TACLOBAN CITY – Fourteen giant Christmas lanterns are now on display at the Can-avid town’s Gpark as part of the municipality’s celebration of the Yuletide season.

The giant Christmas lanterns measuring to about 5 meters are made from recyclable materials in support of the solid waste management program of the local government.
Just like in previous years, the lanterns are made up of empty plastic bottles, plastic cups, and other recyclable materials.

These were painted with vibrant colors and decorated with colorful Christmas lights, Baste Pomarejos, the town cultural affairs coordinator, said.

Pomarejos added that some of the materials used to create the giant lanterns are materials used in last year’s competition.

Local artists and residents of the town were the ones who made the giant lanterns that are now displayed at GPark located along the national road to catch the attention and curiosity not only among residents but also motorists passing along the national highway of the town.

This is the 6th year of the town’s giant lantern festival which was started during the time of the late Mayor Gil Norman Germino.

Winners of the Giant Lantern Festival will receive P200,000 for first place, and P150,000 and P100,000 for second and third place respectively.

Non-winners will receive PhP10, 000.

The official switch-on of the giant Christmas Lantern was led by Mayor Vilma Germino as she was joined by municipal and barangay officials.

“We appreciate the officials from the different barangays in Can-avid for showcasing their talents, abilities, and supporting this annual activity in our beloved town. This event would not have been possible without your collective efforts,” Mayor Germino said during the switch-on ceremony of the giant Christmas Lantern held on Monday evening (Dec.18).

Mayor Germino also expresses her gratitude to 4Ps party-list representative Marcelino Libanan and Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone for sponsoring the cash prizes for the 1st and 2nd place winners.

The giant lantern will be judged twice before the announcement of winners this December 30.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – At least 20 business establishments operating here in the city were awarded as top taxpayers.

The giving of awards to these establishments was among the highlights during the 15th year anniversary of Tacloban as a highly urbanized city on December 18.

Leading the 2023 outstanding real property taxpayers of Tacloban for the commercial land category are Robinsons Land Corporation, Heva Management and Development Corp., Metro Retail Store Group, Inc., and SM Prime Holdings.

For the industrial, hospital, residential, and agricultural categories recognized taxpayers are Coca-Cola Beverages Phils., Inc., Petron Corporation, Allied Care Experts Medical Center, Inno Giolan D. Zilmar, San Juanico Park Golf and Country Club, Inc., and Wayne Builders Unltd.

For the top 10 businesses operating in the city, awarded are Metro Retail Stores Group, Inc., Sanford Marketing Corporation, Toyota Tacloban Leyte, Inc., First Pacific Fortune Commercial Corp., and Citi Hardware Gensan, Inc. for the corporation category.

Meanwhile, the single proprietor category included Caroline Lee Andrade, Albert Cu, Jimmy Chu Mañas, Jaypee Go Pormida, and Peter Paul Dy Dominic.

Acting City Treasurer Jennifer Guy led the recognition ceremony along with Business Permit and Licensing Division officer-in-charge Gemafiel Gaspay, who represented Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

During the awarding, Guy acknowledged the role of the taxpayers and the business sector in the development of the city and in ensuring better services and programs for Taclobanons.

Tacloban elevated its status from a component city of Leyte to HUC after it received an overwhelming “yes” vote during the plebiscite held on Dec 18, 2008 separating its political jurisdiction to the province.

Tacloban, the region’s capital, is the lone city in the region with HUC status.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

ORMOC CITY– About 8.22 grams of suspected shabu were recovered by the police in Isabel, Leyte from a man considered to be high-valued individual target.

The suspect, identified as Joselito Panta, was arrested in a buy-bust operation by the members of the drug enforcement team of Isabel police conducted on December 14 at about 9:17 am in Barangay Matlang.

Recovered from his possession were three sachets containing suspected shabu valued at P55,896 weighing 8.22 grams.

The suspect is now detained at the locked-up cell of the Isabel municipal police station and was charged for illegal possession and selling of the prohibited drugs.
(ROBERT DEJON)