ORMOC CITY– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) Officer-In-Charge (OIC) District Engineer Rosita A. Tinawin along with Construction Section Chief Renato V. Frias and project engineers recently conducted an ocular inspection on the Construction of Pagsanga-an Flood Control Project in Ormoc City, Leyte.
The 800-lane meter flood control structure has a contract cost of P96,499,998.59 funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2022 and is aimed at reducing the risk of flooding during inclement weather conditions.
During the inspection, OIC-DE Tinawin diligently assessed various aspects of the construction project and engaged in productive discussions with the project engineers to ensure conformity to standards and specifications.
The significance of this project lies not only in its concrete infrastructure but in its potential to safeguard lives, properties, and livelihoods.
Moreover, regular inspections are part of the DEO’s efforts to ensure that the projects implemented in the district are high-quality and will serve the community effectively. (PR)
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan poses with the latest additional scholars of the provincial government under its Medical Scholarship Program. (TPGNS)
CATARMAN, Northern Samar– The provincial government here admitted to its Medical Scholarship Program (PGNS MSP) 10 more deserving Nortehanons who are pursuing their doctor of medicine degree.
Northern Samar Governor Edwin Ongchuan poses with the latest additional scholars of the provincial government under its Medical Scholarship Program. (TPGNS)
On Tuesday (Sept.12), Governor Edwin Ongchuan signed the scholarship contract admitting to the PGNS MSP the new successful applicants, in the presence of all members of the PGNS MSP Board headed by provincial health officer, Dr. Ninfa Kam and Board Member Gilbert Layon of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan who chairs the committee on health as PGNS MSP board vice chair.
A brainchild program of Gov. Ongchuan, the PGNS MSP is now in its 4th year of implementation, and this 4th batch has so far the most number of medical scholars since its initial implementation in 2020.
A total of 21 scholars are now admitted into the program, plus one licensed physician who has already graduated and currently serving at the Northern Samar Provincial Hospital.
The program entitles the scholars to a benefit package of tuition and other school fees of up to P100,000 plus stipend, book, and uniform allowances of P70,000 per semester.
Gov. Ongchuan, in congratulating the new MSP recipients, urged them to support the noble cause of the program.
“Sinisikap namin na matulungan ng programa yung higit na nangangailangan, kaya masusi ang sinasagawang screening ng MSP Board. Sana pagkatapos ninyo, kayo naman ang tumulong sa probinsya. Kayo ang pag-asa ng ating probinsya,” the governor said stressing the need for the scholars to serve the province.
On behalf of the new scholars, Wendol Cojos from the town of San Vicente, expressed their profound gratitude to Gov. Ongchuan, the MSP Board and the provincial government for placing their trust and faith in them.
“You enable us to pursue our dreams of becoming doctors by investing in us, which is also investing in the future of the province. We are eager to serve Northern Samar,” he said assuring the governor of their commitment to return to Northern Samar and serve the Nortehanon community once they become licensed doctors.
Aside from Cojos, also admitted to the program were Jamailah Rose M. Biagcong; Hannah Grace L. Bisnar; Ria Ariadne T. Flores; Jacob H. Rosima; Blesse N. Cale; Aphril Joy B. Loberiano; Alexis Gene W. Almasco
Gea Kleve A. Galagate; and Psalm S. Elaco.
Also present during the contract signing were provincial administrator Atty. Efren Sabong, provincial accountant Atty. Mary Grace Royo, PHRMDO head Atty. Rosa Leah Tepace-Estudillo, provincial budget officer Adelwisa Acebuche, and PGNS MSP technical working group/secretariat Dr. Catherine Miral, Amelita Norona and Teresita Gacusan. (THE PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENT OF NORTHERN SAMAR)
TACLOBAN CITY– Ten police officers and 11 PNP units were awarded during the 122nd Police Service anniversary on Tuesday (Sept.12) at the regional headquarters of the Philippine National Police at Camp Ruperto Kangleon, Palo, Leyte.
PLt. Gen. Rhodel Sermonia, PNP deputy chief for administration, served as the guest of honor and speaker as well as the presenter of awards and was welcomed by police regional director, B/Gen. Vincent Calanoga.
Sermonia, in his message, challenged the awardees to continue to be of service to the community, help in the preservation of peace and order and eliminate illegal drugs and terrorism.
