INTENSIFIED CAMPAIGN.The police in Leyte province are doing its best to address all forms of illegal activities, thus said provincial police director, Col. Dionisio Apas, Jr.(center). (PHOTO COURTESY)
INTENSIFIED CAMPAIGN.The police in Leyte province are doing its best to address all forms of illegal activities, thus said provincial police director, Col. Dionisio Apas, Jr.(center). (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY-The Leyte Police Provincial Office (LPPO) has ramped up its efforts to combat criminal activities and ensure public safety across the province, continuing its crackdown on most wanted persons and other law offenders.
“The ongoing efforts to capture wanted individuals and enforce anti-crime strategies demonstrate the LPPO’s commitment to making Leyte a safer place for all residents and visitors,” said Colonel Dionisio Apas Jr., the police provincial director.
As of August 19, 2024, authorities arrested the Top 4 most wanted person in one municipality and seven other law offenders during anti-crime operations.
ORMOC CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) continues its commitment to mitigate flooding in various parts of the district with the ongoing Construction of Donghol Flood Control Structure in Brgy. Donghol, Ormoc City.
The project, located along Donghol River, features a 3.8-meter-high flood control structure that stretches 516 meters in length and includes a 2-meter-wide walkway. It is designed to prevent riverbank erosion and water overflow which reduces risk of flooding in the vulnerable surrounding areas.
Funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2024, with an allocation of P 96.4 million, the project is on track for completion on December 2024 and has already achieved 89.19 percent accomplishment rate as of this writing. (PR)
CAMP JORGE DOWNES,Ormoc City– Military troops unearth the buried rifle and magazines belonging to the New People’s Army (NPA) in the remote area of Barangay Old Union, Sta. Rita, Samar on 26 August 2024.
The discovery was made by soldiers from the 63rd Infantry Battalion (63IB), operating under the 802nd Infantry Brigade (802IBde), following a tip-off from concerned local residents. The residents alerted the soldiers of the presence of the concealed weapon and magazines in the area.
Acting Commanding Officer of the 63IB, Lieutenant Colonel Eduardo Meclat Jr., promptly ordered his troops to conduct a thorough search, leading to the successful recovery of a Bushmaster 5.56mm rifle and three empty magazines, among other related equipment.
Lieutenant Colonel Meclat emphasized that the successful operation was made possible by the trust, cooperation, and proactive stance of the local community in safeguarding their area.
“The discovery of this firearm underscores the critical role that the partnership between the military and local communities plays in ensuring security, “ Meclat said.
Meclat encourages all community members to continue working with the government to maintain a safe and secure environment for everyone.
Meanwhile, Brigadier General Noel A. Vestuir, Commander of the 802IBde, commended the troops for their relentless efforts to uphold peace and security in the area.
He also expressed his gratitude to the populace for their cooperation and deep concern for their community, which has been instrumental in sustaining peace.
“On behalf of the peace-loving citizens, we are grateful to the residents of Barangay Old Union for their invaluable support and cooperation,” Vestuir ended. (PR)
TACLOBAN CITY-Families of victims of the drug war carried out during the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte are finding new hope in the ongoing investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“Yes, I am hopeful that with the involvement of the ICC, the victims of the drug war, especially our relatives, will be given justice,” said Belinda (not her real name), whose uncle was killed in a 2019 drug raid in the Eastern Visayas region.
Belinda, who requested anonymity for safety reasons, shared that her family did not pursue legal action against the government’s anti-drug operatives due to financial constraints.
“This is the fate of poor people who are simply killed, even if they don’t deserve it,” Belinda told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
She and her family were elated to learn that the ICC has requested assistance from the Philippine government in interviewing persons of interest related to Duterte’s drug war campaign.
On July 30, 2024, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV disclosed that an incumbent Philippine senator and four high-ranking police officials have been placed on Interpol’s “blue notice” list at the request of the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor.
“It seems the blue notice is just part of the ICC’s process. While it’s too early to say that this will lead to a favorable outcome for the thousands of victims of ‘drug war’ killings, it sends a message to abusive law enforcers: there will be a time of reckoning,” said Carlos Conde, senior researcher at Human Rights Watch.
“The ICC appears serious in pursuing its investigation. The Ferdinand Marcos Jr. administration should fully cooperate with the court’s investigation,” Conde added.
A blue notice is a tool used by the Interpol to collect additional information about a person’s identity, location, or activities in connection to a criminal investigation.
