RICE DERBY. Farmers and agriculture workers demonstrate precision and drone-assisted seeding during the opening of the 2026 Rice Derby in Dolores, Eastern Samar, where 26 agricultural companies are showcasing technologies aimed at improving rice productivity and promoting climate-resilient farming.(DA-Eastern Visayas)
RICE DERBY. Farmers and agriculture workers demonstrate precision and drone-assisted seeding during the opening of the 2026 Rice Derby in Dolores, Eastern Samar, where 26 agricultural companies are showcasing technologies aimed at improving rice productivity and promoting climate-resilient farming.(DA-Eastern Visayas)
TACLOBAN CITY — Farmers in Eastern Samar will have the opportunity to compare various rice production technologies under actual field conditions as 26 agricultural companies participate in the 2026 Rice Derby, a large-scale demonstration project covering nearly 150 hectares in Dolores town.
The participating companies are showcasing hybrid rice varieties, bio-fertilizers, soil ameliorants, and other technologies aimed at increasing farm productivity and helping farmers adapt to climate-related challenges.
The rice derby began its seeding activities on July 15 in Barangays Gap-ang and Jicontol, with the Department of Agriculture(DA) regional office leading the initiative in partnership with the provincial government of Eastern Samar and private agricultural companies.
The 149.67-hectare demonstration area will allow participating firms to showcase their products and technologies under actual farming conditions.
During the kickoff, modern planting methods, including precision seeding and drone-assisted seeding, were demonstrated to show how technology can improve planting efficiency, reduce labor requirements, and promote more uniform crop establishment.
Throughout the cropping season, farmer-cooperators will monitor and evaluate the performance of the different technologies, allowing them to compare the results of various products and farming practices.
The rice derby serves as a technology demonstration platform where farmers can assess innovations that may help increase rice yields, improve farm efficiency, reduce production challenges, and promote more sustainable and climate-resilient rice production.
The initiative is part of continuing efforts by the agriculture sector to encourage the adoption of appropriate technologies and improve rice productivity in Eastern Samar.
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.UEP officials, CHED representatives, government leaders, and academic partners formally launch the University of Eastern Philippines College of Medicine, the university’s first medical degree program aimed at producing more physicians for Northern Samar and other underserved communities in Eastern Visayas.
(Photo Courtesy, UEP)
COLLEGE OF MEDICINE.UEP officials, CHED representatives, government leaders, and academic partners formally launch the University of Eastern Philippines College of Medicine, the university’s first medical degree program aimed at producing more physicians for Northern Samar and other underserved communities in Eastern Visayas. (Photo Courtesy, UEP)
TACLOBAN CITY — The University of Eastern Philippines (UEP) in Catarman, Northern Samar has opened its College of Medicine, a move expected to help address the shortage of doctors and expand access to medical education in the province and neighboring areas of Eastern Visayas.
The university formally launched the college on July 13, introducing its Doctor of Medicine program that will accept first- and second-year students beginning Academic Year 2026–2027.
The establishment of the College of Medicine was authorized under Republic Act No. 11972, which was signed into law on December 20, 2023.
UEP President Cherry Ultra said the new medical school reflects the university’s commitment to producing physicians who will serve communities with limited access to healthcare.
She also said the program would promote an understanding of the connection between environmental sustainability and public health.
The college currently has 41 medical faculty members and four non-medical personnel recruited from international, national, and provincial hospitals.
During the launch, Dean Dr. Franklin Gali presented the college’s academic direction, faculty, and 10-year development plan.
The long-term plan includes the construction of a P300-million College of Medicine complex, the upgrading of anatomy and histology laboratories, the establishment of a simulation center and research office, and the development of a Level III teaching hospital.
The first phase, covering 2026 to 2027, will focus on securing approval for a five-year development program for the proposed teaching hospital and strengthening the college’s academic and research facilities.
The succeeding phases include expanding clinical affiliations, establishing a telemedicine training program for geographically isolated municipalities, graduating the college’s pioneering batch by 2031, and requiring successful graduates to render return service after passing the Physician Licensure Examination.
The college also plans to establish a Center for Tropical Medicine and Disaster Health Research, secure national accreditation, expand postgraduate programs, and introduce a Bachelor of Science in Midwifery program by Academic Year 2034–2035.
During the ceremony, Commission on Higher Education Regional Office Director Maximo Aljibe formally awarded the certificate of program compliance for UEP’s Doctor of Medicine program, confirming the university’s authority to offer the degree.
Northern Samar Gov. Harris Christopher Ongchuan announced that the provincial government would provide 10 scholarship slots for deserving Doctor of Medicine students.
The scholarship program is intended to help develop more local physicians who could eventually serve communities in the province.
