TACLOBAN CITY-Church officials and the Commission on Human Rights (CHR) have called on the national government for a “just and inclusive approach” to the country’s transport modernization program as the deadline for the Jan. 31 phaseout of the iconic jeepney is drawing nearer.

“We urge the government to ensure a just transition that protects the livelihoods of jeepney operators and drivers, who are the backbone of our transportation system, while also laying the groundwork for a more efficient, interconnected, and cost-effective mass transport network that benefits all,” said Bishop Jose Colin Bagaforo, the president of Caritas Philippines, the social action arm of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP).

“We welcome the government’s commitment to improve public transportation. However, we cannot condone a modernization process that disregards the human cost,” added Bagaforo in a statement.

On Jan. 16, transport groups Manibela and Piston held another nationwide transport strike, as jeepneys that did not join the consolidation under the government’s Public Utility Vehicle Modernization Program (PUVMP) will be identified as unregistered or “colorum” starting Feb. 1 this year.

Once the jeepneys are tagged as unregistered, their franchise will be revoked and they cannot legally drive their vehicles on the road.

Consolidating jeepney drivers and operators allows them to form cooperatives, as the first step in the modernization phase.

Bagaforo urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s administration to provide livelihood and skills development assistance to the displaced drivers, Bagaforo said that the government should invest in local jeepney manufacturers.

Meanwhile, CHR, the government’s rights body, reacted to the modernization program, saying: “It is the State’s responsibility to efficiently subsidize the program, develop an effective communication strategy for the general public, and make PUVMP rules more understandable.”

The commission also warned that “adhering strictly to rigid consolidation deadlines may jeopardize PUV operators’ right to a sustainable livelihood.”
(RONALD O. REYES)

ORMOC CITY– A senior citizen was detained after he invaded the house of a tricycle driver and hacked him several times in Biliran, Biliran.

Police identified the suspect as just a certain ‘Sumayan,’ 69’ while the victim was named as ‘Pansoy’, 39, both residents of Barangay Sanggalang in the said town.

Based on the report of the local police, at about 7:30 am on Jan.18, Pansoy was standing in front of his house when the suspect suddenly appeared armed with a bladed weapon and hacked the victim, hitting him on the different parts of his body.

The victim was brought to the rural health unit for medical treatment and was referred to Biliran Provincial Hospital in Naval for further medical evaluation.

Police did not say what triggered the suspect in hitting the victim.

The suspect was arrested by the responding police personnel and is now detained at the locked-up facility.

He was charged for frustrated murder.
(ROBERT DEJON)

For alleged violation of environmental law

PALOMPON, Leyte– Personnel from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) conducted an excavation at the premises of the DBSN Farm owned by Mayor Ramon Oñate of this town last Sunday (Jan. 21).

The excavation was by virtue of a search warrant issued by a regional trial court based here on January 16 with a 10-day validity period, covering 30 sites.

The order, signed by Executive Judge Georgina Perez, was made upon the application of the DENR regional office, headed by Regional Executive Director Lormelyn Claudio, claiming that the poultry farm violated RA 11038, otherwise known as the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System Act, by dumping and burying ‘solid and hazardous wastes.’

The DENR also claims that the lot where DBSN was built lies along the Palompon Watershed Forest Reserve as designated under Presidential Proclamation 212.

The team dug up at least three sites chosen by the DENR-8 Enforcement Division and then collected water and soil samples for sampling.

This act of the DENR team was questioned by the lawyers of the DBSN as it filed a motion to quash the search warrant and suppress any gathered evidence, claiming that there had been a misrepresentation by the DENR in the application of the search warrant.

DBSN also maintained that the land in question is not a protected area covered under RA 11038 and two of the witnesses are not residents of Palompon nor employees of the farm for them to have personal knowledge of any dumping activities in the area.

