ORMOC CITY-A young man was arrested by barangay tanods and later turned over to the local police after five store owners complained that he used counterfeit money to purchase goods from their stores at about 9 am on Thursday (May 16) in Barangay Tigbawon, Paranas, Samar.

The arrested suspect was identified by the local police as alias “Van”, 18, and a resident of Brgy. Tigbawon.

The police identified the victims as alias “Nora”, 50, alias “Mely”, 29, alias “Dora”, 60, alias “Lisa”, 34, and alias “Berto”, 44, all residents of said barangay.

According to the complainants, the suspect bought liquor and cigarettes at their respective sari-sari stores using seventeen pieces of P1,000 believed to be counterfeit, all bearing identical serial numbers WB 379038.

The police reported that the suspect was apprehended by the barangay tanod in the said barangay and properly turned over to the responding police personnel.

During a body search conducted in the presence of legal witnesses, the arresting officer recovered another 40 pieces of P1,000, also counterfeit and bearing the same serial number WB 379038, from the suspect’s possession.

The suspect did not disclose the source of the counterfeit money and claimed he was merely asked to buy beverages and cigarettes using the said money.

The arrested suspect and the confiscated evidence were brought to Paranas municipal police station for documentation and appropriate charges were filed against the suspect.
(ROBERT DEJON)

NAVAL, Biliran– Some 10 electric cooperatives in Eastern Visayas, which are members of the Federation of Rural Electric Cooperatives in Region 8 (FRECOR 8), have started the power supply procurement process for their long-term aggregate base load demand.

The Region VIII Joint Competitive Power Supply Procurement (R8-JCPSP) Joint Bids and Awards Committee, chaired by Engr. Janet L. Notarte, conducted the pre-bid conference held in Tacloban City on April 23, 2024.

According to Engr. Notarte, chairperson of R8 JCP, the rationale of the bidding for the member-electric cooperatives of FRECOR 8 is to secure a power supply contract.

This came after the expiration of the Emergency Power Supply Agreement (EPSA), which is only good for one year relative to the order of the Energy Regulation Commission (ERC) for the termination of the provisional authority relative to the application for approval of the Power Purchase and Supply Agreement for long-term power supply agreement based on the Supreme Court decision in the case of Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas versus Energy Regulatory Commission, Notarte added.

“We are bound to provide our MCOs the least cost or the minimum rate impact. We are also bound to follow the Competitive Selection Process (CSP) issued by the ERC which is the ERC Resolution No. 16-2023,” Notarte emphasized.

She said the R8 JCPSP Bids and Awards Committee still has to choose whichever is the lowest and that can provide the least cost rate to MCOs because the ERC will be basing the approval of PSA on the rate impact to consumers.

The subject bids are composed of Lot 1 with a contract year starting 2024 to 2033 with the following list of electric cooperatives (ECs) with the respective contracted power capacity, as follows: DORELCO-12MW (October 8, 2024-December 25, 2033), LEYECO III-8MW (September 9, 2024-December 25, 2033), LEYECO IV-18MW (September 15, 2024-December 25, 2033), LEYECO V-40MW (September 22, 2024-December 25, 2033), SOLECO-14 MW (September 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), SAMELCO I-14MW(October 7, 2024-December 25, 2033), SAMELCO II-17MW (August 26,2024-December 25, 2033), ESAMELCO-15MW (September 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), NORSAMELCO-16MW (September 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), and BILECO-8MW (August 26, 2024-December 25, 2033) totaling 162 megawatts.

For Lot 2 with a contract year for 2027 to 2033, the following ECs with the contracted power capacity are the following: DORELCO-6MW (December 26, 2026-December 25, 2033), LEYECO V-5MW (December 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), SOLECO-4MW (December 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), SAMELCO I-4MW (December 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), SAMELCO II-3MW (December 26, 2024-December 25, 2033), and NORSAMELCO-6MW (December 26, 2024-December 25, 2033) totaling 28 megawatts.
LEYECO II was not part of the Region 8 Joint Competitive Power Supply Procurement as the said EC was the first to receive the ERC order for the termination of the provisional authority relative to the application for approval of the power purchase agreement for long-term power supply requirement, thus LEYECO II was able to immediately proceed the procurement processes to secure power.

Ten big power supply companies, which attended the pre-bid conference, came from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao.

The issuance of notice of award to winning bidders after the conduct of several bidding processes after the pre-bid conference is set on July 5, 2024; power supply agreement negotiation on July 6-15, 2024; signing of power supply agreements on July 22, 2024; issuance of notice to proceed on July 29, 2024; and the joint filing of power supply agreements on August 21, 2024.
(RSV/PIA Biliran)

With 131 slots available

TACLOBAN CITY-The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) in the region is now accepting applications from incoming third-year college students for the Junior Level Science Scholarship (JLSS) program.

The JLSS is designed for students enrolled in DOST priority courses such as engineering, mathematics, medicine-related fields, and science and technology.

A full list of eligible courses is available on the DOST-Science Education Institute (SEI) website, which can be accessed via the DOST social media accounts, including Facebook.
Application requirements are also available on the DOST-SEI website at https://jlss.science-scholarships.ph/#/.

Applicants must be enrolled in universities, colleges, or private higher learning institutions recognized by the DOST. Additionally, applicants must not have any incomplete grades or dropped subjects.

“This is open until May 31, 2024, and there is a process for application that should be followed,” said Jean Gay Ragub, DOST VIII senior science research specialist.

Scholarship recipients will receive numerous benefits, including a P8,000 stipend for 10 months per year, a tuition fee subsidy of up to P40,000 per year for those enrolled in private institutions, a P10,000 book allowance per academic year, a P1,000 graduation allowance, a P10,000 thesis allowance, health accident insurance, and a transportation allowance for students studying outside their home province.
Scholarship beneficiaries are required to fulfill a service obligation to the government after graduation.

“Once they have completed their service obligation, they just have to write to us, provide us with their certificate of employment along with other documents, and then their name will be removed from the tag at the National Bureau of Investigation,” Ragub explained.
This year, DOST-8 aims to attract 1,250 applicants, an increase from the 1,000 target last year. However, only 131 applicants qualified for the scholarship last year. The examination for the JLSS program is scheduled for July 28.

Interested students can apply through the DOST-SEI website or visit their respective provincial DOST offices for more information.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)