CATARMAN, Northern Samar –The Department of Public Works and Highways-Northern Samar First District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSFDEO) has completed the construction of a P6.28 million one-storey, two-classroom school building at Washington Elementary School in Brgy. Washington, Catarman, Northern Samar.

The project involves the complete construction of a one-storey, two-classroom school building with a total floor area of 200.91 sq.m., including clearing and grubbing, embankment, and CHB gutter.

Each classroom is equipped with essential amenities, including a handwashing area, window grills at the front and rear windows, a parapet wall, and comfort rooms. The facility also features ramps with handrails to ensure accessibility for people with disabilities (PWD).
District Engineer Alvin A. Ignacio highlighted the importance of the new infrastructure for the school.

“The completion of this school building will provide a significant improvement to the learning conditions for our Grade 3 and Grade 6 students. Ensuring a secure and conducive environment for learning is essential for their academic and personal development.”
Meanwhile, Ral C. Pito, principal at Washington Elementary School, expressed his heartfelt gratitude for the newly constructed classrooms.

“On behalf of Washington Elementary School, we extend our deepest thanks to the DPWH for providing us with two additional classrooms. This project is a significant boon for our students, offering much-needed space and facilities. The new building will accommodate our Grade 6 students, as we now have two sections for Grade 6, and one section for Grade 3, in response to our steadily increasing enrollment. This timely addition is greatly appreciated.”

The completion of this project showcases DPWH-NSFDEO’s commitment to improving educational facilities and fostering students’ academic development through essential infrastructure.

The project commenced on November 20, 2023, and was completed on May 15, 2024, as part of the Department of Education’s Basic Education Facilities Fund (BEEF) for FY 2023.
(ANALIZA A. PABIA, PIO ALTERNATE/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY– Paytaca Inc., the pioneering financial technology application (FinTech App) from Eastern Visayas, has successfully introduced its bitcoin cash (BCH) wallet app in Cebu City.

“We aim to expand our marketplace and network of partner merchants in Cebu starting with this launch,” said Paytaca CEO Joemar Taganna.

Taganna highlighted that using BCH through the Paytaca app minimizes payment processing costs, allowing the company to offer an online marketplace with lower prices and fees compared to competitors.

“We extend these benefits to every city we enter, including Cebu. Our POS app facilitates rapid, nearly fee-free BCH payments for physical stores, helping merchants avoid the charges associated with credit cards and e-wallets,” Taganna told Leyte Samar Daily Express.

Paytaca’s Chief Marketing Officer, Aaron JP Almadro, expressed gratitude to attendees and Cebu partner merchants at the launch event held at Robinsons Galleria Cebu on July 7, 2024.

“It was both thrilling and nerve-wracking to launch in a new city like Cebu. Although we were unsure of what to expect, the Cebuano crowd was highly engaged and inquisitive,” said Almadro.

“We enjoyed introducing Paytaca to our new friends and look forward to contributing to a truly cashless, decentralized, and seamless payment system,” he added.

Paytaca is a mobile app designed to facilitate cashless payment transactions between users and merchants. It employs block chain technology to ensure a nearly tamper-proof record of transactions.

Paytaca’s Chief Finance Officer, Jomari Abellar, was impressed by the receptiveness of Cebuanos towards using cryptocurrency, particularly Bitcoin Cash, for everyday transactions.

“Even before our official launch in Cebu, we’ve on boarded several local merchants. I was especially pleased to see Cebuanos of all ages installing and using Paytaca at our vending machine,” he said.

Following launches in Tacloban, Ormoc, and Cebu, Paytaca plans to target markets in Metro Manila and internationally, with a focus on South America and Africa.
(RONALD O. REYES)

Taclobanon Malpas among the multi- gold winners

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Education (DepEd) announced on Monday, July 15, the exceptional performance of the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) delegation at the 2024 Palarong Pambansa which concluded on Tuesday, July 16 held in Carcar City, Cebu.

For this year, the contingent from the region garnered 46 medals consisting of 16 gold, 14 silver, and 16 bronze, enough for Eastern Visayas to place 7th out of the 19 competing delegations.

The sports power house National Capital Region emerged as the overall champions.
“The EVRAA has significantly climbed the ranks, surpassing its record in past Palarong Pambansa competitions,” the DepEd 8 statement said.

“This achievement marks the highest standing for EVRAA in the past decade,” the statement added.

In 2023, EVRAA was ranked 14th out of 17 delegations.

The agency highlighted the exceptional performance of Jan Dwayne Malpas, from Tacloban City who achieved a significant milestone by garnering four gold medals in swimming.

“His outstanding performance exemplifies the talent and determination of our athletes and serves as an inspiration to the entire EVRAA delegation,” DepEd 8 said.

It added: “We remain steadfast in our commitment to promoting physical education and sports, developing youth values such as teamwork and sportsmanship, and fostering peace through sports. The success of EVRAA in the 2024 Palarong Pambansa reflects our genuine dedication to these goals.”

Local government units, meantime, are expected to give incentives to medal winners.
In Ormoc City, for example, individual gold medalists stand to receive P50,000,P30,000 for silver medalists, and P20,000 for bronze medalists while in team sports, gold winners are to receive P100,000, silver medalists P50,000 and P40,000 for bronze medalists.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)