TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here in the region has mobilized a movement, ‘Planet vs. Plastics’ as part of the Earth Day Eco-Bazaar held on April 22.
The initiative was aimed to empower people on plastic usage and promote knowledge-based advocacies.
Among the activities include the upcycling demonstration, seedling distribution, one-on-one consultation, selling of organic and local products, spoken word poetry, and Earth jam.
“This is a great initiative for Taclobanons or the local people in general because those people who are fond of using plastics will have enough knowledge about its effects to themselves and our surroundings,” one of the participants said.
“For sure, as many of us may know, the city of Tacloban now promotes the campaign of lessening the use of plastic and cellophane particularly in local businesses – big or small so, it’s a step already. A step in making a positive impact”, he added. (JANUS CAMILLE A. BERDAN, LEYTE NORMAL UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN)
TACLOBAN CITY– The municipal blood council (MBC) of Bato, Leyte successfully hosted its 5th mass blood donation activity on April 19 held in Barangay Alegria.
A total of 87 bags of blood were collected through the cooperation of the rural health unit (RHU) of Bato and the Philippine Red Cross Southern Leyte Chapter.
About t 241 bags of blood have been collected by the RHU in the last four months.
The MBC expressed its gratitude to the residents of Barangays Alegria, Amagos, San Agustin, Mercelo, and Domagocdoc who participated in the mass blood donation. (ALYSSA G.PLANA, EASTERN SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN)
TACLOBAN CITY– A female cadet from Calbiga, Samar was among this year’s top graduates of the Philippine National Police Academy (PNPA) Layag-Diwa Class of 2024 which held its graduation last April 19.
Brenna Mae Stephanie Nacional ranked seventh among this year’s graduates. The class top notcher, Ma. Camille Cabasis, is from the province of Batangas.
A total of 222 cadets graduated this year with 197 of them will be joining the Philippine National Police, 13 at the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology while the remaining 12 will help boost the personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection.
(NICOLE A. FARNOGA, EASTERN SAMAR STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERN)
KAUSWAGAN CARAVAN.About 1,961 residents from the six barangays of Batag Island in Laoang, Northern Samar availed of various services offered during the Kauswagan Caravan spearheaded by Gov. Edwin Ongchuan.
(THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF
NORTHERN SAMAR)
In Northern Samar
KAUSWAGAN CARAVAN.About 1,961 residents from the six barangays of Batag Island in Laoang, Northern Samar availed of various services offered during the Kauswagan Caravan spearheaded by Gov. Edwin Ongchuan. (THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
TACLOBAN CITY – The provincial government of Northern Samar successfully held its 23rd Kauswagan Caravan in Laoang on Tuesday (April 23) with Governor Edwin Ongchuan leading the team from the government offices and their partners from non-government organizations and private groups.
About 1,961 families from the villages of Napotiocan, Cabadiangan, Marubay, Candawid, Tan-awan, and Pangdan, all located on Batag Island received various services from the participating offices and agencies.
The services offered ranged from medical, dental and veterinary services, circumcision, legal counselling, haircut, and other basic services, to the giving of food packs, toys, seedlings, vegetable seeds, veterinary medicines, dental kits, school supplies, and other commodities.
Napotiocan village chairman, Annabelle Delmoro, said that the activity on their village was ‘memorable’ for the residents of Batag Island.
“This is very memorable for us, residents of Batag Island as this is the very first time that the caravan was held here who benefited from the different services offered by our provincial government and its partners without going to Catarman,” she said.
During the caravan, Gov. Ongchuan committed to connect Brgy. Tan-awan to the rest of the island through the construction of a 1.7-kilometer road that will complete the Batag Island circumferential road.
The governor said that the provincial government is committed to providing continued vital and responsive efforts for the benefit of Nortehanons, especially those who are in far-flung areas.
Along with the Kauswagan Caravan, are other initiatives such as the construction of evacuation centers, school classrooms, and road repair and maintenance coupled with the installation of street or solar lights.
The governor added that the provincial government is in the works for the development of alternative energy resources such as the proposed tidal power project, the first tidal power in the Philippines at Capul, which will be replicated in other islands, such as Batag, if successful.
