TACLOBAN CITY — A proposed law granting full government support to top senior high school graduates moved closer to plenary approval after the House Committee on Appropriations endorsed the measure on Feb. 17.

The panel, chaired by Rep. Mikaela Suansing, approved the substitute bill institutionalizing the Presidential Merit Scholarship Program (PMSP), a priority measure under the Legislative-Executive Development Advisory Council backed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The consolidated measure includes House Bill No. 5763 principally authored by Leyte 1st District Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and co-authored by Tingog party-list Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez, Andrew Julian Romualdez, and Jude Acidre.

The bill was sponsored before the appropriations panel by Acidre, who chairs the House Committee on Higher and Technical Education.

Once enacted, the program will be formally lodged under CHED and provide scholars with free tuition and school fees, book and internet allowances, uniform support, dormitory or transportation assistance, and other living subsidies.

The grant was increased during deliberations to P90,000 annually for students in private higher education institutions and P45,000 for those in public institutions.

Lawmakers said institutionalizing the program will ensure stable funding and continuity, while preventing duplication of benefits with other government scholarships.

With its appropriations provisions approved, the bill now moves to plenary deliberations.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Police in Eastern Visayas arrested several drug suspects, seized illegal firearms, and stopped an unlawful fuel trade in a series of operations conducted over two days, authorities reported Monday.

The operations, carried out from February 20 to 21, were led by the Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) under Regional Director Jason Capoy.

On February 20, operatives of the Albuera Municipal Police Station arrested a fish vendor tagged as a street-level individual during a drug buy-bust operation in Albuera.

Police recovered around 5.5 grams of suspected shabu valued at P73,400, along with a .38 caliber revolver, four rounds of ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.

The following day, police in Llorente, Eastern Samar arrested two men — a 30-year-old driver and a 20-year-old laborer — for alleged illegal fuel trading in Barangay Naubay.
Confiscated from the suspects were 900 liters of premium gasoline worth P56,295 and 360 liters of unleaded gasoline valued at P22,122, along with a white van and other materials used in the activity.

Also on February 21, police in Burauen, Leyte arrested a suspect in a shooting incident through a hot pursuit operation.

Investigation showed that the victim was refueling at a sari-sari store when the suspect suddenly appeared and shot him, hitting his left arm. The victim was rushed to the Burauen District Hospital for treatment.

Authorities later apprehended the suspect and recovered a .45 caliber pistol with one magazine loaded with five live bullets.

In Ormoc City, a buy-bust operation conducted by the local drug enforcement team resulted in the arrest of high-value individuals and one street-level suspect.

Seized were six sachets of suspected shabu weighing about 2.53 grams with an estimated value of P17,204. Police also recovered a .357 caliber revolver, ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.

Capoy commended the swift response of police units across the region, saying the arrests and seizure of illegal drugs and firearms demonstrate PRO-8’s commitment to maintaining peace and order.

All confiscated items were properly inventoried in the presence of witnesses, as required by law. The suspects are now in police custody and are facing appropriate criminal charges.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Catbalogan city government has stepped up efforts to restore marine ecosystems with the release of sea turtles and transplantation of giant clams in Barangay Buluan.

Led by the City Agriculture Office and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO), the activity brought together government agencies, academic institutions, civic groups, and local communities in a collaborative conservation effort.

Partners included Samar State University, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), the Provincial Fishery Office, the Philippine Coast Guard, PNP Maritime Group, local barangay councils, CFARMC and FARMC representatives from seven Sierra Islands barangays, the Rotary Club of Catbalogan, and the People’s Initiative for Learning and Community Development (PILCD).

During the ceremony, officials highlighted the ecological importance of sea turtles and giant clams in maintaining biodiversity and supporting sustainable fisheries. A ceremonial sea turtle release was followed by giant clam transplantation in designated reef areas, alongside the installation of an MPA reef billboard to remind residents of their role in marine protection.

City authorities said the initiative underscores the value of strong partnerships in advancing community-based marine conservation and sustaining fisheries for future generations.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY– The provincial government of Southern Leyte has released one million blue swimming crab larvae into the waters of two coastal towns as part of an intensified effort to restore declining crab stocks and secure the livelihood of thousands of fisherfolk.
Under the “Rehabilitation of Southern Leyte Blue Swimming Crab Industry through Stock Enhancement” program, the province dispersed around 600,000 blue swimming crab (BSC) larvae in the zoea stage in Barangay Sabang, Hinundayan, on February 19, followed by another 400,000 larvae in Barangay Tabugon, Liloan, on February 20.

The initiative is being led by the Fisheries Section of the Provincial Agriculture Office and forms part of a broader marine restoration strategy of the provincial overnment of Southern Leyte.

The latest dispersal builds on earlier releases of about 5.4 million larvae in the towns of San Juan, Saint Bernard, Silago, and Hinunangan, expanding the program’s coverage across key fishing grounds in the province.

The blue swimming crab, locally known as “lambay” and scientifically identified as Portunus pelagicus, is among the most commercially valuable marine species in Southern Leyte.
It supports small-scale fishers and supplies both local markets and seafood processors. However, overfishing, habitat degradation, and environmental pressures have contributed to fluctuating and, in some areas, declining catches in recent years.

Through stock enhancement — a process of breeding and releasing larvae into natural waters — the provincial government aims to replenish crab populations, stabilize harvests, and ensure long-term sustainability of the industry.

Officials described the program as both an environmental intervention and an economic investment, emphasizing that rebuilding crab stocks directly translates to improved income opportunities for coastal communities.

Provincial authorities said monitoring activities will continue to assess survival rates and long-term impact, as the local government strengthens partnerships with fisherfolk and coastal barangays to protect and manage marine resources.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)