ORMOC CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) has successfully concluded its three-day Internal Quality Audit (IQA) held from July 16 to 18, 2024, which is an annual event that ensures conformance to the Quality Management System (QMS) in alignment with the requirements of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001:2015.
The audit team comprised distinguished auditors from neighboring DEOs, namely Mr. Orlando C. Negradas III from DPWH Leyte 2nd DEO as the lead auditor and Engr. Lindale P. Saavedra from DPWH Southern Leyte 1st DEO as the audit member. Their expertise to maintaining high standards of quality were instrumental in the audit process of each section in the office.
During the closing meeting on the third day, the audit team presented their initial findings which included observations and recommendations aimed at further enhancing the office’s processes. These findings will be further deliberated upon at the central office.
The IQA not only ensures compliance with international standards but also reinforces the DEO’s commitment to excellence. The Leyte 4th DEO aims to further elevate the quality and efficiency of its operations, ultimately benefitting the community. (PR)
ORMOC CITY– Five individuals were apprehended by local police for engaging in illegal bingo activities without a permit in sitio Tundo, Barangay Julita in Biliran, Biliran on Wednesday,July 18, at about 4:30 pm.
The suspects, identified by police as Lou (44), Marj (47), Celine (56), Lisa (49), and Jim (26), are all residents of said area.
During an operation targeting illegal gambling, the local police caught the five individuals in the act of playing “bingo” without the necessary permits.
Confiscated items included one plastic shaker, 75 bingo chips, 262 bingo cards, two containers of small stones, and bet money amounting to P125 in various denominations.
Both the suspects and the confiscated items were taken to the Biliran municipal police station for documentation and proper disposition.
The arrested individuals were informed of the nature of their arrests and their constitutional rights were explained to them in a language they understood.
Charges for violating Presidential Decree 1602, as amended by Republic Act 9827 (RA 9827), were filed against the suspects at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. (ROBERT DEJON)
KOICA VISIT. A group from the Korea International Cooperation Agency visited Borongan City, one of the recipients of its Philippine Climate Resilient Cities Project which assess the city government programs on climate resiliency needs and priorities. (BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Part of its resilient cities project
KOICA VISIT. A group from the Korea International Cooperation Agency visited Borongan City, one of the recipients of its Philippine Climate Resilient Cities Project which assess the city government programs on climate resiliency needs and priorities. (BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), along with a team from the Korea Environment Institute (KEI) and SusIF, recently visited Borongan City to conduct a consultation as part of the Philippine Climate Resilient Cities (PCRC) Project.
Borongan, the capital city of Eastern Samar, is one of the beneficiaries of this project, along with Batangas, Legaspi, Iloilo, and Cotabato.
The KOICA delegation, headed by Country Director Kim Eunsub, met with Mayor Jose Ivan Agda, various city government officials, partner organizations, and project stakeholders to discuss the city’s climate resiliency situation, needs, and priorities.
The delegation also surveyed several high-risk areas significantly affected by climate change, including the Lo-om River, a major river in the city.
Based on the consultations and site surveys, the project team will identify and develop meaningful interventions under the PCRC.
During the meeting, Kim emphasized that the PCRC’s focus on climate adaptation planning and capacity building will significantly help cities develop long-term climate solutions.
Mayor Agda said that the various calamities and disasters faced by the city which have led to crafting policies that protect the environment and conducting capacity building for climate adaptation.
This provided KOICA and its partners with ideas on what additional assistance they can provide to the local government unit (LGU).
Implemented from 2023 to 2026, this US$750,000(around P41 million) project aims to improve the resiliency of cities by strengthening their capacities to respond to the devastating effects of climate change.
Part of the project involves developing guidelines and case studies on climate adaptation technologies and conducting capacity-building courses in Korea and the Philippines.
Adaptation technologies for various sectors such as agriculture, forestry, energy, urban planning, water, and disaster risk reduction will be identified based on the specific needs and situations of the respective cities.
The PCRC is designed to support and complement the ongoing Climate Resilient Cities (CRC) Project of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
In March 2023, KOICA signed a Grant Arrangement with USAID, contributing US$1.25 million to the CRC Project. This project helps six cities (Batangas, Legazpi, Borongan, Iloilo, Cotabato, and Zamboanga) adapt to, mitigate, and manage the impacts of climate change and disasters. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Two towns in Eastern Samar province, Hernani and Maydolong, have been declared to have a stable internal peace and security condition (SIPC) by their respective local government units and the Philippine Army last week.
