CALBAYOG CITY– Over a thousand student journalists from various schools across the region participated in the 2024 Regional School Press Conference held here on May 1-4, 2024.
The event, led by the Department of Education Regional Office 8 (DepEd-8), with the support of the city government of Calbayog City the 13 school divisions in the region, aims to demonstrate an understanding of journalism through skilled execution in various platforms, provide learners’ opportunities to use the skills learned in campus journalism for their future careers, and foster camaraderie and enrich learning experiences through healthy and friendly competitions.
The regional winners will represent Eastern Visayas at the national press conference slated in Cebu City. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
ORMOC CITY-The local police in Culaba, Biliran intensified their campaign against wanted persons apprehended with the arrest of a man considered among the region’s most wanted on Saturday(May 4) in Barangay Virginia of the said town.
The accused, identified as alias “Joko”, 48, a resident of Brgy. Poblacion, Culaba was arrested at about 10:02 am, and is tagged as ranked number 10 most wanted person by the regional Philippine National Police for the crime of statutory rape.
The accused was arrested by a warrant of arrest issued by Judge Constantino Esber, presiding judge of Branch 37, (Caibiran) Naval, Biliran, issued on May 17, 2023.
The accused was placed under the custody of Culaba Municipal Police Station for documentation and proper disposition. (ROBERT DEJON)
ORMOC CITY-A fire whose origin is still being investigated turned to ashes an eatery and partially damaged two neighboring houses in Barangay Canlapwas, Catbalogan City on Sunday (April 28) at about 11:16 am.
Catbalogan Fire Marshal Fire, Chief Inspector Jimmy Pasague, identified the house owner as Erma Aliga, legal age, businesswoman and a resident of the said village.
It was learned that the fire started at the kitchen of the said house who was supposed to open a ‘pares’ eatery on that day.
The fire spread immediately as the eatery was made of combined concrete and light materials, which resulted for the nearby houses to be gutted.
The fire incident was declared under control at about 11: 30am and was totally out 10 minutes later.
None was reported injured to the incident with damages placed at P100,000. (ROBERT DEJON)
TACLOBAN CITY–The construction of a new school building at Anibong Dreamville Elementary School here in the city is making steady progress, with 20% of the work already completed.
The project, which is being implemented by the DPWH Tacloban City District Engineering Office, is funded under the General Appropriations Act 2023 with a total budget of P60,525,000.
The project, which commenced on November 24, 2023, is expected to be completed within 220 calendar days. The new school building is a response to the challenges faced by the community due to the proximity of another school.
The new building is designed to be a four-storey structure housing 20 classrooms, providing ample space for students to learn and grow.
Engr. Mark Rodlly Hipona, the project engineer overseeing the construction, expressed his thoughts on the project.
“We are committed to providing a conducive learning environment for the students of Anibong Dreamville Elementary School. Despite the challenges, we are making steady progress and are confident that the project will be completed within the stipulated timeline.
This new building will not only alleviate the current challenges faced by the community but also provide a platform for future generations to thrive,” said Engr. Hipona.
The community eagerly awaits the completion of the project, hopeful for the positive changes it will bring to the educational landscape of the area. The new school building stands as a testament to the government’s commitment to investing in education and the future of the nation’s youth. (TACLOBAN CITY DISTRICT ENGINEERING OFFICE)
ORMOC CITY– A farmer from Calbayog City who went missing while searching for his lost carabao for days was discovered in an early stage of decomposition last Tuesday (April 30) on his farmland.
The victim, identified as “Rudy,” 61, and a farmer residing in Purok 3, Brgy. Cag-Anibong, Oquendo District in the said city was found dead at about 2:30 pm, local police said.
Based on the report of the Calbayog city police, they received information regarding a body discovered in Brgy. Cag-Anibong from the victim’s wife.
Letecia, the victim’s wife, reported to the Calbayog city police that at around 5:41 pm last April 29 her husband had gone missing after heading to their farmland on Sunday, April 28, around 6 am.
She informed the police that he had gone to the farm to search for their missing carabao, which disappeared on Saturday, April 27.
However, at about 2:30 pm on Tuesday (April 31), fellow farmers discovered the victim lifeless on his farmland, already in a state of decomposition.
They noted that the victim still had his long bolo tucked in his waist with its scabbard. Upon discovery, the farmers promptly reported the matter to their local barangay officials, who then alerted the local police.
The victim’s body was relocated to the lower portion of the barangay, where the police contacted scene of the crime operatives’ personnel to process the crime scene. (ROBERT DEJON)
The municipality of Guiuan, Eastern Samar represented by Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan enters a memorandum of agreement with the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority for the construction of a tourist rest area in Calicoan Island, a major surfing destination in the region.(Photo Courtesy)
At a cost of P10 million
The municipality of Guiuan, Eastern Samar represented by Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan enters a memorandum of agreement with the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority for the construction of a tourist rest area in Calicoan Island, a major surfing destination in the region.(Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY – The local government unit of Guiuan in Eastern Samar and the Tourism Infrastructure Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA), an attached agency of the Department of Tourism (DOT), signed a memorandum of agreement last week about the construction of a tourist rest area (TRA) in Calicoan Island.
The TRA is a flagship program of Tourism Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco where foreign and local tourists can approach to get information on tourism sites, activities, accommodation, and other concerns.
This will also provide information to tourists on safety and security protocols while they are staying in the area.
The establishment and construction of a TRA will promote, encourage, and develop tourism as a major socio-economic activity and to further improve tourism infrastructure and accessibility for the enhancement of the overall tourist experience.
In the region, Calicoan is one of the two areas identified for the construction of TRA.
The other one is in Tacloban City, the region’s capital which will be put up at the ‘Balyuan Grounds.’
The Calicoan and Tacloban tourist facilities are part of the second batch of TRA that the DOT and TIEZA will fund and open in the whole country.
The MOA signing between the municipal government of Guiuan, as represented by Mayor Analiza Gonzales-Kwan, and TIEZA sealed the construction of the P10 million facility in Calicoan – a top surfing destination in the region.
The facility will also have a ‘pasalubong’ center where micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs) producers may display and sell their products for tourists and visitors to buy, public toilets and showers, and a tourist police station.
The facility will also have a rain harvesting system and solar power energy which is a standard design of all TRA’s in the Philippines. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
