TACLOBAN CITY – The implementation of the ‘Balik Baril’ program in Samar province will be a big help for the province to have a peaceful and orderly May 12, 2025 elections.
Thus said Governor Sharee Ann Tan who joined police provincial director Col.Antoneitto Eric Mendoza during the event.

The Balik Armas Program aims to encourage individuals, especially those in conflict-affected and remote areas, to voluntarily surrender unregistered or loose firearms.
This initiative is part of the Samar Police Provincial Office’s commitment in promoting responsible firearm ownership and reducing the proliferation of illegal firearms often linked to crimes and violence.

During the event, authorities presented a total of 43 surrendered firearms, 30 firearms kept for safekeeping, and 393 improvised firearms from 16 of the province’s 24 police stations and two mobile force companies.

The breakdown of surrendered firearms includes 10 firearms from the 1st Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company; 5 from Jiabong Municipal Police Station (MPS); 4 each from San Jose de Buan MPS, Tagapul-an MPS, and San Jorge MPS; 3 from Pagsanghan MPS; 2 each from Basey MPS, Calbiga MPS, and Daram MPS; and 1 each from the 2nd Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company, Sta. Rita MPS, Motiong MPS, Sta. Margarita MPS, Matuguinao MPS, Gandara MPS, and Calbayog City Police Station

“The Balik Armas Program is a critical step toward achieving a safer and more peaceful Samar. By voluntarily surrendering loose firearms, we are one step closer to preventing violence and building stronger communities,” said Col. Mendoza.

Samar, particularly in the first district, is often included in the list of areas of concern during the conduct of elections in the country due to the presence of armed groups and intense political rivalries, among other reasons.

While the program initially aims to ensure safe and peaceful elections, Mendoza noted that it also addresses the broader issue of loose firearms in local communities. “Even in areas that are not considered election hotspots, we encourage police stations to implement the program,” he added.

The firearms collected will undergo ballistic examination to determine if they were used in any criminal activities.

To support the program, the provincial government provided a P10,000 remuneration to gun owners who surrendered their firearms. In addition, police chiefs from the 16 participating stations received P10,000 cash incentives, along with another Php10,000 for their respective police stations.

Governor Tan appealed to police chiefs and local village officials to encourage more gun owners to surrender their unlicensed firearms, including those with expired licenses.
“This is to avoid untoward incidents, especially during the election period when emotions can run high, and political rivalries can escalate. By minimizing firearms possession, we can prevent unfortunate incidents,” she said.

Tan also urged the remaining four police stations with no accomplishments under the Balik Armas Program to exert more effort in convincing gun owners in their jurisdictions to surrender unlicensed firearms.

Both Governor Tan and PCol. Mendoza emphasized that the Balik Armas Program is a continuing initiative to curb the proliferation of loose firearms in Samar.
“We hope to minimize, if not eradicate, the presence of loose firearms in our communities to ensure lasting peace and order,” said Tan.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY– A 55-year-old widow was arrested by local police in Barangay Madao, Kawayan, Biliran on Tuesday afternoon, January 14, after a court issued a warrant of arrest against her for grave oral defamation.

The police identified the suspect as alias “Betty,” a jobless resident of Brgy. Madao in this municipality.

The arrest was made by virtue of a warrant issued by Judge Djhoana Gene Clemencio, presiding judge of the 1st Municipal Trial Circuit Court, Kawayan-Almeria, Biliran. The court set bail at P10,000 for her temporary release.

Authorities said the accused was informed of the charges against her and her constitutional rights in a language she understood.

Following her arrest, the suspect was brought to the Kawayan Municipal Police Station for booking and documentation before being turned over to the court for further proceedings.
(ROBERT C. DEJON)

The Philippines’ leading integrated telco network PLDT Inc.’s (PLDT) wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) has expanded its network coverage in Southern Leyte by rolling out new LTE sites in the town of Saint Bernard, boosting livelihood opportunities through connectivity and technology in the province.

Among those that would benefit from these upgrades are Saint Bernard’s farmers. Southern Leyte’s economy is mostly agriculture-driven, its main crops being coconut and palay.

“Technology is a game-changer for farmers in agriculture-based provinces like Southern Leyte. With reliable connectivity, farmers can access key information such as real-time weather updates, as well as learn more about modern-day farming techniques. By harnessing technology and digital tools, our farmers can make informed decisions, reduce losses, and increase their productivity, elevating the quality of life for farmers and their families, and boosting economic growth of the province,” said Debbie M. Hu, FVP and Wireless Network Head at Smart.

Danny Balasico, president of Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association, expressed his delight on Smart’s network expansion in their town. “Since communication and connectivity are becoming more essential in today’s increasingly digital world, our association can benefit from this network expansion as we work toward integrating technology in our farming operations and livelihood,” he said.

Enabling them to maximize these network enhancements, PLDT and Smart also continue to deploy FarmTech packages across the country to augment the digitalization efforts of local farmers. Tambis St. Bernard Farmers Irrigators Association is the first farmer-group from Southern Leyte to receive this training kit.

The FarmTech package is a tech-driven training kit designed to assist farming communities in remote areas in implementing digital literacy programs for their farmer-members. The package contains a tablet, 10 smartphones, a SmartBro pocket WiFi with Smart Prepaid load cards, an outdoor projector, a portable sound system, and learning resources.

“We sincerely thank PLDT, Smart, and the Department of Agriculture – Agricultural Training Institute Region 8 for choosing our association to be one of the beneficiaries of this package. With these tools and the enhanced connectivity in our area, we are more motivated to train our farmer-members on how to utilize mobile devices and applications to improve our farming practices,” said Balasico.

Smart’s continued investments in its network infrastructure and innovative products and services to help boost the livelihood of Filipino farmers and fisherfolk are aligned with the PLDT Group’s commitment to help the country achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), particularly UNSDG No. 1 on No Poverty, UNSDG No. 8 on Decent Work and Economic Growth, and UNSDG No. 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure. (PR)