The declarations took place on July 16 in Hernani and July 18 in Maydolong.
“This declaration of SIPC in Hernani and Maydolong is another successful achievement of the government advocacy in relation to Executive Order No. 70, The Whole-of-Nation Approach,” reads a statement from the 78th Infantry Battalion.
“The declaration of SIPC in the municipalities of Hernani and Maydolong demonstrates the reliable cooperation of the municipalities and local government units in the pursuit of achieving peace and development in the province,” it added.
The declarations were made by the mayors, deputy commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade Colonel Rico Amaro, and an official from the Eastern Samar Police Provincial Office.
Maydolong Mayor Godofredo Garado and Hernani Mayor Amado Candido expressed their gratitude to the agencies that supported the declaration of SIPC in their municipalities as they noted that this declaration would help attract investors to do business in their areas.
Col. Amaro thanked the officials of the two municipalities for their cooperation and support in the Philippine Army’s campaign to end insurgency in the country. He also congratulated them for being declared “insurgency-free.”
After signing the memorandum of understanding (MOU), Col. Amaro reminded local officials to continually address and emphasize the needs of the people.
“Our responsibility does not end with what we signed; we must strengthen our cooperation,” he said.
To date, six LGUs in Eastern Samar under the jurisdiction of the 78th Infantry Battalion have been declared as SIPC. These include the towns of Sulat, San Julian, Giporlos, and Mercedes. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
In a development that sends the contest into uncharted territory, US President Joe Biden announced he will no longer seek a second term.
He has thrown his support behind Vice President Kamala Harris, urging Democrats to donate to her campaign as he steps aside.
In a letter addressed to “my fellow Americans,” Biden said it had been the “greatest honor of my life to serve as your president.”
“While it has been my intention to seek re-election, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and focus solely on fulfilling my duties as president for the remainder of my term,” he stated.
He endorsed Harris as the Democratic nominee and, referring to his Republican rival, added: “Democrats – it’s time to come together and beat Trump.”
Biden made the announcement in a statement posted on X, in which he said he would address the nation later this week to provide “details” about his decision.
“For now, let me express my deepest gratitude to all those who have worked so hard to see me re-elected,” he said.
“I want to thank Vice President Kamala Harris for being an extraordinary partner in all this work. And let me express my heartfelt appreciation to the American people for the faith and trust you have placed in me. I believe today what I always have: that there is nothing America can’t do – when we do it together. We just have to remember we are the United States of America.”
Harris, who many are touting as the frontrunner to replace Biden, said she was “honored” to have the president’s endorsement, adding, “My intention is to earn and win this nomination.”
She thanked Biden for his “extraordinary leadership” and for making a “selfless and patriotic act” by stepping aside.
“I will do everything in my power to unite the Democratic Party – and unite our nation – to defeat Donald Trump and his extreme Project 2025 agenda. We have 107 days until Election Day. Together, we will fight. And together, we will win,” she said.
Biden plans to serve out the remainder of his term in office, which ends at noon on January 20, 2025. (FROM THE WIRES)
ORMOC CITY-Two unidentified professional thieves ransacked and robbed the NAMACA Multi-Purpose Cooperative Store in Caibiran, Biliran at about 12:10 am on Wednesday, July 18.
The police said that one alias “Romy,” 62, married, general manager and founder of NAMACA (Nag-kakaisang Mag-sasaka ng Caibiran) Multi-Purpose Cooperative and a resident of Brgy. Maurang here has reported the incident to the police.
The police said that at around 3:50 pm on Wednesday, the general manager personally came to their station to report that their office had been robbed by two unidentified male persons, who carted away an estimated cash amount of P160,000.
The general manager told police that the suspects destroyed the wall to enter through the ceiling of the store, went inside, forcibly opened the security vault, and took the money owned by their cooperative.
CCTV footage shows that around 12:05 midnight on July 18, the two male persons arrived outside the store, one wearing a pink jacket and maong pants, while the other was wearing a striped sando or undershirt with a hood on his head and also wearing a maong pants.
At first, the two suspects sat and observed and after a while, one of them who was wearing a black sando climbed up the terminal shed toward the store and destroyed the wall, while the other suspect served as a lookout.
Police recovered at the crime scene were one cutter, one grinder, and one reserved desk.
The local police are conducting a thorough investigation for the possible identification and arrest of the suspects. (ROBERT DEJON)