Various human rights organizations claim that over 20,000 suspected drug personalities were killed during Duterte’s anti-drug campaign. (RONALD O. REYES)
TREE IS LIFE. True to the saying, byproducts of coconut were in full display during a two-day event Coconut Week celebration that ended on August 28 held at the People’s Center, Tacloban City. The event was headed by the Philippine Coconut Authority which is headed by Director Joel Pilapil, Department of Tourism under Karina Rosa Tiopes, and Tingog-party-list group of Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre. (DOT-8)
TACLOBAN CITY – Eastern Visayas marked the 38th National Coconut Week and Coconut Month with a series of activities held at the People’s Center in this city.
TREE IS LIFE. True to the saying, byproducts of coconut were in full display during a two-day event Coconut Week celebration that ended on August 28 held at the People’s Center, Tacloban City. The event was headed by the Philippine Coconut Authority which is headed by Director Joel Pilapil, Department of Tourism under Karina Rosa Tiopes, and Tingog-party-list group of Reps. Yedda Marie Romualdez and Jude Acidre. (DOT-8)
The event was organized by the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) in collaboration with the Department of Tourism (DOT), the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), and the Tingog party-list.
The celebration, themed ‘Coconut Creations: A Coconut Taste and Crafts Showcase in Region VIII’, featured a variety of activities.
Highlights of the Coconut Month celebration included an interactive discussion, the coconut couture challenge and fashion show, the coconut culinary showcase, and contests for the best bahal and best bahalina.
Visitors also enjoyed exhibits showcasing various coconut-based products and foods made with coconut, available for purchase.
PCA-8 Regional Manager Joel Pilapil expressed hope that the event would inspire coconut farmers to explore the potential of producing more than just copra from the “tree of life.”
“Copra prices are unstable, making it difficult for coconut farmers to earn a sustainable living,” Pilapil said. “Coconut-based products such as tuba/bahalina, coco vinegar, virgin coconut oil, and coco sugar offer better income opportunities for farmers,” he added.
These products were among those featured in the exhibits, which included 22 exhibitors supported by DTI-8.
“These are marketable products with better prices in the market,” Pilapil added.
To expand the market for coconut-based products, DOT is assisting in promoting the industry to both local and international visitors.
DOT-8 Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes shared that during visits by expedition cruise ships to the region, coconut is one of the key products they showcase to foreign visitors.
For example, during a visit to Capul Island, guests were shown how to plant, harvest, and use the coconut in various dishes, she said.
“Let us look at the coconut with fresh eyes, seeing it not just as a product but as a source of inspiration—a testament to what we can achieve when we unite our efforts across different sectors,” Tiopes said.
The region’s coconut industry continues to recover from the devastation of Super Typhoon ‘’Yolanda in 2013, which affected central Eastern Visayas, and Typhoon ‘Odette’ in 2021, which impacted the entire province of Southern Leyte and the southern part of Leyte province.
Pilapil noted that the region currently harvests over 1.7 billion coconuts annually, still lower than the more than 2 billion coconuts harvested before the onslaught of Yolanda.
Eastern Visayas now ranks 5th among coconut-producing regions in the country, a slight drop from its previous second-place ranking prior to Yolanda.
An estimated 65,601,699 coconut trees are planted in the region, with most located in Leyte province, covering an area of 91,906 hectares. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Borongan City is set to launch an advanced digital platform aimed at streamlining medical services across the city.
This groundbreaking initiative is a collaboration between the city government of Borongan, Eastern Samar State University (ESSU), and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), marking a pivotal moment in the city’s Smart and Sustainable Cities Program.
A successful dry run of the platform was conducted on August 28 at Borongan’s main pharmacy, showcasing its robust features and seamless integration into existing services.
The newly developed platform will function as a comprehensive patient database, linking medical needs with the city’s social services, including the Libreng Medisina program and the upcoming City Infirmary’s laboratory and X-ray services.
This integration ensures that medical records are readily accessible across all rural health units in the city, allowing for smooth transitions of care and facilitating the printing or digital forwarding of records to other healthcare facilities as needed.
A key feature of the platform is its real-time integration with the pharmacy inventory system. During patient consultations, doctors will be able to instantly check the availability of medicines and automatically notify the nearest pharmacy to supply the required medications.
Additionally, the platform will coordinate with the City Infirmary for any necessary laboratory services, ensuring prompt and accurate fulfillment of patient needs. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
