TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) here in the region has successfully completed 480 projects under the Local Adaptation to Water Access (LAWA) and Breaking Insufficiency through Nutritious Harvest for the Impoverished (BINHI) initiatives.

These projects include the construction of 274 water harvesting facilities, some of which feature fish ponds.

Eleven of these facilities are located in Northern Samar, 11 in Eastern Samar, and 252 in Southern Leyte. Additionally, 210 community gardens have been established.

The water facilities will serve 138,605 square meters of agricultural land, helping farmers cope with dry spells caused by El Niño and climate change.

The community gardens, on the other hand, are expected to boost the harvest of vegetables, crops, and fruit-bearing plants in the region, providing food for more than 26,000 families.

In the implementation of Project LAWA and BINHI in the region, 3,800 individuals—referred to by the social welfare agency as “partner-beneficiaries”—underwent comprehensive training. This training covered disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and practical skills in gardening and water harvesting.

Following the training, the beneficiaries participated in 15 days of work based on activities identified by their local government units (LGUs). These activities included constructing water harvesting facilities, farming, forage production, and vermicomposting.
For their participation in the 20-day cash-for-work (CFW) and cash-for-training (CFT) sessions, each individual received P7,500.

The DSWD implements Project LAWA and BINHI to maintain agricultural productivity during dry periods and to manage excess water during periods of heavy rainfall associated with La Niña. These initiatives focus on mitigating the impacts of food insecurity and water scarcity caused by El Niño while preparing for the potential effects of the rainy season.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

PALO, Leyte– As the entire Philippine bureaucracy celebrates the 124th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary this September, the Civil Service Commission Regional Office 8 (CSC-8) has lined up activities for the month-long celebration in Eastern Visayas.

Speaking during the ‘Kapihan sa PIA’ Eastern Visayas on Friday, August 30, Atty. Marilyn Taldo, CSC-8 regional director, invites government workers and the public to join this year’s celebration.

“We are enjoining all government agencies and all government workers to celebrate with us, to show that we are one in the government service and we are committed to deliver excellent public service,” Taldo said.

The month-long activities kicked off with a fun run which featured different categories to promote camaraderie, physical fitness, and well-being among civil servants.

The fun run was attended by over 1,000 participants in the region with a registration fee of P250.

The proceeds of this activity will benefit the Pamanang Lingkod Bayani Program of the CSC that would provide financial support to the families of civil servants who lost their lives in line of duty.

This will be followed by a Government Job Fair on Wednesday, September 4, at Robinsons Place in Marasbaras, Tacloban City.

Qualified applicants who are interested to apply for vacant positions in the government are encouraged to visit the mall as 20 government agencies and universities have signified to join the job fair.

In addition, government workers are also encouraged to participate in the blood-letting activity dubbed as “Dugtong Buhay Handog ng Lingkod Bayan” on September 12.

As an act of gratitude, compassion, and generosity, CSC-8 is inviting government workers to join this significant activity to help patients who are in need of blood.

Blood donors may go directly to the Human Resource Center, CSC Regional Office in Palo Leyte.

Meanwhile, a “tree growing for a cause” is also slated on the third week of September to be conducted in the provinces of the region.

CSC also reported that special treats for workers in the government will also be offered where discounts could be availed of from different stores or malls. For more information and details, visit CSC-8’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/cscregion8.

The awarding of the Outstanding Government Workers will also highlight this year’s PCSA celebration.

The 124th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary is centered on the 10-year theme, “Transforming public service in the next decade: Honing agile and future-ready servant heroes.”

As of this writing, Eastern Visayas has a total of 177,973 government workers including career, non-career and contractual or job order workers.
(CBA, PIA Eastern Visayas/CSC-8 socmed cards)

TACLOBAN CITY– The town of Inopacan, Leyte, has officially declared itself insurgency-free during the commemoration of the 18th anniversary of the discovery of the Inopacan Massacre on August 28, 2024.

Sapang Bato, a mountain village in Inopacan, was reportedly the site of summary executions and the burial ground for at least 67 members of the New People’s Army (NPA), who were killed by their own comrades.

The skeletal remains were unearthed in the town on August 28, 2006. It is estimated by former rebels and the victims’ relatives that the mass purging, known as “Oplan Venereal Disease,” killed around 300 people in Leyte alone during the 1980s.

During the 18th anniversary commemoration of the exhumation, the victims’ family members expressed their sorrow and despair over the ordeal their loved ones endured. They strongly condemned the NPA, holding them responsible for the misery and loss they suffered.

One relative, “Alma” (not her real name), shared her painful experience of being in Grade 2 when armed men abducted her father from their home in 1985. She tearfully recalled never seeing her father again after that night. Now in her 50s, she and her family continue to seek justice.

Following similar declarations in neighboring towns, the local government of Inopacan, led by Mayor Rogelio D. Pua Jr., officially declared the town under Stable Internal Peace and Security Conditions (SIPSC), with the strong support of the community to reject any forces that threaten their peace.

The ceremony was attended by key stakeholders and partner agencies committed to promoting sustainable peace and development.

Also present were Baybay City Mayor Jose Carlos Cari, and representatives from the municipality of Mahaplag.

Many massacre victims were from Baybay City, Inopacan, and Mahaplag.

Notable figures who led the commemoration and the formal signing of Inopacan’s SIPSC declaration included Roma Demeterio, cluster head of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in Leyte, and Police Lt.Col. Ricky Reli, deputy provincial director of the Philippine National Police Leyte.

In his speech, Lt. Col. Rosalejos congratulated the people of Inopacan for their collective effort in achieving this significant milestone.

He emphasized that the declaration marks a new chapter for the town, paving the way for tourism and investment while ensuring that the horrors of the past are never repeated.
“We are moving beyond this dark chapter in our history, advancing toward a brighter and lasting peace, while carrying with us the lessons that will ensure the NPA never again sows terror among us,” Rosalejos said in the vernacular.

The SIPSC declaration was made official through a covenant signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and Pledges of Commitment, concluding with the release of white doves to symbolize peace and new beginnings.

Meanwhile, 802nd Brigade Commander Brigadier General Noel A. Vestuir commended all stakeholders in Inopacan for their commitment to maintaining a safe environment.

“With the declaration of another town in Leyte as under Stable Internal Peace and Security Conditions, we send a strong message of unity in our quest to end local communist armed conflict and maintain a peaceful and secure environment for the peace-loving people of these towns,” Vestuir said.
(ROEL T.AMAZONA)