ORMOC CITY– A 45-year-old male drug dealer, identified only as “Fred,” was arrested in a buy-bust operation conducted by the Station Drugs Enforcement Team (SDET) of the local police at 12:42 pm on Thursday, November 26, in Barangay 3, población, San Policarpo, Eastern Samar.

The suspect, a self-employed resident of Brgy. 05, was previously arrested for similar offenses and is listed as a high valued individual on the Philippine National Police (PNP) drug watchlist.

During the operation, operatives seized one sachet containing white crystalline substances, suspected to be shabu, which was purchased by an operative for P500.

A subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of law-mandated witnesses, led to the recovery of an additional sachet of suspected shabu and the P500 bill used as marked money.

The suspect was apprised of his rights under the Miranda Doctrine and informed of the nature of his arrest.

Charges for violations of Sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) have been filed against the suspect, who is currently detained at the San Policarpo municipal police station.
(ROBERT DEJON)

ORMOC CITY-The principal suspect in the shooting of a barangay councilor was arrested by local police less than 24 hours after the crime was committed in Barangay Cagnocot, Villaba in Leyte on the evening of November 25.

The suspect, identified as Junio Montebon, a resident of Brgy. Tabunok, was apprehended on November 26 at around 10:05 pm while in his barangay.

Villaba chief of police, Major Ian Salvador Po, said the arrest followed a tip from a witness who personally reported to the police station, identifying Montebon as the gunman and providing information about his location.

Acting on this lead, a composite team from Villaba Municipal Police Station accompanied the victim’s wife to the suspect’s house. Upon their arrival, the victim’s wife positively identified Montebon as the shooter, leading to his immediate arrest.

During a search conducted in front of community members, police recovered the following items from Montebon’s possession: one .45 caliber pistol; one magazine loaded with seven live rounds of .45 caliber ammunition; and three sachets of white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu.

Major Po revealed that during the investigation, Montebon admitted to shooting the victim due to an old grudge stemming from an unresolved conflict several years ago when they were neighbors in the same barangay.

Montebon now faces multiple charges, aside from frustrated murder, including possession of illegal drugs under Article II of Republic Act 9165, the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002 and violation of RA 10591, the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act.

The charges have been filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. Montebon is currently detained at the Villaba Municipal Police Station lock-up facility.

(ROBERT DEJON)

Defense structures made in the 19th century

TACLOBAN CITY – The Samar provincial government, in partnership with the University of Santo Tomas Graduate School Center for Conservation of Cultural Property and Environment in the Tropics (UST-CCCPET), launched on Wednesday, Dec.4, the “Safeguarding the Sentinels of the Samar Seas: Conservation of the Samar Fortifications.”
The $245,000(approximately P14 million) project is funded through a grant from the United States Ambassadors Fund for Cultural Preservation under the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs.

This conservation initiative stems from a comprehensive cultural mapping effort that began in 2017, which led to the discovery of numerous fortifications or “baluartes” in nearly all coastal towns in the province.

A total of 22 defense structures were documented during the cultural mapping. These include 13 sentinels overlooking sea or river routes, seven fortifications, one naval garrison, and one undetermined structure.

The identified structures are located in the provincial capital of Catbalogan and the towns such as Gandara, Zumarraga, Tarangnan, Jiabong, Paranas, Pinabacdao, Villareal, Santa Rita, Basey, and Pagsanghan.

The project prioritizes the preservation of two key fortifications: a naval garrison and watchtower located on Sta. Rita Island in Sta. Rita town, and a medium fortification and watchtower in Gandara.

These fortifications were vital to the early settlers of Samar, serving as protective structures against Moro raiders in the 19th century.

National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) Executive Director Eric Zerrudo urged the people of Samar to protect these heritage structures, which serve as vital links to the province’s history.

“This is your role—to be sentinels and stewards of this heritage. Always capture that moment where your past can lead to a promising future,” Zerrudo said.
Before becoming the NCCA executive director, Zerrudo was part of the UST team that conducted the cultural mapping in Samar.

National Historical Commission (NHC) chairman Regalado Trota Jose echoed Zerrudo’s sentiments, emphasizing that understanding the past is key to safeguarding these fortifications.

“We need to study the sources and dominate the knowledge of Samar by learning the sources in their original language,” Chairman Jose said.

He advised the provincial government to send scholars to the Franciscan archives in Spain, where significant historical documents about Samar are preserved. He stressed that information gathered must be passed on through education to ensure future generations understand and appreciate the importance of these fortifications.

“Everything that contributes to our history must be collected and made accessible to as many people as possible,” Jose added.

He also mentioned that the NHC plans to install markers at the identified fortifications.
Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes expressed gratitude to the Samar provincial government for involving their agency in the project.

