TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) regional office celebrated the best and brightest in public service during its prestigious 2024 Dayaw Awards, held on December 19, 2024, at the People’s Center and Library, this city.

The Dayaw Awards, held on December 19, 2024, at the People’s Center and Library, this city, is considered as a hallmark of excellence within DILG, recognized employees and teams whose contributions exemplified the department’s core values of ‘Matino, Mahusay, and Maaasahan’.

These awards highlight the impact of outstanding individuals and groups on local governance and public service delivery.

The sub-regional office individual awardees were best Performing Sub-Regional Office Non-LGOO Personnel: Kenneth P. Gacutan, Information Officer I (DILG Samar); best performing sub-regional office administrative Personnel: Jeramy B. Bado, Administrative Aide VI (DILG Southern Leyte); best performing sub-regional focal officer: John Clifford B. Rado, LGOO V (DILG Samar); best performing SRO/HUC program manager: Ma. Vanessa C. Borja, LGOO VI (DILG Samar); best performing cluster Head: Carolina O. Ampong, LGOO VII (DILG Biliran);and best performing municipal local government operations officer: Bernarda M. Saboy, LGOO VI (DILG Almeria)

Meantime, the sub-regional office group awards were best performing ICC/CC and city local government operations officer: DILG Ormoc City & CLGOO Jean Redi T. Briones; and best performing sub-regional LGRC: DILG Southern Leyte Sub-Regional LGRC

The regional office awards include on the best performing division: Local Government Monitoring and Evaluation Division (LGMED); and the best performing city/provincial office and city/provincial director, DILG Southern Leyte & Provincial Director Danilo A. Laguitan.
The program also honored retirees for their years of dedicated government service and celebrated 21 graduates of the 57th Batch Apprenticeship Program. Special recognition was given to two top achievers: Top 2: Melford G. Maderazo, LGOO II (DILG Tacloban City); and Top 3: John Rafael P. Delantar, LGOO II (DILG Leyte).

DILG Region 8 Regional Director Arnel Agabe, in his message during the State of the Region Address (SORA), congratulated the awardees and emphasized the importance of teamwork in achieving the department’s goals for 2025.

“We’ve done great so far, and I am proud of what we have accomplished this year. As long as we keep working together, I am certain that we can achieve our goals for 2025. As I always say, TEAM stands for Together, Everyone Achieves More,” he said.
(LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas has been experiencing massive and heavy rains since Sunday, Dec. 22, resulting in flooding, landslides, and the suspension of work in various areas.

The Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) issued an advisory on Monday, Dec.23, urging local disaster councils to implement proactive measures and preparedness actions in response to the shear line and the threat of Tropical Depression “Romina.”

“Preemptive evacuation is highly encouraged, especially in high-risk areas,” the RDRRMC advised.

In Jipapad, Eastern Samar, 16 families comprising 55 individuals were evacuated to higher ground after floodwaters rose to more than 54 feet, according to Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management officer Victorian Abestros.

“All 13 barangays in the town have been inundated by nonstop rains, and power supply has been out since Sunday at around 7 p.m. Communication lines have also been disrupted,” Abestros reported.

Other towns in Eastern Samar, including Dolores, Can-avid, Arteche, Balangkayan, Taft, and Borongan City, the provincial capital, also reported flooding.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda suspended work and classes in response to the heavy rains caused by the shearline and Tropical Depression “Romina.” One of the city’s major waterways, the Look River, has swollen significantly.

In Northern Samar, Governor Edwin Ongchuan also suspended work on Monday as several towns in the province were affected by flooding.

Rei Josiah Echano, the provincial disaster risk reduction and management officer, reported that all 24 towns in Northern Samar experienced flooding, with the most affected areas being San Roque, Catubig, Mondragon, Palapag, Laoang, Rosario, Las Navas, and Catarman.

In Catarman, the provincial capital, a landslide was reported in Barangay Gulalan-agan, though no injuries were recorded. Classes and work were also suspended due to the weather conditions.

In Samar, flooding incidents were reported in the towns of San Jose de Buan, San Sebastian, Paranas, and Matuguinao. The road in Barangay Buray in Paranas, leading to Borongan City in Eastern Samar, was rendered impassable due to flooding.

Despite the adverse weather conditions, the Philippine Coast Guard and the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines reported that sea and air travel have not been suspended.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY-At least P9 million is in the pipeline for the Professional Regulation Commission Regional Office 8 (PRC-8) to fund its computerization of licensure examination by the third quarter of 2025.

PRC-8 Regional Armond M. Englis said the office is currently in the procurement process for the venue for their Computer-Based Licensure Examination (CBLE) while the internet infrastructure will follow soon.

This particular modality of licensure examination involves the examinees’ use of fully computerized facilities such as laptops in a virtual private network (VPN) and in a securely proctored venue to ensure the integrity and credibility of the examination administered.

Resorting to the utilization of ICT infrastructure in the conduct of the CBLE will not only yield efficient, systematic and fast results but could prove to be a better option saving time, space and resources particularly with logistics, and in mobilizing, administering and consummating the licensure examinations being held, Englis said.

Further, Englis added,fixing it in appropriate venue for the conduct of the CBLE will no longer require rental and use of classrooms in various private and public schools therefore avoiding interruption of classes.

However, the CBLE will still be conducted simultaneously with the pen and paper examinations, prioritizing first licensure examinations with fewer examinees, the PRC-8 regional head said.

The CBLE is part of PRC’s modernization efforts which will replace the traditional paper-and-pencil test. With CBLE, the examinees can now type their answers on a computer, allowing for faster processing and enabling results to be released on the final day of the examination period.

Since the passage of the PRC Modernization Act of 2000, the agency has steadily moved towards digitalization to improve its services for professionals and aspiring professionals nationwide.

In 2024 alone, PRC-8 tested 21,435 examinees. Among the licensure examinations conducted in the region in the past three years include professional teachers, criminologists, medical technologists, nurses, architects, civil engineers, real estate brokers/appraisers, master plumbers, physicians, fisheries professionals, geodetic engineers, mechanical engineers, pharmacists, agricultural and biosystems engineers, midwives, agriculturists and radiologic technologists.
(ACR/PIA Eastern Visayas)

ORMOC CITY-Five large blue plastic barrels containing medicine were temporarily placed at the local police station in Babatngon, Leyte after they were recovered and turned over by residents to authorities in Sitio Monbon, Barangay District-1 of said town.

According to police, alias “Niño,” a married official of Brgy. District-1, reported that residents of the barangay informed them of the discovery of the large blue barrels floating in the area.

At around 9:30 am on December 12, alias “Niño” appeared at the Babatngon Municipal Police Station (MPS) to report the discovery of the barrels by one of his constituents at Sitio Monbon, Brgy. District-1.

The local police immediately proceeded to the location to verify the report and conduct an investigation. Upon arrival, responding officers confirmed the presence of the blue barrels.
Initial investigations revealed that, according to residents, the barrels were seen floating in the sea around 8:00 pm on December 11, during the flood.

The residents, driven by curiosity, retrieved the barrels. Upon inspection, the barrels were found to contain medicines labeled as ascorbic acid zinc plus, with a paper description attached to the containers. The blue drums were placed under the custody of Barangay District-1 officials, who immediately informed the Rural Health Unit (RHU) for proper disposition.

The following day, Dec.13, at about 8:00 am, the RHU requested security assistance from Babatngon MPS personnel, accompanied by the Babatngon LGU, to temporarily transfer the barrels to the police station for inventory and safekeeping prior to their disposal.

The barrels are still at the Babatngon police while authorities await the owners to come forward.
(ROBERT DEJON)