Former Northern Samar First District Representative Paul Daza, the principal author of Republic Act No. 11972 and a member of the UEP Board of Regents, also urged local government units to provide funding for medical scholars.
Daza cited the law’s provision supporting scholarships for qualified and underprivileged students and highlighted ongoing infrastructure projects supporting the university, including funding for the College of Medicine building.
The opening of the UEP College of Medicine marks the university’s first medical degree program and is expected to strengthen the region’s capacity to train physicians and improve healthcare access in Eastern Visayas, particularly in underserved and geographically isolated communities.
TURNOVER OF PROJECTS. Calbayog City Mayor Raymund “Monmon” Uy lead the turnover of a newly completed school building and road opening and concreting project to officials of Barangay Kalilihan, Calbayog City.
(RAYMUND ‘MONMON’ C. UY FACEBOOK)
TURNOVER OF PROJECTS. Calbayog City Mayor Raymund “Monmon” Uy lead the turnover of a newly completed school building and road opening and concreting project to officials of Barangay Kalilihan, Calbayog City. (RAYMUND ‘MONMON’ C. UY FACEBOOK)
TACLOBAN CITY — Residents of Barangay Kalilihan in Calbayog City are expected to gain better access to education, transportation, and livelihood opportunities following the completion of a new school building and a concrete farm-to-market road in the remote community.
The projects were formally turned over to barangay officials during a joint ceremony held in Barangay Payahan, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Samar and the city government of Calbayog leading the turnover.
DILG Samar Provincial Director Judy Batulan and Calbayog Mayor Raymund “Monmon” Uy led the ceremony for the completed 2024 Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) school building and the 2024 Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA) SBDP road opening and concreting projects.
The turnover formally transferred the operational ownership, management, and maintenance responsibilities for the completed facilities to the barangay government and other designated local stakeholders.
Kalilihan village officials, led by barangay chairman Raul Fajardo, accepted responsibility for the completed projects, while the principal and teachers of Kalilihan Elementary School took custody of the newly constructed school building.
The new school building provides students with a permanent and more durable learning facility, replacing temporary learning spaces with a structure designed to withstand the challenges posed by the local environment.
The completed road opening and concreting project, meanwhile, transformed a previously unpaved route into a concrete farm-to-market road, improving mobility within the barangay and facilitating the transport of agricultural products.
Before the road project was completed, Barangay Kalilihan could only be reached after a three- to four-hour trek from major transit points. The improved road is expected to reduce travel time and make it easier for residents to access essential services and transport farm produce to markets.
The projects form part of the national government’s rural development efforts to improve access to basic services and infrastructure in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities.
For residents of Kalilihan, the new school building and road represent improved access to education and mobility in a community that has long faced challenges because of its remote location.
TACLOBAN CITY – The municipal government of Guiuan, Eastern Samar has ordered an intensified environmental sanitation campaign after the town recorded 16 confirmed dengue cases from January to the second week of July, with more than half of the infections reported in a single village.
Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan on July 16, issued Executive Order No. 07-94-2026, directing all 60 barangays to immediately mobilize and strengthen clean-up and dengue prevention activities to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.
The order was issued after an inspection report submitted by the Municipal Health Office (MHO) on July 15 showed that nine of the 16 confirmed dengue cases were recorded in Barangay Salug, making it the municipality’s most affected village.
The report also identified numerous mosquito breeding sites across the town, including stagnant water, clogged canals, overgrown vegetation, and improperly managed solid waste, prompting local officials to intensify preventive measures.
Under the executive order, all barangays have been directed to conduct weekly clean-up drives, remove water-holding containers that could serve as mosquito breeding sites, unclog drainage canals and waterways, eliminate stagnant water in public places and residential areas, trim overgrown vegetation, and strengthen solid waste management in accordance with Republic Act No. 9003.
Barangays were also instructed to coordinate with the Municipal Health Office in conducting information and education campaigns on dengue prevention, mobilize barangay health workers and community volunteers for sanitation activities, and assist health personnel during larval surveys, misting, spraying, and other vector-control operations.
Households are likewise encouraged to undertake weekly search-and-destroy activities against mosquito breeding sites, properly dispose of household waste, maintain clean surroundings, and cooperate with health authorities during inspections and vector-control interventions.
To ensure compliance, all village chiefs have been ordered to submit weekly accomplishment reports, including photographs and summaries of activities undertaken, until the Municipal Health Office determines that the intensified sanitation campaign may be scaled down.
