ORMOC CITY-An estimated 5 grams of suspected shabu with an estimated street value of P34, 000 were recovered by operatives from a female peddler during a buy-bust operation in Tacloban City on Thursday (Nov. 28).

Police identified the suspect as a certain Lecs, who was arrested in Barangay 83(Paraiso), San Jose district at about 9 pm.

Recovered from her possession was one sachet containing white crystalline substance suspected to be shabu procured by an operative in the amount of P4,500.

Further search resulted in the recovery of P4,500 which was a court subscribed money intended for the operation.

Charges of violations of sections 5 and 11 of Article II of RA 9165, the Comprehensive Law against Illegal Drugs of 2002, were filed against the arrested suspect who is temporarily detained at the locked-up cell of Police Station 1 of Tacloban city police.
(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY– About 647 classrooms were damaged in the three provinces of Samar due to the incessant rains spawned by low pressure and shearline that struck the island last week.

The calamity also resulted in the displacement of more than 137,000 students.
Of the three provinces, Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar, the latter posted the biggest damage, a report from the regional office of the Department of Education (DepEd) said on Tuesday (Nov. 28).

In Northern Samar, which bore the brunt of the massive flooding that also resulted in some landslide incidents, 587 classrooms were damaged of which 43 were classified as totally damaged.

In Eastern Samar, 44 classrooms were also damaged due to the flooding incident while 16 classrooms were reported damaged in Samar province of which five were considered as totally damaged.

Also that went underwater were 42,798 school equipment and books, the DepEd said in its report, covering the three Samar provinces.

Northern Samar reported of 42,329 damaged equipment which includes armchairs, computers, and textbooks. The province of Samar reported 417 damaged school equipment while Eastern Samar reported of 52 school equipment that were damaged.

About 127,223 students were affected in Northern Samar due to the massive while in Eastern Samar, 10,273 students were also temporarily displaced.

No student was reported to have died or injured due to the flooding incident across Samar Island.

Jasmin Francisco Calzita, DepEd regional information officer, said that classes in the three provinces have already resumed.

“Regular classes have already resumed but those still underwater were advised to implement blended learning,” she said.

At least 56 schools across Samar Island were also utilized as evacuation centers for the displaced families: 38 in Northern Samar,17 in Samar, and one in Eastern Samar.
Meantime, the Eastern Samar schools division, headed by Gorgonio Diaz, Jr., received donations from their counterparts in Southern Leyte involving P94,000 cash and used clothings, and food packs.

The donation would be distributed to the students and school personnel who were affected by the massive flooding.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

To help address teenage pregnancy problem

TACLOBAN CITY– The city government of Tacloban, through the City Population Office(CPO) and member offices of the Information and Services Delivery Network (ISDN), led the relaunching on Thursday(Nov.30) of a school-based Teen Center that will cater to the adolescent population of the northern barangays.

As a facility that will cater to the adolescent health and development (AHD) initiatives of the local government, it was relaunched at the Northern Tacloban City National High School (NTCNHS) to specifically target five northern barangays, namely 101, 102, 105, 106, 107 and 108.

Based on the monitoring of the CPO, the five barangays have registered significant cases of teenage pregnancy and other AHD concerns.

At the center, at-risk teens can avail of peer counseling, health services, and employment coaching to develop their potential and instill positive values.

Present during the relaunching activities that highlighted a motorcade and a short program was Assistant City Health Officer Gloria Fabrigas, who gave the inspirational message on behalf of Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

CPO head Cielito Esquibel also graced the event along with NTCNHS principal Isaac Dave Mora, SK Federation president Dirko De Paz, ISDN Members, representatives of the Commission on Population and Development Regional Office 8 and Department of Education Tacloban City Division, and other stakeholders.

The ISDN, which will be providing its services to the Teen Center, is composed of the City Social Welfare and Development Office, the Public Employment Service Office, the City Health Office, and the Barangay Affairs Office, among others.
(H.J. ROCA,CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)

TACLOBAN CITY –At least 29 local government units in the region are to receive the Gawad Kalasag (KAlamidad at Sakuna LAbanan, SAriling Galing ang Kaligtasan) recognition from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).

Three of the LGUs will receive the “beyond complaint” award – which is the highest rating for excellence from the NDRRMC, while the other 26 are recognized as “fully complaint.”
The three beyond complaint LGUs awardees are Can-avid in Eastern Samar, Catarman in Northern Samar, and the province of Southern Leyte.

Fully complaint LGUs are Arteche, Balangiga, General McArthur, Guiuan, and Maydolong in Eastern Samar; Tabango and San Miguel in Leyte; Ormoc City; Gamay, Laoang, Lope de Vega, Palapag, San Antonio, and San Roque in Northern Samar; Marabut and Tarangnan in Samar; Bontoc, Liloan, Limasawa, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, Silago, Sogod, Hinundayan, and Maasin City in Southern Leyte; and the provinces of Northern Samar, and Samar.

The number of awardees from the region for this year was higher compared to last year’s eight.

In 2022, awardees were Northern Samar and Southern Leyte provinces, and the towns of San Roque, Northern Samar; Can-avid and Balangiga in Eastern Samar; Ormoc City, Tabango, all in Leyte; and Hinundayan, Southern Leyte.

The Gawad Kalasag is an annual national search for excellence in disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM) and humanitarian assistance.

It recognizes various stakeholders who promote and implement disaster risk reduction and management, climate change adaptation, and humanitarian assistance program to protect high-risk communities from the effect of extreme hazards from natural calamities, disasters, and man-made emergencies and capacitate them to address their vulnerabilities.
Recipients of the beyond complaint and fully complaint are to receive funding assistance for the implementation of their chosen DRRM projects.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)