Joining Gov. Ongchuan during the caravan were Rep. Harris Ongchuan (2nd district), Vice Gov. Clarence Dato, board members, among others.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
BEAVY OF BEAUTIES. The 29 candidates for the Miss Earth Philippines arrived in Borongan City on Monday (April 22)where the swimwear competition of the Manila-based pageant is to be staged on Thursday(April 25). The candidates were welcomed by Borongan city officials led by Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda. (BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
BEAVY OF BEAUTIES. The 29 candidates for the Miss Earth Philippines arrived in Borongan City on Monday (April 22)where the swimwear competition of the Manila-based pageant is to be staged on Thursday(April 25). The candidates were welcomed by Borongan city officials led by Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda. (BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
2025 elections
TACLOBAN CITY-Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado is set to run for congressman of the province’s second congressional district, potentially clashing with a political ally, Rep. Christopherson Yap.
Mercado, a former congressman himself and now serving his second term as governor, filed his transfer of voter’s registration to Sogod town, the hometown and bailiwick of Yap, last April 18.
Yap served as vice governor during the first term in office of Gov. Mercado who ran for congressman during the 2022 elections in Southern Leyte’s second district which was just created in 2019.
At present, Mercado put his address in Maasin City, the provincial capital, whose mayor, Naccional, is his nephew.
During his filing of transfer of voter’s registration, Mercado was accompanied by nine out of the 12 mayors of the second district and several mayors in the first congressional district.
The second congressional district was just created in 2019, dividing the province of Southern Leyte into two congressional districts.
The first district of the province is currently occupied by Rep. Luz Mercado, sister-in-law of Gov. Mercado. She is the wife of former congressman and governor, Roger Mercado.
Roger Mercado served as the Secretary of Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in 2021 until the last days of the Duterte administration.
Gov. Mercado’s vice governor is his sister, Rosa Emilia Mercado.
“We are giving our 101 percent to Gov. Mercado on his congressional bid,” Silago Mayor Lemuel Honor said.
Honor was among the mayors who accompanied Gov. Mercado when he filed his transfer of voter registration.
The Mercados have ruled Southern Leyte for more than three decades now.
Meantime, in Leyte, former congressman Vicente Veloso won a victory after the election registration board (ERB) of Isabel, Leyte threw out on April 15 the petition barring him to transfer his voter’s registration from Villaba town.
Villaba is part of Leyte’s third congressional district while Isabel form part of Leyte’s fourth congressional district which is currently held by Rep. Richard Gomez.
Veloso served as congressman of Leyte’s third district for six years ending in 2022. His post is now occupied by his daughter, Rep. Anna Victoria Veloso-Tuazon.
The petitioner, Rhodora Basilio, said that Veloso has no residential house in Isabel except a commercial building.
But the ERB said that Veloso has all the right to transfer where he desires to become a registered voter.
The country is to hold a general election next year.
Darilag sits as board chair of EV state universities
Commissioner Aldrin Darilag
TACLOBAN CITY– After serving a 90-day preventive suspension order, Commissioner Aldrin Darilag of the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd) returned to work on Friday (April 19).
Speaking through his lawyer Estanislao Angeles III, Aldrin said that he is happy to be back at the commission as his term ends on July of this year yet.
Angeles, in a phone interview, also disclosed that his client also felt ‘vindicated’ considering that during the enforcement of the preventive order, a panel created by ChEd Chairman Prospero De Vera II did not issue any resolution on the complaint lodged against Darilag.
“The 90-day preventive suspension order has lapsed without any findings of guilt by a fact-finding committee,” Angele said.
“This is a vindication for Commissioner Darilag because there was no basis for suspending him in the first place,” Angeles said.
To recall, Darilag was slapped with the preventive suspension order by the Office of President on January 16 purportedly due to abuse of authority, grave misconduct, neglect in the performance of duty, and violation of RA 3019, or the Anti-Graft and Corrupt Practices Act.
Darilag has denied all the allegations, adding that he was not even given the chance to defend himself on the allegations hurled against him.
He has blamed De Vera as to be behind on the charges against him.
Darilag sits as chairman of the board of the Leyte Normal University in Tacloban City, Leyte; University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, Northern Samar; Samar State University in Catbalogan City, Samar; Southern Leyte State University in Maasin City, Southern Leyte; and Biliran Province State University in Naval, Biliran. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
