ORMOC CITY– A fish vendor was arrested in a sting operation in Cabucgayan, Biliran resulting in the seizure of nine sachets containing suspected shabu valued at P7,000.
Arrested in the buy-bust operation last April 19 at about 11:25 pm was a certain ‘Ric’, 40 in Barangay Bunga of the said town.

Recovered from the possession of the suspect was one sachet containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P1,000.

During the conduct of a body search done in the presence of elected official and a representative from the National Prosecutor’s Services, the searching cop recovered from the suspect seven more sachets containing white crystalline substances also suspected to be shabu with an estimated weight of 1.033 grams and an estimated street value of P7, 024. 00.

Charges of violation of sections 5 (selling illegal drugs) & 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165 the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002 was filed at the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office against the suspect who is temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of the Cabucgayan municipal police station.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – In celebrating the Filipino Food Month, the Department of Agriculture (DA) in this region in partnership with the Department of Tourism (DOT) hosted a food exhibit featuring traditional and local dishes from various parts of the region.

The food exhibit was part of the Kadiwa ng Pangulo participated by 15 exhibitors from the provinces of Northern Samar, Samar, Leyte, Biliran, Southern Leyte, and from this city.
As part of the Filipino Food Month, local delicacies such as suman, binagol, sagmani, sarungsong, keseo, puto, and kutsinta, among others, were displayed and sold in the exhibit.

A cooking demonstration showcasing how the process of making suman of Leyte, mango maja ala cheesecake of Biliran, sarungsong of Eastern Samar, bagoong alamang, kinagang, and pinangat of Northern Samar.

DA-8 Regional Executive Director Andrew Rodolfo Orais said that they have planned this collaboration with the DOT since last year.

“(Tourism Regional) Director Karen approached me and said that we should partner to help increase the income of our farmers, which led us to combine forces in this celebration,” he said.

“This is a good opportunity because we have been looking for partners to expand our reach and value of agriculture,” Orais added.

For her part, Tiopes encouraged everyone to patronize Filipino cuisine, saying today’s generation is no longer familiar with them anymore.

She emphasized the importance of documenting heirloom dishes in the region for the preservation of its process and to ensure that this will live on and the future generation will have a chance to taste the food that the ancestors of Eastern Visayan people had created and enjoyed.

“This is not the end of the partnership. We will continue to partner with the DA, especially in the agri-tourism sector”, Tiopes said.

Aside from local and traditional dishes, the food exhibit also sells root crops, fresh vegetables, fruits, black rice, and other products of local farmers at affordable prices.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY- A dispute between a tricycle driver and his woman passenger here led to the death of the former on Thursday (April 25) night.

Jessie Gaco, 40, now faces a murder charge for fatally stabbing his passenger, Jessa Mae Laurente, 29, during a heated argument along the highway of Sitio Palinpinon, Barangay. San Vicente.

Laurente, a vendor and a resident of Brgy. Cogon was pronounced dead at Ormoc District Hospital following the altercation. Both Gaco and Laurente attended a fiesta celebration in Brgy. San Vicente, separately.

According to investigator-on-case Police Corporal Joehanes Macalinao of Police Station 3, the fatal encounter occurred as Gaco, accompanied by his operator Joseph Latumbo, was preparing to return home after the festivities.

Both Gaco and Laurente were reportedly drunk.

Despite being unacquainted, Laurente requested Gaco for a ride to San Vicente.

However, matters took an awful turn when, upon reaching her destination in Sitio Palinpinon, Laurente disembarked from the tricycle and engaged in a physical altercation with Gaco.

Laurente even resorted to video recording their clash before disembarking and slapping Gaco.

Gaco left the scene momentarily only to return having a kitchen knife, which he then used to fatally wound Laurente in the chest. Despite efforts by responding rescuers to save her, Laurente succumbed to her injuries upon arrival at the hospital.

It was not clear yet what caused the altercation between the two which led to the death of Laurente.

Police from Police Station 3 swiftly apprehended Gaco at the scene, with a murder case filed against him.
((ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

Manila—On April 18, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn joined Philippine government and private sector partners for the expansion of the agency’s Responsible Seafood Sourcing Program for blue swimming crabs in Iloilo City that will strengthen the domestic market for responsibly sourced seafood and reduce illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in the province.

“Through the responsible seafood sourcing program, businesses can consistently provide quality seafood products while ensuring the health of the marine environment and supporting the livelihoods of local fishing communities,” Mission Director Washburn said at an event attended by representatives of the local government of Iloilo, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), and the local seafood industry.

Under its Fish Right Program, USAID and BFAR will work with the local community, the private sector, and government partners to develop direct market linkages between fishers, hotels, restaurants, and supermarkets to grow the local market for responsibly-caught blue swimming crabs, create livelihoods for fisherfolk, and incentivize sustainable fishing practices.

USAID’s work with BFAR and the private sector to expand responsible seafood sourcing in Iloilo connects responsible fishers to Philippine seafood businesses, buyers, distributors, and communities and improves the transparency of the seafood supply chains. Through USAID’s support, crab fishers from Igbon Island are now able to supply whole chilled crabs to the Courtyard by Marriott Hotel in Iloilo City.

This program will also help small fishers find new local markets to lessen their dependence on the volatile export market. The Philippines is a major exporter of blue swimming crab and is the second largest exporter of this species to the United States.

“Responsible Seafood Sourcing is the way to go as we endeavor to achieve conservation and sustainability of our fisheries resources while ensuring that livelihood and welfare of fishing communities are appropriately taken care of,” Department of Agriculture Undersecretary for Fisheries Drusila Bayate said in a statement.

For more than three decades, USAID has partnered with the Philippines to support environmental conservation. Through its P1.8-billion ($33-million) Fish Right Program, USAID is promoting safe, legal, and responsible fisheries practices in the Visayan Sea, South Negros, Calamianes Island Group, and Zambales. (PR)