TACLOBAN CITY – Mayor Lovell Yu-Castro of Alangalang, Leyte announced that more students from her town will benefit from the distribution of bicycles through the ‘Libreng Sakay’ Program initiated by the municipal government.

Mayor Yu-Castro stated that she has already signed a purchase request to initiate a bidding process for the acquisition of additional bicycles, which will be allocated to Learners at Risk of Dropping Out (LARDO).

The identification of beneficiaries for the program involved collaboration with school officials from Alangalang, including district supervisors, central school principals, and secondary school heads.

Initially, the municipal government distributed 117 bicycles using the 2023 Local Council for the Protection of Children (LCPC) Fund. The plan now is to procure an additional set of bicycles using the 2024 LCPC budget.

The municipality aims to distribute more than 100 bicycles to LARDOs studying in elementary and secondary schools with reported cases of dropouts.

Mayor Yu-Castro explained, “Our dropout rate varies across districts, with some having only one or two dropouts, while others, like one high school, have more than 20 dropouts, including our night high school.”

“We are particularly focusing on schools with high dropout rates, such as Alangalang Agro-Industrial School and Alangalang Night High School, to assist students in returning to their studies and reaffirm their commitment to education,” she added.

During a stakeholders’ appreciation meeting held by the Department of Education Leyte Division last November, Alangalang Night High School was identified as one of the schools requiring intervention due to an increasing dropout rate.

Common reasons cited for students discontinuing their education include job searching, lack of interest, poverty, relocation, and family issues.

To address dropout cases, the DepEd Leyte suggests providing free transportation as one of the interventions that local government units (LGUs) can implement.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The vehicle allegedly belonging to San Isidro Mayor, Leyte, Remedio Veloso, was ambushed on Thursday around 3:10 pm while traveling through Alangalang town, also in Leyte.

The police have yet to determine the perpetrators behind the attack.

The mayor’s vehicle, a Toyota pick-up driven by Ranel Reubal, 44, was traveling along a national highway in Barangay Dapdap, Alangalang, when the suspects, who were aboard a Navarra pick-up, appeared and opened fire on the vehicle.

Reubal sustained a gunshot wound to his lower back, while his companion, Carlo Emman Pauligue, 44, remained unharmed.

The local police, led by town police chief PMaj Joshua Bien Chiquillo, are currently conducting an investigation to identify those responsible for the attack.

Leyte provincial director, Col. Erwin Portillo, condemned the incident and directed the Alangalang police to apprehend the suspects.

“I am deeply saddened upon receiving this report. I have already instructed the chief of police of Alangalang to investigate this incident thoroughly and make every effort to gather evidence, including reviewing CCTV footage in the area to identify the assailants,” Portillo stated.

“As of today (Thursday), all municipalities in Leyte province will be placed under full alert status,” he added.

This is not the first time Mayor Veloso’s vehicle has been targeted in an ambush.
On December 21, 2022, another vehicle belonging to Veloso was attacked by armed suspects while traveling in Kananga, also in Leyte.

Veloso’s sister, Juanita Veloso, was injured, while his wife, Leleena, and driver, Edmil Bacay, were unharmed.

As of now, Mayor Veloso has not issued any statement regarding this latest attack. San Isidro town is part of Leyte’s third congressional district, which has experienced several shooting incidents in the past, mostly involving barangay officials.

On March 8, approximately 389 police personnel were deployed to various towns in the district to address the shooting incidents.

Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla had earlier instructed Col. Portillo to put an end to these incidents in the district, which comprises Calubian, San Isidro, Villaba, Tabango, and Leyte.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA /ROBERT DEJON)

Now on its 503rd year

TACLOBAN CITY – The town of Guiuan in Eastern Samar will mark this year’s 503rd Magellan’s Landing in Homonhon Island with a modest celebration, as announced by municipal tourism officer Janet Israel-Ramos.

The town has organized several activities commemorating the historical event, which will be attended by residents from Guiuan, as well as from the islands of Suluan and Homonhon, along with municipal and provincial government officials.

The commemoration activities, also dubbed as Philippine Part in the First Circumnavigation of the World, began on Tuesday (March 12) with the opening of the “Panagtawo” or the Kadiwa ng Pangulo at Guiuan’s Plaza, organized by the municipal government in partnership with the Department of Trade and Industry.

On March 16, Dr. Rolando Borrinaga, one of the region’s foremost historians, will conduct a history lecture at the island village of Suluan.

According to Antonio Pigefetta’s chronicle, it was the residents of Suluan who assisted Ferdinand Magellan’s crew when they landed on Homonhon Island after months of crossing the Pacific.

Simultaneously on March 16, commemorative programs will be held at the Suluan Marker in Suluan Island and at the Samar Marker in Calicoan.

Additionally, there will be a groundbreaking ceremony for the circumferential road in Homonhon Island from Barangay Bitaugon down to Casuguran, led by 4Ps party-list representative and House Minority leader Marcelino Libanan.

A dental and medical mission is scheduled from the 16th to the 17th in the villages of Casuguran and Pagbabangnan, all in Homonhon Island.

On the 17th, municipal and provincial government officials will gather at Magellan’s Landing site in Homonhon for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Quincentennial Marker and a commemorative program.

Aside from Rep. Libanan, expected attendees at the commemorative program include Governor Ben Evardone, members of the provincial board, Rep. Fe Abunda, and Guiuan town officials led by Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan.

Guiuan commemorates annually the “humanity” displayed by early residents of Suluan towards foreign guests led by Magellan, who, along with his crew, were seeking a new route to Moluccas for the Spice trade.

On March 16, 1521, they sighted mainland Samar but did not dock due to rough sea conditions. They then encountered the islands of Suluan and Homonhon, where on March 18, they disembarked to search for food and attend to their sick crew.

It was on this day that residents of Suluan met them and promised to provide food, which they did the next day. Magellan’s crew stayed in Homonhon for several days before sailing south to the area of Limasawa, where the first Easter Mass was held.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)