BORONGAN CITY– The Joint Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC), Provincial Anti-Drug Abuse Council (PADAC), and Provincial Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (PTF-ELCAC) unanimously approved on Wednesday, February 7, the motion of Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone to pass a resolution opposing the move to abolish the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC).

“We believe that the whole-of-government approach under EO 70 has been successful in neutralizing insurgency in Eastern Samar,” Evardone said.

This is in response to United Nations Special Rapporteur (UNSR) on Freedom of Expression Irene Khan’s call for the abolition of NTF-ELCAC, which she claimed is outdated and “does not take into account the ongoing prospects for peace negotiations.”

During the said meeting, Evardone also thanked and commended the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP), particularly the troops of the 802nd Brigade and 78th Infantry Battalion, for the successful operations that led to the death of Alias Moki, a high-ranking official of the Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) – New People’s Army (NPA).

“I’d like to congratulate the 802nd Brigade under the command of Brigadier General Noel A. Vestuir, the78th Infantry Battalion under the command of Lt. Col. Allan. T. Tria, and the 8th Infantry Division under Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo for neutralizing a major personality in the insurgency movement,” the Governor said.

Evardone also commended the Philippine National Police, particularly the Eastern Samar Provincial Police Office, local government units (LGUs), and national government agencies, for the success of the anti-insurgency campaign in Eastern Samar.

Meanwhile, Deputy Brigade Commander of the 802nd Brigade, Col. Rico Amaro, disclosed that there are now only 13 identified active CTG-NPA members in Eastern Samar. Based on the 2023 data, these 13 individuals are included in the 38 remaining active NPA members in the three provinces of the Samar islands.

“The data shows that the NPA manpower has significantly reduced from the 63 recorded individuals in 2022,” Amaro clarified.

It can be remembered that Major General Camilo Z. Ligayo, 8ID commander, announced during the Kapihan sa PIA Eastern Visayas on January 17, 2024, that Eastern Visayas is now free from communist guerrilla influence.

Ligayo’s announcement backed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement released earlier in January this year stating that there are no more active guerrilla fronts in the country.
“Dito sa Eastern Visayas, wala na. Ang ibig sabihin nito wala na silang hawak na barangay, lahat ng barangays ay cleared na sa mga CTGs, so wala ng barangay na hawak nila (Here in Eastern Visayas, it’s over. This means they no longer have control over any barangay, all barangays have been cleared of CTGs, so they no longer hold any barangay),” Ligayo explained.

Ligayo also underscored that the success of the anti-insurgency campaign in the region can be attributed to the operationalization of Executive Order No. 70 or the whole-of-nation approach of the Regional Task Force against Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-8 ELCAC) composed of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, national government agencies, local government units, private sector, and other stakeholders.
(VTG, PIA Region VIII)

ORMOC CITY– The Southern Leyte Provincial Drug Enforcement Unit (PDEU) and the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of the Macrohon police station apprehended an alleged drug supplier of the province and seized 19 sachets containing white crystalline substances suspected to be shabu.

The estimated weight of the seized substances was 29 grams, with a street value of approximately P200,000.

The suspect, identified as Melchor Maceda, 41, married, and a businessman residing in Barangay Ibarra, Maasin City was found in possession of five sachets containing a white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu, which was procured by an operative during the operation for P5,000 in Barangay Upper Ichon at about 7:10 pm.

Subsequently, during a body search conducted in the presence of an elected barangay official and a representative from the local media, 14 more sachets containing the same substance were discovered inside a coin purse concealed within a waist pack.

Maceda, in his statement to the media, disclosed that he had been released from imprisonment in Davao City after serving five years for illegal drug-related offenses, following the approval of his plea-bargaining agreement by the court.

He admitted ownership of the recovered evidence seized by the police during the operation.
According to the police, Maceda is allegedly one of the suppliers of shabu in the province, and he confessed that the substances recovered from him during the operation were the remaining portion of the 80 bulk of shabu he had already distributed to his patrons.

The suspect is currently facing charges for violations of section 5 (selling illegal drugs) and section 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002.

