TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) has extended financial and medical assistance to the municipalities of Catarman and Laoang in Northern Samar, reinforcing efforts to boost local healthcare services.

In Catarman, PCSO Northern Samar Branch Head Lester Trongcoso turned over a check worth P1.06 million to Mayor Dianne Rosales. The amount represents the LGU’s five percent share from PCSO lotto operations in the municipality covering the period July to December 2024.

Under Executive Order No. 357, signed in 1996 by the late President Fidel V. Ramos, cities and municipalities where lotto operations are conducted are entitled to five percent of the lotto charity fund, while provinces receive two percent.

Local governments are allowed to utilize the funds to provide medical assistance to indigent residents, procure medical supplies, improve rural health units, or extend aid to calamity victims.

Mayor Rosales and Trongcoso also discussed the forthcoming donation of an ambulance to the Catarman LGU, which will be used to strengthen the town’s emergency response capacity.

Meanwhile, in Laoang, the PCSO donated essential medical equipment, including nebulizers, blood pressure apparatus sets, trauma bags, and oxygen tanks.
The assistance was in response to a formal request by Mayor Charlene Lademora-Ongchuan.

The donation was received on behalf of the Laoang LGU by John Allen Berbon from PCSO Assistant General Manager Atty. Lauro A. Patiag.

The PCSO continues to partner with local government units nationwide to provide accessible healthcare support and respond to emergency needs, particularly in underserved areas.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Use as ‘meet up’

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) in the region has raised alarm over the continued rise of HIV-AIDS cases in the region, with social media use and risky sexual behavior among young adults cited as major contributing factors.

Antonietta Diloy, program coordinator of the DOH’s HIV and AIDS Core Team (HACT), said in an interview on Friday, July 4, that individuals aged 25 to 34—considered part of the “working age” group—account for the highest number of cases in the region.

“As of the first quarter of 2025, out of the total 2,642 HIV-AIDS cases recorded in Eastern Visayas since 1988, 1,429 belong to the 25 to 34 age bracket,” Diloy said. “We can say that social media plays a role. Many in this age group have access to various dating applications which are often used to arrange meetups, sometimes leading to risky sexual behavior.”

To address the problem, the DOH has expanded its outreach beyond traditional methods like school visits and community-based campaigns. It has also begun using the same dating apps where potential at-risk individuals can be found.

“We are using these platforms not only to raise awareness but also to offer counseling and encourage testing,” Diloy added. “We’ve been receiving positive responses from users, which is encouraging.”

Diloy also noted that the region saw a sharp increase in HIV cases in the years following the pandemic, specifically in 2023 and 2024, which she described as “peak years” of HIV-AIDS monitoring in the region.

In 2023, 444 new cases were recorded with 30 deaths. In 2024, there were 436 new cases and 32 deaths. From January to April this year alone, 141 new cases have already been reported, with 10 deaths.

The most common mode of transmission in the region remains sexual contact, particularly among men who have sex with men, followed by heterosexual transmission and mother-to-child transmission.

Dr. Joey Julius Farma, DOH’s HIV medical coordinator, emphasized the importance of early detection and safe sexual practices.

“We are urging individuals, especially those with multiple sexual partners or those engaging in unprotected sex, to undergo HIV testing. The services are free and available across our 20 HIV-AIDS treatment hubs in the region,” he said.

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a virus that attacks the body’s immune system, specifically the CD4 cells (T cells), which help the immune system fight infections. If left untreated, HIV can lead to Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS), the most advanced stage of the infection.

There is currently no cure for HIV, but it can be controlled with proper medical care. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) allows people living with HIV to live long, healthy lives and significantly reduces the risk of transmission.

The DOH continues to stress the importance of education, safe sex practices, regular testing, and de-stigmatizing HIV to help reduce the number of cases and improve the quality of life for those already affected.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY-On 08 to 31 July 2025, the Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA – RSSO 8) will conduct the July 2025 Labor Force Survey (LFS) together with the 2025 Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) Visit 1. The 2025 FIES Visit 1 will be a rider survey to the July 2025 LFS. The 2025 FIES will collect data covering the first semester of 2025.

The monthly LFS aims to generate high frequency data on the Philippine labor market to better monitor and assess the country’s employment situation and economic conditions. The results serve as vital inputs for planning, policy formulation, and implementation of programs that promote gainful employment and support livelihood opportunities for Filipinos.

Meanwhile, the 2025 FIES aims to accomplish the following objectives: to gather data on family income, sources of income, family expenditure and related information affecting family income and expenditure levels and patterns in the Philippines; to determine the income distribution, levels of living and spending patterns, and the degree of inequality among families; to provide inputs in the estimation of the country’s poverty threshold and incidence; and to provide benchmark information to update the weights used in the estimation of Consumer Price Index (CPI).

PSA enjoins all sample households to support the survey by providing truthful information to authorized PSA Statistical Researchers who will visit them to conduct personal interview. The office adheres to the principles of transparency, legitimate purpose, and proportionality pursuant to RA 10173 or the Data Privacy Act of 2012 and RA 10625 or the Philippine Statistical Act of 2013. Section 26 of RA 10625 stipulates that “individual data furnished by a respondent to statistical inquiries, surveys, and censuses of the PSA shall be considered privileged communication and as such shall be inadmissible as evidence in any proceeding”. All survey results will be released in the form of summaries or statistical tables.

The office assures the public that required public health and safety measures will be strictly observed in all phases of field operations. All PSA personnel and hired statistical researchers who will be deployed are healthy and will wear PSA ID for proper identification.
For inquiries and further information, please contact our office with telephone number (053) 839-1884 and email address rsso08socd@psa.gov.ph. (PR)

ORMOC CITY– A domestic altercation between a married couple turned violent, leaving both husband and wife with stab wounds inside their home in Barangay Agpangi, Naval, Biliran.

Police identified the victim as alias “May,” 36, while the suspect—her husband—was identified as alias “Leo,” 37, a seaman. Both are residents of the said barangay.
According to the Naval Municipal Police Station, the incident occurred around 11:25 p.m. last June 27.

The stabbing reportedly stemmed from a heated confrontation, with jealousy believed to be the motive.

Based on the account of the couple’s daughter, her father had been waiting for her mother to return home. When her mother arrived around 10:00 p.m. and went to the bedroom, the daughter later heard her screaming for help.

Alarmed, she sought the assistance of her uncle. When they returned, they found the mother bleeding on the floor and the father holding a knife. The daughter said the suspect then locked the gate and proceeded to slash his wrist and stab himself in the abdomen.
Other relatives who arrived shortly after managed to enter the house and helped bring both parties to the Biliran Provincial Hospital for medical treatment.

The Naval police are conducting a thorough investigation into the incident. Authorities confirmed that both individuals remain under observation at the hospital, while criminal charges are being prepared pending further evaluation of the case.

(ROBERT DEJON)