In Northern Samar

TACLOBAN CITY– The provincial government will continue to extend support to any health-related initiatives, including addressing HIV-AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus-acquired immunodeficiency syndrome).

This was assured by Vice Governor Clarence Dato as the province joined the worldwide observance of World’s AIDS Day last Saturday (Dec.2).

Based on the record of the Northern Samar Provincial Health Office, the province has recorded 204 HIV cases since 2015, 72 of which have already died, while 74 are undergoing treatment.

“The provincial government will always look after the health of the Nortehanons. We will work hand-in-hand with different sectors and stakeholders to address health issues which include HIV-AIDS and the stigma that comes with it,” Dato, representing Governor Edwin Ongchuan, said.

Jeane Pelayo, HIV-AIDS control program coordinator in the province, said most of their cases were acquired outside Northern Samar.

“We are offering testing and treatment for free at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital treatment hub. So those who want to be tested need only come to us for help. With the confidentiality rule, we assure you of utmost privacy in the process,” she said.

The HIV-AIDS control program in the province, Pelayo said, is actively carried out in Northern Samar through the HIV-AIDS core team (HACT) composed of health experts.
Based on the record from the Department of Health, since 1984, Eastern Visayas recorded 1,899 AIDS cases with 128 deaths.

Leyte has the highest at 1,006 cases with 51 deaths followed by Samar with 276 cases with 11 deaths; Northern Samar with 224 cases and 33 deaths; Southern Leyte,172 cases with 14 deaths; and Biliran 87 cases with six deaths.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY-The staging of the La Routa 2023 – Adventure Race World Series (ARWS): Asia Championship Leg was a milestone for Eastern Visayas sports tourism.
Karen Tiopes, tourism regional director, said this following the “successful and mishaps-free” hosting of the world’s top adventure racing event in Biliran province from November 20-24.

“Sports tourism is one of the priority tour offerings of the Department of Tourism under the leadership of Sec. Christina Garcia Frasco. Region 8 has a space in this product offering particularly in surfing, skimboarding, golf, and adventure racing, to name a few,” she said.
“The market for these sports activities domestically and globally offers Eastern Visayas a significant opportunity to increase its visitor arrival figures,” she added.

Beyond this, the La Routa 2023 – ARWS also allowed Eastern Visayas to showcase the “heart of the Philippines,” according to the tourism director.

“It gained us promotional mileage in terms of showcasing our wonders of nature, our culture, our heritage, and the warmth of our people to the foreign teams and participants from other parts of the country,” Tiopes said.

La Routa, the longest running, locally organized, adventure race in the Visayas, had been popular among the domestic outdoor adventure enthusiasts from different parts of the Philippines.

This year, however, the ARWS chief executive officer Heide Muller reached out to the organizers of La Routa to collaborate for their race leg in the Philippines.

“Ultimately, the Biliran race became the Asia Regional Championship Leg. Previously, Biliran Province was the venue of Carrera Habagat, the toughest non-stop adventure racing event in the country. This 2023, it was the staging place of the ARWS, the most prestigious and globally recognized adventure racing event in the world,” Tiopes said.

“This impacts positively on the image of Biliran as a most suitable place for nature-adventure activities and as the mountaineering destination of Eastern Visayas,” added Tiopes.

The FEAR Youth team from New Zealand emerged as the champion in this year’s Asia Regional Championship after they defeated 13 other teams from India, Poland, Malaysia, and the Philippines in a challenging competition around Biliran.

The winning team was composed of Dean Stewart, 20; Josiah Murphy, 20; Flynn Goodger 23; and Sophie Shallard, 20.

The race lasted 96 hours, covering 300 to 350 kilometers of non-stop activities across remote islands, rainforests, tropical seas, and rugged terrains around the province.
As the overall winner, the FEAR Youth earned a ticket to compete in the Adventure Racing World Series in Ecuador in November 2024.
(RONALD O. REYES)

ORMOC CITY– Death came for a 15-year-old student who fell from a mango tree after his foot struck a livewire while climbing at about 3 pm on Friday (Dec.1) in Barangay San Lorenzo, Kawayan, and Biliran.

Police identified the victim as Adrian, 15, a Grade 9.

A 6-year old girl who witnessed the incident said that she together with the victim and several neighbors climbed the mango tree in front of their house.

She said that after a few minutes, they noticed that the victim slowly slipped from the mango tree and fell to the ground head first.

She added that they immediately called for help from their relatives and observed that the victim had burn marks on his left hand and right foot.

Initial investigation conducted by responding police disclosed that there was a live electric wire running through the branches of the mango tree adding that some residents had noticed sparks from the wire a few weeks ago, but it was not reported.

The victim who was brought to the rural health unit was declared dead on arrival.

(ROBERT DEJON)