Col. Hector Enage, the provincial director for Southern Leyte, was awarded for best senior police commissioned officer for administration; Col. Edwin Balles of Leyte was named as the best senior police commissioned officer for operations; Lt. Col. Jofhel Calapiz, best junior police commissioned officer for administration; Major J-rale Paalisbo, best junior police commissioned officer for operations; best Senior PNCO for Administration PEMS Terencia Patrolla, chief of clerk,PCADU of Leyte; PSMS Serwin Philip Rubi,operation PNCO of Biliran PPO; Best Junior PNCO for Administration, PSSg Dominador De Cadiz Jr of PCAD PNCO, Leyte PPO; and Best Junior PNCO for Operations PSSg Brenda N Ortiz.
Best regional non-uniform personnel Glenda Araneta; best non-uniformed personnel (non-supervisory level) NUP Rochelle Bacason, public relations assistant; special stakeholder awardee-PINSP Rafael Chitongco (retired).
For unit awards, the Biliran police provincial office was named as this year’s best police provincial office; Ormoc City police as the best city police office; Baybay City police as the best component city police station; Allen municipal police station as the best municipal police station; 1st Northern Samar Provincial Mobile Force Company as the best provincial mobile force company; Tacloban City Mobile Force Company as the best city mobile force company; best RMFB Maneuver Company 803rd MC; regional engineering unit 8, the best regional administrative support unit; and the regional intelligence unit, the best regional operational support unit.
Meantime, the Regional Mobile Force Battalion and the 1st Northern Samar Police Mobile Force Company got special awards. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
STIFF RESISTANCE. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources failed to conduct its site inspection on Friday (Sept.8) inside DBSN Farms after supporters of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate served as human barricade along with parked vehicles at the entrance of the facility. Oñate was also able to secure a 72-hour temporary restraining order from the court. (DYRG 101.5 FM)
DBSN Farms tagged to dump wastes to a watershed area
STIFF RESISTANCE. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources failed to conduct its site inspection on Friday (Sept.8) inside DBSN Farms after supporters of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate served as human barricade along with parked vehicles at the entrance of the facility. Oñate was also able to secure a 72-hour temporary restraining order from the court. (DYRG 101.5 FM)
PALOMPON, Leyte–A team from the regional office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) failed on Friday (Sept.8) to conduct their site inspection of a breeding farm which is the subject of a complaint of alleged environmental violations.
This after the DBSN Farms Agriventures Corp. located in Barangay San Joaquin, this town, owned by Mayor Ramon Oñate was able to secure a temporary restraining order (TRO) from a court hours before the DENR was about to conduct their visit.
The TRO, issued by Judge Dexter Aguilar of the RTC-Branch 17 which is to last for 72 hours, said that conducting an excavation within the premises of the breeding farm owned by Oñate would result in a violation of his rights considering that the DENR has yet to release its report on the site inspection it conducted on July 27 and 28 of this year.
But the team from the DENR’s survey and mapping division headed by Engr. Dioleta Villas said that based on the travel order issued by Regional Executive Director Lormelyn Claudio, they would not be conducting any excavation activities at the breeding farm.
“We will just conduct a mapping reading inside the breeding farm and determine if indeed the alleged dumping of these hazardous wastes was located within the reserved forest or at the watershed area,” she said.
The DENR team, composed of two engineers and one survey aide, was accompanied by police personnel from the regional PNP.
However, while they were to proceed to the site, the entrance going to the breeding farm was barricaded with several parked vehicles, motorcycles, and a group of men, purportedly supporters of Mayor Oñate.
Villas said that they would just make a report to their regional director on what happened adding that she could not make any further comment on what their office would do next.
The DENR’s move was due to a complaint filed earlier by Georgina Arevalo, former mayor of the town who claimed that ‘solid and hazardous wastes’ were dumped by the facility and buried in pits which were all located within the forest reserve and watershed areas.
Arevalo, in turn, based her complaint on the report made to her by some residents of the village who claimed that the dumping of wastes was not only causing some health concerns but also resulted in losing their source of drinking water.
John Kevin Pilapil, a media practitioner based in Ormoc City, said that the act of these men put their lives in danger.
According to him, a group of men approached the vehicle where he and some members of the media were on board and struck the vehicle’s windows, purportedly for them to roll down the windows.
Mayor Oñate has denied that his farm has not dumped wastes into the watershed saying they have a treatment facility.
He insisted that the DENR could not conduct any excavation unless ordered by a court.