He is temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of Macrohon MPS.
(ROBERT DEJON)

CAN-AVID AND TAFT, EASTERN SAMAR – The Department of Public Works and Highways Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH ESDEO) is making progress on the phase one – construction of the new municipal building in Can-Avid and Taft, Eastern Samar.

According to the latest update from DPWH ESDEO, the actual accomplishment on the construction of phase one of the new municipal buildings in Can-Avid and Taft, Eastern Samar is now at 42.27% and 24.33%, respectively.

The details of phase one of the project construction in Can-Avid include the construction of the municipal building with ground floor slab, second floor slab, stairs, electrical, and other works indicated in the budget. The project appropriation is Php 30,000,000.00, and the project contract amount is P29,009,716.68. The said contract project started on August 31, 2023, and is set to expire on April 20, 2024.

Meanwhile, the phase one construction of the municipal building in Taft involves foundation works from the first floor up to the fourth floor, including concrete works, steel works, electric roughing installations, plumbing roughing installation, and other work scopes indicated in the budget. The project appropriation is P 30 million and the project contract amount is P29,231,121.68. The project started on September 11, 2023, and is set to expire on May 1, 2024.

District Engineer Domcelio Natividad assures the public that the projects will be implemented according to international standards and specifications. He also added that the Local Government Unit and the public are encouraged to help monitor the implementation of the municipal building.

The municipal building projects are expected to provide the people of Can-Avid and Taft with new and modern facilities that will cater to their needs. The DPWH ESDEO recognizes the importance of providing excellence, safety, and sustainability in every aspect of the construction project.

“The completion of these projects will promote progress and development in the communities of Can-Avid and Taft, Eastern Samar. The DPWH ESDEO remains committed to provide quality infrastructure that will serve the needs of the people and contribute to the growth of the local economy,” said DE Natividad. (PR)

Manila-On February 15, the United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), awarded P8 million ($142,475) in grants to four Philippine higher education institutions working on innovative programs that improve the lives of Filipino out-of-school youth.

Administered through USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 program, the ASPIRE (Advance and Support Philippine-International Academic Relations for Out-of-School Youth Development) grant, valued at P2.5 million ($44,643) each, facilitates partnerships between local and U.S. institutions on out-of-school youth advancement.

De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde, an ASPIRE awardee, will partner with Gallaudet University in Washington D.C to enhance training and higher education access for deaf out-of-school youth. Another ASPIRE awardee, Ferndale College in Zamboanga City, will work with Adams State University in Colorado on developing learning modules designed to engage out-of-school youth in addressing food security issues in their communities.

“Out-of-school youth deserve an equal opportunity to define the kind of life they want to live,” USAID Philippines Mission Director Ryan Washburn said. “These new grants will help create a positive environment for youth by tapping the creativity, resources, and expertise of Philippine and U.S. higher education institutions.”

Additionally, USAID awarded a P1.5-million ($26,786) GAIN (Government-Academe-Industry Collaborative) grant to Quezon City University, which would allow the extension of their executive training course to local government officials in Pasig City and Angeles City in Pampanga. The executive course provides lessons on leadership and creating effective programs for out-of-school youth.

“Through the grant, Quezon City University is able to empower key decision makers on co-creating and implementing meaningful programs supported by their learnings through the expanded Executive Leadership course in their respective communities. We are hopeful that through the program, more leaders will be equipped with the knowledge and means to support out-of-school youth and create an inclusive environment for them,” Quezon City Councilor Aly Medalla said.

Cebu City’s School of Knowledge for Industrial Labor, Leadership, and Service, Inc. (SKILLS), another recipient of the GAIN grant, will partner with the Technical Vocational Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the private sector to establish an “industry certification process” for multi-skilled out-of-school youth in the construction industry.

“The grant is valuable to SKILLS as it would enable us to implement activities that provide sustainable employment to the youth while addressing the perennial challenges in the construction industry, such as shortage of skills and negative perception on construction jobs,” SKILLS Executive Director Jessie Cubijano said.

USAID’s Opportunity 2.0 program works with local and international partners across 15 cities in the Philippines to improve the lives of out-of-school youth through further education, employment, and entrepreneurship. The project has impacted 70,000 youth through TESDA technical-vocational programs and through the Department of Education’s Alternative Learning System. (PR)