TACLOBAN CITY– The Regional Development Council (RDC) chairman for Eastern Visayas Lucy Marie Torres-Gomez presented the top three priority programs and projects (PAPs) of the region to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. during a meeting with all RDC chairs of the country.

In a statement released by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) regional office, said that the top PAPs from the region are the tuna development program, basic education facilities, and the completion of the road heightening and tide embankment project in Leyte.

Although still subject to a feasibility study and targeted to start in 2026, the RDC VIII chairperson also presented the Eastern Visayas Railway System as one of the region’s priorities.

Also discussed during the April 30 meeting were proposed amendments to Executive Order 325, aimed at strengthening the roles of the RDCs in shaping the development directions of the regions.

The meeting was part of a series of activities on the President’s instructions for concerned national agencies and the Department of Budget and Management to include the RDCs’ priority PAPs in the FY 2025 or 2026 budget.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

MARABUT, Samar – “MARPOs should be at the forefront of the field validation process!”
This was the stern order of Atty. Robert Anthony Yu, Regional Director of the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas, to the municipal agrarian reform program officers (MARPOs) during the first quarter assessment of the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) project for the provinces of Western Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar held on April 17 to 19 this year in this town.

He explained that though field validation teams (FVTs) were hired to conduct the validation process, MARPOs should closely supervise them and take the lead.

Yu issued this order in reaction to the accomplishments of the above-mentioned provinces.
Though Northern Samar accomplished 116.55 percent or 2,588.65 hectares of its 2,221-hectare target in field validation for the first quarter, Western Samar was just able to accomplish 47.97 percent or 1,868.08 hectares of its 3,894-hectare first quarter target. Eastern Samar was also short by almost three percent as they were only able to meet 97.11 percent of its 3,499-hectare target by validating 3,397.98 hectares.

Since the project is expected to be completed by the end of 2024, Yu emphasized the significant role of the provincial and municipal implementers in achieving the regional target, particularly in field validation, which is crucial in the effective implementation of the SPLIT project since it is a pre-requisite in the generation of individual titles.

He reiterated the directive of Agrarian Reform Secretary Conrado Estrella III to complete the validation of landholdings by the second quarter, except for Leyte, which has been given an extension until the end of the third quarter, considering the large volume of landholdings to be validated.

Meanwhile, in the registration of the electronically-generated individual titles (e-titles), Northern Samar accomplished 69.43 percent of its 517-hectare first quarter target with 212 e-titles registered involving 168 agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs).

Western Samar accomplished 30.49 percent of its 106-hectare target with 21 e-titles registered involving 16 ARBs, while Eastern Samar reported an 8.89 percent accomplishment against its 721-hectare target for the first quarter with 68 e-titles registered involving 62 ARBs.

SPLIT project, which is funded by the World Bank, subdivides landholdings covered by collective Certificates of Land Ownershp Award (CLOAs) issued under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) for the eventual issuance of individual CLOA to improve land tenure security and strengthen property rights of ARBs.
(MARVIN R. ORQUIOLA/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Tacloban City District Engineering Office (TCDEO) has commenced its Annual Road Condition Survey (RoCond), a critical initiative that plays a significant role in the planning and budgeting of road projects.

The survey, which is scheduled from April 9, 2024, to June 15, 2024, is part of a broader national initiative. This initiative aims to collect essential data about the state of our roads and bridges. This data is crucial because it informs us about the current conditions of our infrastructure and helps identify areas that require maintenance or improvement.

This information is then used in a specialized system, known as the Pavement Management System. This system, with the help of a tool called the Highway Development and Management-4 (HDM-4), assists in determining the order of priority for various road projects. In simpler terms, it helps us decide which projects should be addressed first based on their urgency and importance, ensuring efficient use of resources for road repair and improvement.

The RoCond was led by Engr. John Nichole G. Bertulfo, the Road and Bridge Information Application (RBIA) coordinator, along with other personnel from the planning and design section of TCDEO. The team is tasked with conducting a quality check of the surveyed data prior to uploading it to the RBIA.

In a statement, Engr. Bertulfo emphasized the importance of the survey.

“The Annual Road Condition Survey is not just an activity but a priority. The data we collect is crucial for the Pavement Management System. It helps us identify which road projects need immediate attention and ensures that our programming and budgeting efforts are as accurate and effective as possible,” he said. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY– A senior military official in Eastern Visayas disclosed that 31 members of the New People’s Army (NPA) and armed supporters have voluntarily surrendered under the initiatives of the local government units (LGUs).

Brigadier General Noel Vestuir, the brigade commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade based in Ormoc City, said that the ‘localized peace engagements’ being enforced by the LGUs are a big help to them as they aim to end the region’s insurgency problem.

Earlier, Major Gen. Camilo Ligayo, the commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division, said that they are on ‘track’ of quelling the remaining ‘remnants’ of the armed group of the Communist Party of the Philippines in the region by the year-end.

The localized peace initiatives of the local governments are being made under their Friends Rescued Engagement through their Families (FReE) programs of the LGUs.
The said program was first implemented in Eastern Samar last September and subsequently introduced in Leyte and Samar provinces in February of this year.

“I congratulate the families and relatives of active NPAs in our area of operations in Samar and Leyte Islands for working together with the local government units in convincing their loved ones and relatives that are still active NPA members to abandon the CPP-NPA. Its deceptive ideology is family-disastrous and youth-exploiting,” he said.

Vestuir said that aside from ending the decades-long armed struggle being waged by the communist rebels, their decision to surrender will also help them transform into useful citizens.

Vestuir said that just last February and April, four former NPA members surrendered in Samar and two from Leyte last March and May, respectively.

Of the 36 who surrendered, 24 of them were regular NPA members while seven of them were armed civilian members of the outlawed group.

In all, 26 firearms, of which 14 were considered as high-powered firearms, were surrendered by them.

Based on their interviews, Vestuir said that aside from the relentless campaign by the military against them, these former rebels decided to give up the armed struggles due to hardships living in the mountains like lack of foods. (JOEY A. GABIETA)