“We at the Department of Tourism (DOT) are very fortunate to be part of this journey with Spark Samar. This significant project is meant to preserve our heritage, which we must protect for future generations,” she said.

She added that as the lead agency promoting tourism, the DOT is committed to supporting preservation and conservation efforts and to sharing the stories of Samar’s past and present.

Governor Sharee Ann Tan, in her message, thanked all agencies and individuals who contributed to fulfilling the cultural mapping project. She highlighted the importance of educating the younger generation about Samar’s history in collaboration with the Department of Education (DepEd).

“I always believe that everything we do in the province must be backed by proper research. We share this with DepEd to help the younger generation appreciate our history,” Governor Tan said.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY—The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) turned over P4.5 million in assistance to the provincial government of Northern Samar to support its livelihood initiatives.

The funding will benefit community-based enterprises in the municipalities of Gamay, San Vicente, and Victoria. Of the total amount, P2.9 million was a grant from DOLE, while P1.6 million came from both agencies to fund projects under the Barangay Livelihood Empowerment and Sustainability (BLES) Program and other community-based initiatives.
This assistance will bolster programs led by Governor Edwin Ongchuan and Vice Governor Clarence Dato, aiming to promote community empowerment and sustainable economic growth through partnerships with national government agencies and local organizations.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY-Cooperatives all over the region gained traction and helped in fueling local economy to make a dent in the efforts of bringing more jobs, encouraging enterprise and even wealth distribution.

In the recent Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas in Tacloban City, Cooperative Development Authority Assistant Regional Director Maripaz Del Pilar said there are a total of 1,349 registered cooperatives in the region and covers areas such as financing, employees’ cooperative, enterprise, agriculture, among others.

Del Pilar said the profits generated by these cooperatives are often reinvested in the cooperative itself or distributed among members, who in turn spend or invest these funds in the local economy, helping drive local growth.

CDA also pointed out that a number of cooperatives have also diversified their investments into transportation, hotels, and other tourism enterprise which add stir to the local economy.

The region also has three operating billionaire cooperatives which are the Perpetual Help Credit Cooperative Inc. in Tacloban City, Southern Leyte Employees Multipurpose Cooperative in Southern Leyte, and the Allen Municipal Officials, Employees and Communities Multipurpose Cooperative in Northern Samar.

Billionaire cooperatives are those that have already exceeded the micro (P3 million and below), small (P3,000,001 to PhP15 million), medium (P15,000,001 to P100 million), and large (more than P100 million) categories.

Cooperatives in the agricultural sector comprise the most number of registered cooperative in the region. Coops involved in the production, processing and packaging of local products such as tuba, banana chips, cassava chips and other products, have even leveled up its competitiveness and viability to be at par with other producers in the local markets.
“We are providing our cooperatives with capacity building and training skills so they can exist longer and grow,” Del Pilar said.

The CDA is mandated by law to promote the viability and growth of cooperatives as instruments of equity, social justice and sustainable economic development.

The advancement of cooperatives in the Philippines has been the leading advantage of the government as it can arise success in both urban and rural locations. A good factor of cooperatives is that they are connected with the community and have reciprocally benefited relationships with employees and its members.
(ACR, PIA Eastern Visayas)

Manila-The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), recently donated more than P7.6 million ($136,000) worth of educational materials to support the continuity of learning for more than 18,500 students in areas severely affected by recent typhoons in the Bicol region.

USAID Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines (ABC+) Chief of Party Ina Aquino handed over the educational materials to Philippine Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo Angara and DepEd Region V Director Gilbert Sadsad at Bula Central School in Bula, Camarines Sur, on December 2.

This donation demonstrates the United States’ ongoing commitment to help communities rebuild and enable children to return to school despite the setbacks caused by typhoons and flooding.

“We recognize that education is not just a means of learning, but a lifeline that helps restore hope and builds resilience,” USAID Philippines Acting Education Office Director Yvette Malcioln said. “We hope that these resources will help students and teachers recover and ensure that education can continue despite disruptions to learning caused by recent disasters.”

The aid package includes 18,600 learner kits and 8,884 early grade reading materials that will help guarantee learning continuity for students in kindergarten through grade three. USAID also donated 528 teacher kits that will support teaching staff across 54 affected schools in the region.

“The Department faced a challenge in printing textbooks. USAID and the ABC+ project came to our aid by providing us with materials and books for the children. They did not skimp on the quality of their materials and their assistance to us,” Secretary Angara said. “We are grateful to USAID and the ABC+ project.”

These educational materials are in addition to Php336 million ($6 million) in assistance that the United States has provided to support the Philippine government’s response and deliver lifesaving assistance to communities affected by tropical storms, typhoons, and subsequent flooding since October 25. (PR)