“This is not part of a protected area. With the advent of the internet, you can browse at the website of the DENR, what are the list of protected areas in the whole country, in region. Is the municipality of Palompon or any part of the municipality of Palompon part of a protected area? No, you won’t see there, this is not a protected area,” Mayor Oňate emphasized.

In September 2023, Branch 17 of the Regional Trial Court in Palompon issued a temporary restraining order (TRO) on Claudio’s order to excavate in the same area.

The excavation on Sunday ended at about 4:30 pm as the DENR team was only able to dig five sites that were specified under the warrant and three sites allegedly outside the search warrant.

DBSN lawyers claimed that nothing was found on the excavation site within the areas specified in the search warrant but the DENR personnel was able to dig chicken manure, plastic bottles, and empty cans in areas outside the area cited on the search warrant.

The DENR-8 team also took water and soil samples from all eight areas that they dug.

DBSN is considered to be the largest single corporation in the Visayas and Mindanao with over 600 workers under its name. It produces 100,000 eggs per day that in turn could yield 150,000 kilograms of chicken meat.
(ROBERT DEJON/ROEL T. AMAZONA)

The total volume of goods imported by the region from other countries in September 2023 was 151.39 million kilograms with a total value of USD 196.62 million.

This indicates a 32.40 percent drop from the USD 290.87 million worth of imported commodities posted in September 2022. Ores, slag and ash commodity group registered the highest import value at USD 166.64 million comprising 84.75 percent of the total value of imports in September 2023.

Australia contributed the largest portion in the total imports of the region valued at USD 88.59 million (45.06%).

The total volume of goods exported by the region to other countries in September 2023 was 93.40 million kilograms with a total value of USD 158.40 million. This indicates a 12.09 percent increase from the USD 141.32 million total value of exports in the same period a year ago.

The major export commodity group was copper and articles thereof valued at USD 150.03 and composed the bulk (94.72%) of the total exports value in September 2023.
Exports to the People’s Republic of China worth USD 80.42 million comprised more than half (50.77%) of the total value of exports.

The total trade of goods in Eastern Visayas amounted to USD 355.01 million in September 2023.

This indicates an annual decline of 17.86 percent from USD 432.18 million in the same month of 2022.

The balance of trade of goods (BoT-G) in September 2023 was USD -38.22 million, indicating a trade deficit which narrowed by 74.44 percent from
USD -149.55 million in September 2022. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) and the National Nutrition Council (NNC) on Friday forged a new partnership agreement to carry out the dietary supplementation program in agrarian reform communities in Eastern Visayas.

DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director Robert Anthony Yu and NNC Nutrition Program coordinator Catalino Dotollo Jr. signed a memorandum of understanding at the DAR regional office for the implementation of phase six of the “Tutok Kainan.”

The agreement will pave the way to address the needs of nutritionally at-risk pregnant women in 54 towns in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar, who are the recipients of phase six of the said program.

Under this partnership, DAR will recommend agrarian reform beneficiaries’ organizations (ARBOs) in target areas capable of supplying fresh farm products, while NNC will serve as a direct market, buying fresh food items from the ARBOs needed in the preparation of supplemental food for pregnant women.

“With our ‘Tutok Kainan,’ we also want our ARBOs to have income while addressing malnutrition and hunger among our children and pregnant women. It’s hitting two birds with our engagement with the DAR through their respective beneficiaries,” Dotollo said.
Last year, eight ARBOs from the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar and Northern Samar entered into a PHP10.2-million marketing agreement with NNC for phases three and five of “Tutok Kainan.”

“This is a golden opportunity to establish new industries, paving the way for new projects and other enterprises to cater to the entrepreneurial needs of our agrarian reform beneficiaries and their organizations,” Yu said.

“Tutok Kainan” focuses on a much-needed nutrition intervention: dietary supplementation for nutritionally at-risk populations, especially during the pandemic when the livelihoods of marginalized families are at stake.

The program underscores the need to closely monitor the nutrition of the target beneficiary during the crucial period of the first 1,000 days to prevent low birth weight and stunting.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)