TACLOBAN CITY — Former Eastern Samar governor and congressman Ben Evardone has urged the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) to expand benefits for its paying members and increase reimbursements to local government-run hospitals, saying both measures are necessary to strengthen the country’s public healthcare system.

Evardone said the expansion of benefits for PhilHealth’s direct contributors is not merely a policy proposal but an obligation already provided under the Universal Health Care (UHC) Law.

In a statement, Evardone expressed support for Executive Secretary Ralph Recto’s proposal to grant additional benefits to PhilHealth’s more than 37 million paying members.

He also backed Recto’s separate proposal to expand PhilHealth coverage for services provided by hospitals operated by local government units (LGUs), saying higher reimbursements would help ease the growing financial burden on local governments.
Evardone urged PhilHealth and the Department of Health (DOH) to act immediately on both proposals, particularly the provision on additional benefits for direct contributors under Republic Act No. 11223, or the Universal Health Care Act.

Section 9 of the law states that PhilHealth “shall provide additional program benefits for direct contributors, where applicable.”

The UHC Law took effect in February 2019. However, Evardone said the provision on additional benefits for direct contributors has yet to be fully implemented.
“PhilHealth should now obey the law and do justice to its millions of paying members and their dependents,” Evardone said.

Direct contributors include government workers, private sector employees, self-paying members, and overseas Filipino workers. They account for more than 37 million, or about 63.4 percent, of PhilHealth’s 58.7 million members as of 2025.

Evardone also supported Recto’s call for increased PhilHealth reimbursements to LGU-operated hospitals.

He said local governments are struggling to meet the rising cost of providing healthcare services while also financing infrastructure, education, social welfare, and other essential programs.

“Hospital services are draining so much funds of LGUs. They need as much help as they can get from PhilHealth for the healthcare of their constituents,” he said.

Recto earlier called for expanded benefits for PhilHealth’s paying members and stronger financial support for LGU hospitals as part of efforts to improve public healthcare services and maximize the use of the state insurer’s available funds.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

In Eastern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY— One hundred high school students from remote communities in Dolores, Eastern Samar, can now spend less time walking to school after the municipal government distributed bicycles to help ease their daily commute.

The bicycles were distributed under the local government’s “Pedal Para han Kabubwason” (Pedal for the Future) program, which seeks to improve access to education for students living in far-flung communities.

The beneficiaries are students from Barangay Hinolaso and nearby villages who regularly walk long distances to attend classes.

Hinolaso, an interior barangay situated along the Dolores River, is located more than 30 kilometers from the national highway. Many students from the village and neighboring communities have had to walk long distances daily because of limited transportation options.

The program is expected to benefit more students with the support of Eastern Samar Lone District Representative Christopher Sheen Gonzales and 4Ps Party-list Representative Marcelino Libanan, who have each committed to donate additional bicycles.

Mayor Zaldy Carpeso said the initiative reflects the municipal government’s commitment to ensuring that poverty and distance would not prevent children from pursuing their education.

“To our young people, continue going to school. To the mothers, let us work together. No one should be denied access to education because of poverty,” Carpeso said.
“Being poor should never be a reason to stop studying. I will continue helping you achieve your dreams for your children,” he added.

Carpeso said the bicycles represent more than just a means of transportation for the student beneficiaries.

“We want to ensure that no student is forced to stop attending school simply because they live far from their school. Through these bicycles, their daily journey will become easier, giving them a better opportunity to pursue their dreams,” he said.

He added that each bicycle symbolizes the local government’s confidence in the potential of the town’s young people.

“Each pedal represents a step away from hardship and toward opportunity, and a journey from hope to a brighter future,” Carpeso said.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The Department of Tourism (DOT) is evaluating potential and existing cruise destinations in Northern and Eastern Samar provinces as the region prepares for possible expedition cruise calls by French luxury cruise operator Compagnie du Ponant in 2027 and 2028.

The DOT Eastern Visayas, in partnership with TravelPeople Ltd. Inc. and local government tourism offices, conducted a three-day cruise destination assessment in the provinces from July 18 to 20.

The assessment covered the island municipalities of Capul and Biri in Northern Samar on July 18 and 19, followed by a preliminary evaluation of Oras in Eastern Samar on July 20.
Tourism officials assessed the destinations’ readiness to accommodate international cruise passengers, including their attractions, accessibility, transportation facilities, community-based tourism experiences and overall capacity to handle cruise visitors.

The activity is part of efforts to expand cruise tourism in Eastern Visayas and identify destinations that can offer international visitors cultural, historical, environmental and community-based experiences.

In Capul, the team assessed the island’s capacity to continue hosting expedition cruise vessels. Located at the entrance of the San Bernardino Strait, Capul is known for its colonial heritage, distinct cultural identity and coastal landscapes.

