TACLOBAN CITY – The municipality of Arteche in Eastern Samar is constructing a water refilling station funded by over P1 million in rewards received from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) for earning the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance.
Mayor Roland Boie Evardone revealed that the water refilling station is part of Arteche’s disaster resilience projects, aimed at providing safe and potable water, especially after natural calamities, while also serving as a revenue-generating enterprise.

“This is why our LGU is building a water refilling station so we can provide clean drinking water to affected areas, not just rice and relief goods,” the mayor explained.

Arteche, a municipality prone to flooding due to its riverbank villages, often struggles with clean water access during disasters. This lack of potable water increases the risk of waterborne illnesses such as diarrhea and amoebiasis, which the new facility aims to mitigate.

The mayor emphasized that the water refilling station will serve dual purposes: functioning as a local enterprise during normal times and converting into an emergency response facility during calamities.

“When there are no disasters, it will operate as a local enterprise, providing additional income for the municipality. During emergencies, it will serve as an emergency response facility,” Mayor Evardone added.

Although the town already has five privately-owned water refilling stations, these are insufficient to meet the needs of Arteche’s 4,320 households.

As a result, some residents have to source their drinking water from the neighboring municipality of San Policarpo.

The local government’s initiative seeks to address this gap, ensuring a reliable water supply for the community while strengthening Arteche’s disaster response capabilities.

The mayor, however, did not disclosed when the construction of the facility will start.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY– Seven individuals, including the alleged maintainer of a drug den, were arrested by the local police during a buy-bust operation in Barangay Matapay, Hilongos, Leyte on Monday evening, January 13.

Hilongos Chief of Police, Major Edwin Tolibas, identified the primary suspect as alias “Janzen,” 39, a fisherman and resident of Brgy. Matapay, who is accused of maintaining the drug den. Also arrested were his co-maintainer, alias “Carl,” 40, a driver, along with five visitors, alias “Peter,” 36;alias “Gary,” 29; alias “Roy,” 30; “Jun,” 32; and alias “Juan,” 28.
The target of the operation, “Janzen,” was caught after an undercover operative successfully purchased a sachet of suspected shabu for P500. Upon his arrest, police recovered an additional eight sachets of suspected shabu, as well as a large sachet containing the same white crystalline substance.

Authorities also confiscated a marked P500 bill used during the operation, along with a belt bag, a yellow box containing transparent plastic sachets, a rolled aluminum foil, two lighters, two glass pipes, and cash amounting to P2,431 in various denominations.

The suspects were immediately informed of the nature of their arrest and their constitutional rights in a language they understood. The seized items were properly marked and inventoried on-site, with witnesses present as required by law.

Police said the weight of the confiscated suspected shabu will be determined by the Regional Forensic Unit 8.

Charges for violations of Sections 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, and 15 of Article II of Republic Act 9165, also known as the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against the suspects at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. The suspects are currently detained at the lock-up cell of the Hilongos Municipal Police Station pending further investigation.
(ROBERT DEJON)

Located in Tacloban City

TACLOBAN CITY– The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, has broken ground on what will become its largest temple in Eastern Visayas.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place Saturday, January 18.

Michael Strong, the First Counselor of the Philippines Area of the Church, expressed optimism that the construction of the larger temple would encourage growth among the current membership, which stands at over 35,000 in the region.

“We feel that the groundbreaking of the temple is not just for our church but for the community,” Strong said.

He emphasized the Church’s commitment to being an “important partner” with the local government and civic organizations in Tacloban and nearby areas.

“The Church is not only teaching about faith in Jesus Christ but is also very active in humanitarian works and services. We look for opportunities to contribute and partner with government and civic leaders to help make the community a better place,” he added.

The new temple will be located in the Caibaan area of Tacloban City. The two-story structure will cover an area of 21,407 square meters, making it a significant addition to the Church’s presence in the Philippines. Construction is expected to be completed in two years.

Once finished, the Tacloban temple will be the eighth operational temple in the Philippines, out of the 13 currently planned or under construction nationwide.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a history of community involvement in Tacloban.

Following the devastation of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013, the Church was among the first organizations to extend assistance to survivors. Its support included relief efforts and aid to local schools.

The Church hopes that the new temple will help expand its membership base in Eastern Visayas. Currently, the region is home to over 35,000 members, with more than 7,000 based in Tacloban City.

“With this new temple, we aim to provide a sacred space that inspires faith and unity while also fostering growth within our community,” Church leaders said in a statement.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Leyte has begun deliberations on an ordinance that seeks to institutionalize the integrated real property taxation system, known as the iTax system, within the province.

The proposed ordinance, titled “An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Implementation of the Integrated Real Property Taxation System (iTax System) in the Province of Leyte” was discussed during the regular session of the provincial board last Jan.14.

Board Member Wilson Uy explained that the iTax system aims to modernize and streamline real property tax (RPT) administration, improving efficiency and transparency in assessment and collection.

“This system minimizes human intervention, enhances revenue collection, and makes the RPT process more efficient and accessible,” Uy said during the session presided over by Vice-Governor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier.

The iTax system features a user-friendly interface for online assessment, billing, and payment. Taxpayers, particularly those in remote areas, can benefit from online payment platforms such as GCash, PayMaya, debit and credit cards, online bank transfers, and other accredited portals.

The initiative aligns with the national government’s digitalization efforts and the transparency mandate of the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

During the same session, the provincial board approved other key appointments and endorsements:

The reappointment of Atty. Jose Raymund Acol as provincial legal office chief, upon the endorsement of Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla and the endorsement of former Alangalang Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Jan Reian Niño Saavedra as Commissioner for the Visayas in the National Youth Commission.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)