TACLOBAN CITY – Residents of Barangay Sto. Niño in Julita, Leyte are finally experiencing smoother and safer travel after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte Second District Engineering Office (L2DEO) completed a long-awaited concrete road project that promises to ease mobility and boost local livelihoods.

The P10.7-million project, which began in March 2025, involved the construction of an 897.95-meter concrete road with a width of five meters. It also included the installation of 9 linear meters of reinforced concrete pipe culverts with stone masonry headwalls and a 92-meter structural concrete-lined canal to improve drainage and road durability.
For years, residents endured muddy, flood-prone, and pothole-filled roads that made travel difficult and unsafe.

“Our hardship with the road was due to its rough condition and frequent flooding. Students had to take off their shoes before entering school. Even government workers and residents traveling to Julita proper struggled because the road was full of potholes. Our farmers also faced great difficulty transporting rice, coconuts, and bananas to Julita and Dulag. We lived with these challenges for many years,” recalled barangay councilor Roel Grado.

With the completion of the project, he said the community is overjoyed. “The transportation of our farmers’ products, as well as the travel of students and residents in our barangay, has greatly improved. We are very thankful to the DPWH for providing us with this concreted barangay road. This is a big help to us—especially to farmers, children, and residents, as well as us barangay officials. Our residents are truly happy with this project,” he added.

District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura stressed the long-term benefits of the road, noting that it will not only improve access to education, healthcare, and local markets but also allow farmers to transport their produce more efficiently.

The project was implemented by WP Alvero Construction Services and is expected to significantly reduce travel difficulties that residents of Barangay Sto. Niño have endured for decades.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Soldiers of the 63rd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army turned over a wounded Philippine Hawk Eagle to environment authorities on October 2, 2025, after it was found in the upland village of Benowangan, Borongan City.

The raptor was first discovered by a farmer in his farmland, who promptly sought the help of troops from the battalion’s Alpha Company stationed nearby. The soldiers immediately coordinated with the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) in Borongan City to ensure the bird’s treatment and rehabilitation.

The 63rd IB expressed gratitude to the concerned resident for his vigilance and quick action, noting that the case highlights how community-government cooperation is crucial in protecting endangered wildlife. The bird is now under the care of CENRO, receiving medical attention and conservation support.

Military officials said the incident also reflects the shared responsibility of both citizens and government forces in preserving the country’s environment and natural heritage.

The Philippine Hawk Eagle (Nisaetus philippensis), also known locally as “banog,” is classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN). Found mainly in tropical moist lowland forests, its population has steadily declined due to habitat loss, hunting, and illegal trapping.

Like the more well-known Philippine Eagle, the Philippine Hawk Eagle plays a vital ecological role as a top predator in forests, helping regulate prey populations and maintain biodiversity.

Conservation groups have long emphasized that protecting such raptors is critical to ensuring the health of the country’s forest ecosystems.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Tingog party-list Representative Jude Acidre, chair of the House committee on higher and technical education, welcomed Congress’ commitment to fully cover the P12.31-billion shortfall in the Free Higher Education Program under Republic Act 10931 or the Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education Act.

The funding gap, raised by state universities and colleges (SUCs) during budget consultations, stemmed from the continued use of prior-year enrollment figures instead of projected enrollment as mandated by law. This has forced many SUCs to cut or defer essential programs.

Acidre pushed House leaders to address the issue, resulting in a commitment announced during the sponsorship of the FY 2026 General Appropriations Bill. Of the shortfall, P7.82 billion will come from the higher education development fund of the Commission on Higher Education and P4.49 billion from the General Appropriations Act.

Congress also pledged over P9 billion in additional funding for the Tertiary Education Subsidy and other student aid programs.

Acidre hailed the move as a “victory for SUCs and students” but stressed the need for reforms to ensure sustainability, including strict use of projected enrollment figures and a mid-year adjustment mechanism when actual enrollment exceeds projections.

“Free higher education under RA 10931 must remain reliable and sustainable for the millions of Filipino students who depend on it,” Acidre said.

(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)