officer Dr. Sylvia de Guzman earlier said the CHO was “exhausting all means and opportunities to intervene” to improve the city’s Fully Immunized Child coverage.
The CHO is targeting more than 80 percent vaccination coverage to help build community protection against measles and rubella and reduce the risk of outbreaks.
Mayor Raymund Uy has likewise urged parents and guardians of children aged 6 to 59 months to take advantage of the vaccination campaign.
“An bakuna usa nga love language — usa nga paagi san pagpakita san aton gugma, pag-ataman, ngan pagprotekta san aton kabataan,” Uy said in a social media post.
Health officials emphasized that measles and rubella are viral diseases that can be prevented through vaccination. Measles is highly contagious and may lead to serious complications, particularly among young children, while rubella is usually milder but can cause severe birth defects if a woman becomes infected during pregnancy.
The MR vaccine provides protection against both diseases, making high vaccination coverage important in preventing transmission and protecting children and other vulnerable members of the community.
The low turnout in Calbayog highlights the continuing challenge faced by local health authorities in countering vaccine misinformation and rebuilding confidence in routine and supplemental immunization programs.