The island welcomed its first international cruise ship on April 2, 2018, when the French expedition vessel L’Austral, operated by Compagnie du Ponant, made a port call.
The assessment also covered Biri Island, which received its first official cruise port call on July 26, 2023, when the Australian expedition cruise ship Coral Adventurer anchored off the island.

Biri is known for its seven massive geological rock formations—Bel-at, Caranas, Macadlaw, Magasang, Magsapad, Pinanahawan and Puhunan—which were shaped by ocean waves and tectonic activity over millions of years. The formations have been declared a National Geological Monument.

In Oras, the team conducted an initial assessment of the municipality as a potential new cruise destination.

The team visited Sta. Monica, also known as Tubabao Island, and community-managed tourism sites, including Dao Pond, Tawagan Pond and HarafehaFun, a bangus and crab pond.

The sites were evaluated based on their tourism potential, accessibility, visitor experience and suitability as shore excursion destinations for international cruise passengers.
Of Eastern Visayas’ six provinces, Eastern Samar remains the only one yet to receive an international cruise ship port call.

Tourism officials said the continuing assessments are aimed at positioning Eastern Samar as a future cruise destination and expanding cruise tourism opportunities across the region.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY — A reported online threat against a Grade 6 pupil of the Sto. Niño Special Education (SPED) Center here turned out to be a false alarm, police said, as authorities continue to heighten security in schools following a deadly shooting at another campus in the city last month.

The Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) said the incident was reported on the afternoon of July 22 after a teacher informed authorities that a Grade 6 pupil had allegedly received a threatening message through Facebook Messenger from an account using the name “William Velasco.”

Police immediately coordinated with the school administration, teachers and other concerned individuals to verify the report and determine whether there was a genuine threat to the pupil or the school community.

After its initial investigation, the TCPO said it found no actual external threat against the pupil, the SPED Center or its personnel.

The incident came a day after an online threat targeting Leyte National High School, also in Tacloban City, prompted heightened security measures and concern among students and parents. Authorities, however, said there was no need to suspend face-to-face classes at the school.

The two incidents occurred less than a month after a shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City on June 22 that left three students dead and 20 others injured.
The shooting prompted authorities to intensify security measures in schools and closely monitor threats and other suspicious activities directed at educational institutions.
The TCPO urged parents to closely supervise their children’s online activities and guide them in the responsible use of social media.

Police also warned that issuing threats or making false reports, including through social media platforms, may disrupt public order and could result in legal liability.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — The municipality of Leyte has been declared under a Stable Internal Peace and Security Condition (SIPSC), making it the fifth local government unit in the province’s third congressional district to achieve the status and further narrowing the areas yet to be declared insurgency-free in Leyte.

The declaration was made during a ceremony held Monday, July 20, at the Leyte Municipal Hall, attended by local government and security officials.

Mayor Jed Granados led the municipal government in receiving the declaration together with 802nd Infantry Brigade Commander Brig. Gen. Pompeyo Jason Almagro, Leyte Police Provincial Office director Col. Celerino Sacro Jr. and 93rd Infantry Battalion commander Lt. Col. Celeste Frank Sayson.

Representatives from the Department of the Interior and Local Government, National Intelligence Coordinating Agency and other government agencies also attended the ceremony.

Granados thanked the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, national government agencies, barangay officials and residents for their collective efforts in achieving the municipality’s SIPSC status.

He said the local government would work to sustain the town’s peaceful condition, emphasizing that peace and order are essential to the community’s development and the future of its residents.

“Peace is not merely the absence of conflict. It is the presence of trust, opportunity, justice, and hope,” Granados said.

Sacro assured residents that the police would continue law enforcement operations to protect the municipality not only from threats posed by armed groups but also from criminal activities.

“The declaration is not the end of our work,” Sacro said, stressing that police operations would continue to preserve the gains in peace and security.

Almagro described the declaration as more than a recognition of the municipality’s peaceful condition, saying it also honored the sacrifices and determination of the people and government agencies that contributed to the achievement.

He congratulated local chief executives, barangay officials and government leaders for their leadership and commitment to public service.

The brigade commander also reaffirmed the 802nd Infantry Brigade’s commitment to continue partnering with the local government in sustaining peace, strengthening communities and supporting initiatives on security, development and good governance.
“With our partners, we will continue to protect the gains we have achieved because peace is not something we simply achieve—it is something we must sustain and protect,” Almagro said.

With Leyte town’s declaration, all five municipalities in the third district of Leyte have now been declared under SIPSC. The other four are Calubian, Villaba, Tabango and San Isidro.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)