Rows of water containers await filling as Catbalogan residents cope with prolonged water shortages, with several dry faucets reflecting the continuing water supply crisis in the city.(Photo Courtesy, Rene Castino)
Rows of water containers await filling as Catbalogan residents cope with prolonged water shortages, with several dry faucets reflecting the continuing water supply crisis in the city.(Photo Courtesy, Rene Castino)
TACLOBAN CITY — Tubig Catbalogan Corporation (TCC) has launched an emergency response plan after the city’s water supply system fell to only 30% to 40% of its normal capacity, leaving many households, schools, businesses, and workers with little or no water for several days.
In a statement issued July 16, 2026, TCC apologized to residents affected by the prolonged water shortage and admitted that the company should have acted earlier to detect and repair leaks, improve backup capacity, and develop additional water sources.
The company attributed the crisis to a combination of prolonged dry conditions that depleted water sources, heavy rains that made other sources difficult to treat, power interruptions that disrupted pumping operations, and significant water losses caused by leaks.
To oversee the emergency response, Mark Eric Roxas, chief operations officer of Tubig Pilipinas, has been deployed to Catbalogan to supervise operations and ensure the rapid implementation of response measures and infrastructure projects.
Among the immediate measures being undertaken is the expansion of leak-repair teams from two to four. A second leak-detection team equipped with sonar technology has also been deployed to locate underground leaks that may be contributing to the loss of water in the distribution system.
TCC also began testing a District Metered Area (DMA) rotational piped-water service on July 16. The system is intended to improve water pressure in selected areas while providing scheduled water distribution through existing pipelines.
The company said water delivered by local government unit trucks will remain free to all Catbalogan residents, whether or not they are connected to the TCC system. Additional water trucks will also be deployed, with routes and schedules to be announced through official communication channels.
TCC said it will begin utilizing the Masacpasac water source this month, which is expected to add about five liters of water per second to the system.
The company also plans to upgrade the pumping and filtration facilities that transport water from Caramayon to the Kulador Water Treatment Plant to increase the volume of treated water available for distribution.
A longer-term project, the San Andres–Caramayon–Cagutian water source and pipeline project, is scheduled to begin construction in August 2026 once the required materials arrive. Upon completion and successful testing, the project is expected to provide up to 15 million liters of water per day.
TCC urged residents to help address the crisis by reporting visible leaks and broken pipes, conserving water, and avoiding the use of unauthorized booster pumps directly connected to the main distribution line.
The company said unauthorized booster pumps can reduce water pressure for neighboring households.
The water crisis has forced many Catbalogan residents to rely on water containers and deliveries as the city’s water distribution system struggles with depleted sources, infrastructure problems, and operational disruptions.
TCC thanked the city government of Catbalogan, the Catbalogan Water District, barangay officials, emergency responders, and residents for their assistance during the crisis.
The company said it would continue to release updates on repair work, DMA schedules, water-truck routes, and the progress of water infrastructure projects through its official communication channels.
Rampant criminality remains a serious concern that deserves an honest response from the government. Public assurances that the situation is already under control ring hollow when many citizens continue to feel unsafe. Peace and order should be measured by the daily experience of ordinary people, not by reassuring statements alone.
The true test of public safety is whether ordinary citizens can go to work, travel home, or conduct business without fear of becoming victims of robbery, assault, or other violent crimes. Reports of incidents captured by security cameras, mobile phones, and eyewitnesses regularly circulate in communities and on social media. While individual videos do not establish nationwide crime trends on their own, they reinforce a public perception that many people remain vulnerable. When such incidents become frequent enough to shape public behavior, authorities should respond with greater transparency and stronger action rather than relying mainly on declarations that the situation is under control.
Public confidence in law enforcement is built not through words but through visible and consistent results. Citizens expect police officers to prevent crime, respond quickly to emergencies, solve cases efficiently, and maintain a strong presence in communities where crime is prevalent. Every unresolved crime weakens confidence in the justice system and emboldens offenders who believe the risk of being caught is low. Law enforcement must therefore demonstrate that criminals will be investigated, arrested, and prosecuted in accordance with the law, while also respecting the rights of every person.
Effective peace and order cannot be reduced to statistics or official briefings. It requires active patrols, stronger intelligence gathering, close coordination with local governments, improved investigative work, and swift prosecution of offenders. Communities also have a role through neighborhood cooperation and timely reporting of suspicious activity, but these efforts cannot substitute for the state’s primary responsibility to protect life and property. The public deserves policies that produce safer streets, not merely assurances that conditions have already improved.
The government should confront the public’s security concerns with honesty, accountability, and measurable action. If crime remains a serious problem in many communities, acknowledging that reality is the first step toward solving it. Lasting public safety will come only when citizens can once again live, work, and travel with genuine confidence that the law is being enforced fairly and effectively.
