ORMOC CITY – A tragic road accident claimed the lives of five individuals, including a one-year-old child, when a speeding boom truck collided with a motorcycle and a multi-cab along the national highway in Barangay Cabulihan, this city, on Sunday night, June 1, 2025.

The fatal crash occurred around 7:45 pm and killed four people instantly, while one later died in the hospital.

Killed on the spot were a 20-year-old construction worker identified only as “Lloyd”; his one-year-old son, “Kit”; and a couple, “Jumar,” 40, an engineer, and his 41-year-old wife, “Marian,” a housewife. All were residents of Ormoc City. Lloyd’s 19-year-old live-in partner, “Mary,” succumbed to injuries while being treated at a local hospital.

Also injured in the collision were 75-year-old “Cresilda,” a widow and farmer from Barangay Masarayao, Kananga, Leyte, and three children—“JCL,” 11, “Kal,” 8, and “Tal,” 6—residents of Barangay Cabulihan.

Based on the initial investigation by the Ormoc City Traffic Enforcement Unit, Lloyd was driving a RUSI motorcycle with Mary and their child onboard, while Jumar was driving a multi-cab with his wife and three children. Both vehicles were traveling in the same direction toward Barangay Valencia.

Meanwhile, a boom truck, allegedly speeding, was traveling in the opposite direction toward downtown Ormoc. Upon reaching Barangay Cabulihan, the truck suddenly swerved into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with both the motorcycle and the multi-cab. It then hit a parked multi-cab owned by “Antonia,” a resident of the area.

Due to the impact, both Lloyd and his son died instantly, as did the couple inside the multi-cab. Other passengers, including the children and elderly woman, were rushed to nearby hospitals for medical attention.

The driver of the boom truck was uninjured and is now in the custody of the Ormoc City Police Office’s Traffic Enforcement Unit for proper investigation and legal action.
All involved vehicles remained at the scene as of the latest report, pending further examination.

(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – More than 2 million workers in the region will start receiving the second tranche of their minimum wage increase beginning Sunday, June 1.

Under Wage Order No. 24, issued by the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB) and approved on November 5, 2024, the daily minimum wage will rise to P435 for non-agriculture workers and P405 for those in the agriculture sector.

Previously, the minimum wage stood at P420 and P390 for the non-agriculture and agriculture sectors, respectively.

A labor inspection officer from the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the region said that inspections and advisory visits are ongoing to ensure compliance.

“Violators will be required to pay the wage differential,” the officer said, adding that penalties may include fines of up to P200,000, imprisonment of up to four years, or closure of the establishment.

Although exact figures on violators are not yet available, previous reports show that wage violations in the region remain minimal.

Wage Order No. 24 provides exemptions for distressed establishments, retail or service firms with 10 or fewer employees, and new businesses within a two-year grace period.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – A 55-year-old woman from Maasin City is under isolation for a suspected case of Mpox (monkeypox), Mayor Nacional Mercado confirmed on Friday, May 30.

Local health authorities are conducting contact tracing while waiting for confirmatory test results.

The Department of Health (DOH) in the region expects to receive the patient’s specimen by Monday, June 2, before forwarding it to the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine (RITM) in Mandaluyong City.

Mayor Mercado has ordered the reimplementation of health protocols, including mandatory face mask use and physical distancing, to prevent possible transmission.

Boyd Cerro, head of the DOH Regional Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit, said this is the region’s ninth suspected Mpox case, with all previous cases from Leyte, Biliran, and Samar testing negative.

A private hospital in Ormoc City also denied reports of treating a confirmed Mpox patient.
Mpox is a viral illness with symptoms like fever, swollen lymph nodes, and a distinct rash. It spreads through close contact with infected individuals or contaminated materials.

(RONALD O. REYES)