Oñate that the case on violation of environmental laws was dismissed by a regional trial court as early as 2019.
“They filed a motion for reconsideration and it did not succeed and turned down by the court. Now, they have filed a motion for reconsideration in the Court of Appeals (CA), so pending the resolution of the CA with the due respect it is supposed to be, they can be liable for sub judice because it is still pending,” Oñate said.
The RTC will hold a summary hearing on Sept. 21 if there’s a need to extend the TRO.
“What they could only do is conduct visual inspection. They can visit the farm anytime,” he said.
Mayor Oñate stressed that even if the court did not issue a TRO about the requested excavation, he would not allow the excavation inside his property.
He said that they should have a court order directing for an excavation inside a private property.
MATAG-OB, Leyte– This municipality is aiming to be the ‘greenest’ town of the province as it encourages its people to plant trees and help fight climate change.
As part of the campaign, the municipal government target to plant 10,000 trees every year, says Mayor Bernandino Tacoy.
Tacoy said that he has coordinated with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local private sectors, members of the communities, and even from the Office of the Vice President on this effort.
“We are doing this tree planting activity as our way of helping in the campaign on climate change that we are experiencing right now,” he said on Saturday (Sept.9).
Since they started this campaign early this year, they have planted over 8,500 trees of various varieties like Lawaan and Narra.
These trees are being planted in their forested areas like in Barangay Malazarte and at various watershed areas like in Brgys. Bulak and Cabadbad.
It has also become a policy of his administration that for every couple that he wed, they need to plant 10 trees as he also encourages visitors of the town to also do the same.
“The feedback is very encouraging,” Tacoy said.
He also makes sure that the seedlings that they have planted will grow by assigning job order workers whose main duties are to monitor these seedlings until they are nourished by watering them every day.
Failure of these job order workers to make these seedlings grow could mean possible dismissal from service, Tacoy said.
He also said that during the filing of certificates of candidacy for those running in this year’s barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections, he also encouraged them to plant trees.
Tacoy lamented that some of their watersheds appeared to have been titled by some private individuals reason he wants to ask assistance from the DENR on how to solve this situation.
This way, they could cover these ‘titled’ watershed areas under their tree planting activities.
He also said that they are practicing waste segregation wherein biodegradable wastes are turned into fertilizers while the non-biodegradable wastes are buried in their landfill area.
Tacoy said that they hope to realize their target that by next year, Matag-ob will be ‘waste-free’ and in the process, help in the fight against climate change. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
On 09 September 2023, the Local Civil Registry Office (LCRO) personnel in Region VIII attended the essential capability building dubbed as “Seminar-Workshop on Proper Processes and Procedures of Republic Act No. 9048 (RA 9048) and Republic Act No. 10172 (RA 10172) organized by Philippine Statistics Authority Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA RSSO VIII) held at the conference room.
Ms. Wilma A. Perante, Regional Director of PSA RSSO VIII, served as the trainer where she imparted vital information on the administrative, legal, technical and actual scenarios encompassing the respective provisions of RA 9048 & RA 10172 specifically laid for the undertaking. This endeavor is customized for the newly posted personnel of Pastrana, Leyte, Abuyog, Leyte, Laoang, Northern Samar and Pinabacdao, Samar.
In details, she discussed the vital stages in processing and approving petitions for corrections of civil registry documents. She further stressed that as implementors of the Civil Registration Laws, all Local Civil Registrars must be equipped with the needed expertise in following the proper procedures under R.A. 9048 as they are the ones authorized to correct a clerical error or typographical error in an entry and/or change the first name or nickname in the civil registrar without need of a judicial order. Salient provisions of Republic Act No. 10172 were also discussed which is to correct clerical or typographical errors in the day and month in the date of birth or sex of a person appearing in the civil register without need of a judicial order (amending for this purpose RA 9048). Director Perante administered workshop with given cases for the participants to process and decide upon. They were also given ample chance to share their views and clarifications pertaining to their workshop output.
The actual demonstration on how to use the PhilSys check was also exhibited in the later part of the day encouraging the local civil registry personnel to help PSA in disseminating the important features of the online verification for PhilSys ID and ePhilID.
The PSA remains committed to extend all needed support for all the personnel of Local/Municipal Civil Registry Offices in the region. The agencies through the years continues to work on such complementing partnership to carry out the various acts and memoranda relative to Civil Registration and PhilSys Birth Registration Assistance Project. (PR)
