ORMOC CITY– A residential house was reduced to ashes after a fire—suspected to have been caused by an electrical malfunction—broke out late Saturday morning, June 14, at the Vergabrille Housing Project in Barangay Parag-um, Carigara, Leyte.

The house, located at Block 2, Lot 24 of the housing site, was owned by residents identified only by their aliases “Jason” and “Mae,” according to a report from the local police.

Based on the initial investigation by the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), the fire may have originated from a television set that was left turned on. The malfunctioning appliance is believed to have triggered the blaze, which quickly spread to other belongings and appliances.

Firefighters were able to place the fire under control by 11:40 am and completely extinguished it by 12:00 noon.

(ROBERT DEJON)

Manila– As children returned to school on Monday, June 16, and as the rainy season begins, UNICEF Philippines urges the Philippine government to promote safe, equitable, and continuous access to quality education by making the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC 3.0) child-sensitive.

The NDC is a climate action plan required by the Paris Agreement signatories, which the government plans to submit ahead of the COP30 UN Climate Change Conference in Belém, Brazil.

Children in the Philippines – who make up a third of the country’s population – are at high risk from the impacts of climate and environmental shocks. According to the World Risk Index (WRI), the Philippines registered the highest disaster risk index for three consecutive years in a row. A UNICEF Report also ranks the Philippines the second highest in the East Asia and the Pacific Region in terms of climate risk from a child’s perspective.

The Philippine government acknowledges the challenges in the education sector brought about by climate change. The Second Congressional Commission on Education (EDCOM II) Year 2 Report revealed that students lose up to a month’s worth of school days due to class disruptions caused by climate-related events. Schools are often converted into evacuation centers when disasters happen, despite the provisions of the Children’s Emergency Relief and Protection Act (Republic Act No. 10821) stating that they should only be considered as a last resort. Limited access to transportation and damage to infrastructure and learning materials further impede children’s learning. Aside from missed school days, the same report cited the Department of Education’s annual losses of P17.98 billion due to high hazard exposure.

“The climate crisis is not just changing the planet, it is changing children. The health and development of children’s brains, lungs, immune systems, and other critical functions are affected by their environment. Climate-related class disruptions deprive them of opportunities to develop the necessary foundational and socioemotional skills to thrive in the future. For children to achieve their full rights to education, the NDCs need to commit to adaptation measures to promote safe, equitable, and continuous access to quality education for all. Later is too late. We need to transform climate goals into reality for children now,” said Behzad Noubary, UNICEF Philippines Representative Ad Interim.

According to UNICEF, education systems can be climate-resilient and can play a critical role in equipping the school community with the knowledge, skills, and values needed for the green transition. UNICEF asks the Philippine Government to make the necessary investments in infrastructure, curricula, learning materials, teacher training, and alternative delivery modes to support flexible learning strategies when classes are disrupted.

UNICEF contributes to resilience-building in education by equipping school communities, school heads, teachers, and learners with standards and skills to become climate and disaster resilient, helping schools prepare for and recover after emergencies and disasters, strengthening inclusive and child-centered disaster risk reduction and participatory climate action, and empowering learners to advocate for their own rights. (PR)

ORMOC CITY– A 77-year-old man was found dead, floating in a creek in Barangay Cayare, San Miguel, Leyte, on Sunday afternoon, June 15 with authorities believe he may have accidentally drowned.

Police identified the victim only by his alias “Tito,” a single man with no permanent residence, who was known to frequent the construction site of the wet market in the barangay.

According to the local police, a resident identified as alias “Aljun” reported the discovery of the body at around 3:15 pm. Responding officers immediately proceeded to the area to verify the report and conduct an investigation.

Initial findings revealed that the victim was last seen on the night of Friday, June 13, drinking “tuba” (coconut wine) alone near the wet market. Witnesses noted that he had not been seen for two days and that he was often observed defecating near the creek, raising the possibility that he may have slipped and fallen into the water.

The same witness told investigators that the victim appeared physically weak and had difficulty walking, possibly due to existing health conditions.

The San Miguel Municipal Police Station has coordinated with the Scene of the Crime Operatives (SOCO) to process the scene. Initial examination showed no signs of foul play on the victim’s body.

(ROBERT DEJON)

TACLOBAN CITY – A high-value drug personality ranked No. 3 in the regional priority target list was arrested during a buy-bust operation conducted by the Station Drug Enforcement Team (SDET) of Police Station 1 of the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) on Wednesday night, June 11, in Barangay 6-A.

The suspect, identified only by the alias “Roy,” 45, single, a tricycle driver, and a resident of the said barangay, was apprehended around 10:10 pm.

Confiscated from his possession was one sachet of suspected shabu, purchased by an undercover operative for P500. A subsequent body search, conducted in the presence of mandatory witnesses, yielded four more sachets of suspected shabu.

While the suspect declined to issue a statement to the media, he did not deny ownership of the recovered illegal drugs.

Authorities said the suspect was informed of the nature of his arrest and apprised of his constitutional rights in a language he understood.

Charges for violations of Sections 5 (sale of illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) under Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002, have been filed against him. He is currently detained at the Police Station 1 lock-up cell.

(ROBERT DEJON)