TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways-Tacloban City District Engineering Office (DPWH-TCDEO) transforms the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Regional Office VIII, Annex Building with a fresh new look and a reinforced structure, completing its rehabilitation on November 29, 2024.
The project, located in Brangay 25, Kanhuraw Hill, Tacloban City, was funded under the 2024 General Appropriations Act with a total contract amount of P1.4 million. The said rehabilitation was necessary due to the aging condition of the building, which houses key offices, including the Office of the Legal, Commission on Audit (COA), Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces (CMGP), Gender and Development (GAD), and the Child Minding facility.
The scope of work included applying new exterior and interior paint, replacing dilapidated flashing, gutters, and portions of the roof, and refurbishing ceilings and lighting fixtures. Additionally, a sliding glass door with a fixed window was installed in the child-minding area, and new paint was applied to the roof and railings.
District Engineer Rebecca G. Yuse highlighted the importance of the project in maintaining government infrastructure. “The rehabilitation of the DILG Regional Office Annex Building ensures a safer and more functional space for government employees and the public. This project reflects our commitment to preserve essential public facilities,” she said. (PUBLIC INFORMATION UNIT)
CATBALOGAN CITY—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) is beefing up its campaign against child labor, granting more than P1.2 million in livelihood support to 40 families in this city.
Romeo R. Mabini Jr., program-based coordinator and designated information officer of DOLE Samar, said the beneficiaries were selected based on the child laborer profiling conducted from 2018 to 2022.
He reported that there were 1,659 child laborers in Samar province. By December 2024, this number had dropped to 1,450 due to government programs and interventions, including age-related changes.
Barangay Canlapwas and Barangay 13 are set to benefit from this initiative through the DOLE Integrated Livelihood Program (DILP), which follows coordination with the local government unit, as reported by Mabini Jr.
They encourage beneficiaries to focus on agribusiness, wholesale, and retail businesses, including sari-sari stores.
“We could simply say that the programs or services offered by DOLE to prevent and eliminate child laborers here in the province of Samar and those from other agencies are effective,” Mabini Jr. said.
Maila Correche-De Guia, City Government Department Head I, City Cooperatives Officer, and designated PESO manager, reported that livelihood assistance would be implemented in the first quarter.
She mentioned that the family will receive sustainable livelihood assistance instead of the child working, allowing the children to attend school and enjoy their childhood.
“We will continuously support and will not grow tired of providing these services to the people because this is our mission, aside from our core function, and we are happy to do that,” De Guia said.
The DOLE, alongside the City Public Employment Service Office (CPESO) and the local government unit of Catbalogan, supports City Mayor Dexter Uy’s initiatives to combat child labor and enhance community welfare. (AAC, PIA Samar)
RECOMMENDATION. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group asked the Department of Justice that a criminal complaint be filed against former Leyte congressman Vicente ‘Ching’ Veloso, a charge he labelled as without any bearing and only for publicity sake. (FILE PHOTO)
A scrap of paper, says the ex-solon
RECOMMENDATION. The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group asked the Department of Justice that a criminal complaint be filed against former Leyte congressman Vicente ‘Ching’ Veloso, a charge he labelled as without any bearing and only for publicity sake. (FILE PHOTO)
TACLOBAN CITY—The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) has sought the assistance of the Department of Justice (DOJ) to file a murder case against former congressman Vicente ‘Ching’ Veloso and several alleged accomplices in connection with the killing of a village leader in 2016.
However, Veloso dismissed the CIDG’s move, calling it a ‘mere piece of paper’ with no legal bearing and a mere ‘publicity stunt.’
On January 22, 2024, Lt. Col. Jessie Misal, deputy chief of the CIDG’s Major Crimes Investigation Unit, submitted a letter to Justice Secretary Crispin Remulla requesting his office to take ‘appropriate action’ against Veloso and five others for the murder of Anthony Nuñez. Nuñez, a village councilor of Manlawan, Tabango, Leyte, was gunned down inside a cockpit on January 23, 2016.
Also named as respondents were Nicolas Banez, William Languido, Richard Pernis, Edwin Comendador, and Edwin Mulles.
The CIDG’s case hinges on the alleged extrajudicial confessions of Pernis and Languido, who reportedly admitted their roles in the crime and identified Veloso as the mastermind.
The two claimed to admit the crime after they allegedly received threats to their lives and felt guilty on the killing of Nunez.
According to their confessions, Veloso allegedly orchestrated the murder of Nuñez, who was a political supporter of Veloso’s rival.
They claimed that Banez was the gunman, while they served as lookouts and getaway motorcycle drivers.
“The murder of Nuñez was politically motivated. Veloso, the mastermind, targeted Nuñez because of the latter’s support for his political rival,” the CIDG stated in its letter.
Veloso, a former Court of Appeals justice, was running for congressman in Leyte’s third district during the May 2016 elections, opposing then-reelectionist Andres Salvacion.
In a press conference Saturday, Jan.25, Veloso dismissed the CIDG’s allegations.
“I am a lawyer. Why would I resort to killings? I could have just filed cases against my enemies. This alleged recommendation by the CIDG is just a piece of paper, not a criminal complaint,” he said.
He further argued that under the Rules of Criminal Procedure, a complaint must be sufficient in both form and substance.
“Sufficiency must at least indicate the private complainant against the respondents who are warm bodies because the function of a preliminary investigation under the Rules of Criminal Procedure is to bring about the issuance of a warrant of arrest,” he explained.
Veloso noted that three of the named respondents—Banez, Comendador, and Mulles—have already died.
He also denied knowing the other respondents, asserting that at the time of the incident, he had just retired as a justice of the Court of Appeals and had no reason to hire individuals like Pernis and Languido.
