TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar Provincial Hospital (NSPH) in Catarman, the province’s main referral health facility, is now operating more than double its licensed capacity, prompting hospital officials to temporarily suspend new patient admissions due to severe overcrowding.

In a public advisory issued Saturday (October 18), NSPH Chief of Hospital Dr. Joseph Estanislao said all hospital beds are currently occupied, leaving no room for new admissions.

He appealed to partner hospitals and local health facilities to refer only patients requiring specialized or higher-level care and to stabilize those needing transfer before dispatch.
“We also would like to request the health facilities to stabilize patients before dispatch,” Estanislao said. “Cooperation from other facilities and the public will help ensure that critical and emergency cases receive immediate attention.”

The 150-bed provincial hospital is currently attending to more than 360 patients, many of whom are occupying makeshift beds in hallways and other temporary spaces, according to provincial officials.

Provincial Information Officer Arlyn Cui said the hospital’s overcrowding is largely caused by patients bypassing district hospitals and rural health units (RHUs) and going directly to the provincial hospital—even for minor illnesses.

“NSPH is a referral hospital, but most of the time, patients go directly there regardless of the seriousness of their ailments. They are still being accommodated, which causes the hospital to exceed its capacity,” Cui said in an online interview.

Northern Samar’s provincial government operates eight district hospitals, each with 50 to 100 beds, and several RHU-accredited primary care facilities capable of handling basic treatments, childbirth, and non-critical cases.

Health officials are urging residents to seek care first from these local facilities to reduce congestion at the provincial hospital and ensure that those in need of advanced care can be properly attended to.

The situation in Northern Samar mirrors a wider trend in Eastern Visayas, where other government hospitals—including the Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City and the Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) in Tacloban City—have likewise reported operating beyond their maximum capacity amid rising patient admissions in recent months.

Officials said the surge in hospital utilization underscores the need to strengthen the province’s district hospitals and RHUs to improve access to primary care and prevent the overcrowding of referral hospitals like NSPH.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA, JOEY A. GABIETA)

Eastern Visayas’ raw talent, Faith Baldago, earned a nomination for best actress at the recently concluded PelikulAgraryo: The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Central Film Festival.

Though she failed to bag the award, Baldago’s nomination, under the agrarian reform beneficiaries organization (ARBO) category, was already enough for DAR Eastern Visayas to celebrate. The award went to Daizelle Nicole Diaz, for “Ang Pagtililipon sang mga Damgo” produced by student-filmmakers from Central Philippine University in Western Visayas.

Baldago was nominated for her role in the short film “Lubi han Kinabuhi” produced by students from Eastern Samar State University in Borongan City, along with five other nominees from Ilocos, Western Visayas, Central Luzon, Central Visayas and MIMAROPA regions.

The national awarding ceremony held at the Novotel Manila in Cubao, Quezon City on Monday, October 6 this year, was attended by the PelikulAgraryo regional winners for the best films for both ARBO and agrarian reform beneficiary (ARB) categories.

Baldago, unable to attend the said event, said that, she was surprised, grateful and overwhelmed when told by her team of her nomination. To be recognized and nominated is already a huge honor for me, she stressed.

During the Pelikulagraryo Eastern Visayas Regional Short Film Festival held in July this year in Tacloban City, “Lubi han Kinabuhi” was named best film under the ARBO category, while Baldago was awarded best actress.

“Lubi han Kinabuhi” together with “Bunot,” adjudged best film under the ARB category, produced by students from Visayas state University in Baybay City, Leyte, were this region’s official entries to the national competition.

PelikulAgraryo is a short film festival, organized by DAR, showcasing true to life stories of ARBs, particularly recipients of individual land titles generated under the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project, and ARBOs, whose lives were changed through the government’s agrarian reform program. These films are produced by college students from various state universities and colleges (SUCs) from across the country.

Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III disclosed “Ang pakay ng Pelikulagraryo ay mahikayat ang mga kabataan na magkahilig sa pagsasaka. Magtanin at mag-alaga ng hayop upang nakakasigurado tayo sa food security program ng ating bansa. Sana mangyari yan.”

“Sa pamamagitan ng pelikulagraryo, namumulat ang mga mata ng ating mga kababayan, lalo na ng ating mga kabataan. Salamat dahil nakilahok kayo. Salamat dahil tumutulong kayo sa programa ng DAR. I would like to say that you are the new heroes. Mga bagong bayani din kayo, kayong mga kabataan,” said Estrella as he addressed the student filmmakers. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY — The provincial capital of Northern Samar, Catarman, has been officially declared under a stable internal peace and security (SIPS) condition — more popularly known as “insurgency-free” — marking a major milestone in its decades-long journey toward peace and stability.

The declaration, held on Oct.16, recognizes the town’s progress in addressing local insurgency threats and fostering a secure environment conducive to development. It also signifies that the responsibility for maintaining internal peace and order now lies primarily with the local government unit (LGU) and the Philippine National Police (PNP), with continued support from the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP).

The ceremony, held in Catarman, highlighted the collective effort of various stakeholders led by the Municipal Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (MTF-ELCAC) chaired by Mayor Dianne Rosales.

“Ini nga SIPS Declaration diri ini an katapusan, kundi panibag-o ini nga pagtikang — sayo nga panata nga aatamanon nga tatagan naton bug-at an kamurayawan nga aton nakab-ot,” Mayor Rosales said.

“Let us continue to build a Catarman where hope thrives, opportunities abound, and peace is sustained for generations to come.”

The event was attended by key officials including DILG Northern Samar Provincial Director Geraldine Maquelabit, 803rd Infantry Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Carmelito Pangatungan, Police Provincial Director Col. Sonnie Omengan, and Governor Harris Christopher Ongchuan, represented by SP Member Neil Hernandez.

Lt. Col. Jayson Que, commanding officer of the 43rd Infantry Battalion, described the declaration as a product of sustained collaboration among all sectors of society.
“Achieving insurgency-free status is a significant achievement, but it is not the end of the journey. We must remain vigilant and continue to work together to sustain the peace we have achieved,” Lt. Col. Que said.

A memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed between the LGU of Catarman, the AFP, and the PNP, reaffirming their united commitment to maintaining peace and development. The signing was followed by a symbolic release of white doves, representing hope for a peaceful and progressive Catarman.

Brig. Gen. Pangatungan commended former rebels who decided to lay down their arms and reintegrate into society, calling them “symbols of renewed hope.”

“Peace is not merely the absence of conflict but the presence of hope, livelihood, and dignity,” he said. “This declaration marks a new mission — to sustain development, deliver services even to the farthest sitios, and empower every Nortehanon to live with dignity.”
Also present were Vice Mayor Francisco Rosales Jr., members of the Sangguniang Bayan, 55 barangay captains, municipal department heads, and representatives from national government agencies, who all joined in signing the Wall of Commitment — a collective pledge to safeguard the peace the town has achieved.

The SIPS declaration positions Catarman as a model for other towns in Northern Samar still striving for lasting peace, underscoring the importance of local leadership, community participation, and inter-agency cooperation in ending local insurgency and sustaining progress.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)