Veloso also said that there is an affidavit executed by the brother of the slain village official saying his death was due to business rivalry and not due to politics.
“This is just to generate publicity and nothing more. But I assure the people of the 4th district that this will not affect my candidacy as a congressman. My name is still on the official list,” he said.
For the May, 2025 elections, Veloso will be running for congressman in Leyte’s fourth district, challenging incumbent Representative Richard Gomez.
TACLOBAN CITY – Maasin City will now be officially known as the “City of Faith” as part of its new branding initiative.
This designation is based on Ordinance No. 241, which was passed by the city council on October 22, 2024, and approved by Mayor Nacional Mercado on November 5, 2024.
The ordinance emphasizes that identifying Maasin as the City of Faith is fitting, considering the numerous religious landmarks scattered across the city. These sites have long attracted pilgrims and tourists, not only from Southern Leyte and the rest of the country but also from abroad.
According to Councilor Rafael Cromwell Gerong, the ordinance’s principal author, one of the most significant religious landmarks in Maasin is the Maasin Cathedral, also known as the National Shrine of Our Lady of Assumption. This cathedral was officially elevated to national shrine status in August 2023.
“The cathedral houses century-old images of the patron saint, which were pontifically crowned in 2022. The declaration of the cathedral as a national shrine has significantly boosted the influx of pilgrims and tourists, showcasing our unique heritage and faith,” Gerong explained in his explanatory note.
In addition to the cathedral, Maasin City is home to several other pilgrimage sites, including the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Shrine in Monte Cueva, the 36-foot-tall image of the Our Lady of Assumption in the Jalleca Hills, and the St. Francis Xavier Chapel in Hanginan.
These destinations further cement Maasin’s identity as a spiritual and religious hub, Bantug added.
Incidentally, Maasin is considered the gateway to Limasawa Island, the site of the First Mass in the country on March 31, 1521.
While Maasin is predominantly Catholic, with a population of over 87,000, it also serves as a safe haven for other religions.
The city is home to a significant Muslim community and a major mosque often referred to as the “Mecca” for Muslims in the region. Other Christian denominations also practice their faith harmoniously within the community.
“Maasin City is not just about religious observance but also about inclusivity and unity. It reflects a vibrant spirit of cooperation, compassion, and hospitality that resonates with all its residents,” the ordinance highlighted.
With the ordinance’s approval, Maasin will adopt the tagline “Maasin City: The City of Faith – Home of the Ajonay,” encapsulating its rich cultural and spiritual heritage. The term “Ajonay” symbolizes the city’s collective spirit of unity, cooperation, and faith.
The Office of the City Investment Promotions and Tourism Office (CIPTO) has been tasked with promoting the new branding across various platforms.
This includes the installation of markers and coordination with other departments to disseminate the city’s new identity effectively.
The city government has allocated funds under its annual budget to support the promotion and implementation of the ordinance.
ORMOC CITY-A newly identified drug personality tagged as a street-level individual on the Philippine National Police(PNP) drug watchlist was apprehended by the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the local police during a buy-bust operation Monday, January 20, at Sitio Lomboy, Barangay Calumpang, Naval, Biliran.
Naval Municipal Police Station (MPS) Chief Major Chamberlain Ludovice identified the suspect as alias “Lito,” 32, single, and unemployed, and a resident of Brgy. Calumpang.
Recovered from the suspect’s possession was a sachet containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, which was purchased by an undercover operative for P500.
During a subsequent body search conducted in the presence of law-mandated witnesses, another sachet containing suspected shabu was recovered.
Charges for violations of Section 5 (selling illegal drugs) and Section 11 (possession of illegal drugs) under Article II of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the suspect through an inquest proceeding.
The suspect is currently detained at the lock-up facility of Naval MPS.
VETERANS WARD. A ward named after a local hero, Captain Nievas Fernandez, was opened at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center, Tacloban City, intended for war veterans, and retired soldiers and their dependents. The ward has a 15-bed capacity. (EVMC PHOTO)
VETERANS WARD. A ward named after a local hero, Captain Nievas Fernandez, was opened at the Eastern Visayas Medical Center, Tacloban City, intended for war veterans, and retired soldiers and their dependents. The ward has a 15-bed capacity. (EVMC PHOTO)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Visayas Medical Center (EVMC) has officially opened its veterans ward, named the ‘Captain Nievas Fernandez Veterans Ward,’ within the regional hospital compound.
The ward is dedicated to the memory of Captain Nievas Fernandez, a lesser-known World War II hero and a native of Tacloban City.
The facility, inaugurated on January 20, 2025, is a donation from the Philippine Veterans Affairs Office (PVAO).
“Although the ward was inaugurated in November 2024, the management had to wait for the necessary permit from the Department of Health before it could become operational,” Atty. Roby Peñalosa, EVMC information office head, said.
The ward is equipped with 15 beds exclusively for World War II veterans, Korean War veterans, Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) retirees, and their qualified dependents requiring hospital treatment or confinement.
“For those admitted to the Veterans Ward, their medical expenses will be covered by PVAO. This is in addition to PhilHealth and other government subsidies,” Peñalosa explained.
To avail of in-patient care, veterans, retirees, and their dependents must present proper identification issued by the PVAO or the AFP.
This facility is the fifth Veterans Ward established in the country under Republic Act No. 6948, which mandates that Filipino war veterans be provided with hospital care through the Veterans Memorial Medical Center and other designated Veterans Wards nationwide.
The opening of the Captain Nievas Fernandez Veterans Ward underscores the commitment to honor the sacrifices of Filipino war heroes and ensure that they, along with their families, receive the care and respect they deserve.
