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Former NPA fighter surrenders in Leyte, turns over firearm and explosive

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TACLOBAN CITY — A former member of the New People’s Army (NPA) surrendered to authorities in Calubian, Leyte, marking another step in the government’s intensified campaign to dismantle armed insurgency and encourage rebel returnees to rejoin mainstream society.

The Police Regional Office 8 (PRO-8) identified the surrenderee as alias “Junie,” 43, a resident of Carigara, Leyte. He was previously assigned to the Buhawi Platoon of the Sub-Regional Party Committee LEVOX under the Eastern Visayas Regional Party Committee and had operated in several second-district towns, including Jaro, Carigara, Capoocan, and Kananga.

Authorities said the former rebel voluntarily surrendered in Barangay Cristina, Calubian, and turned over a caliber .38 revolver with three rounds of ammunition, as well as an unmarked rifle grenade.

PRO-8 said the surrender was made possible through the coordinated efforts of multiple police units, including the 2nd Leyte Police Mobile Force Company, the Provincial Intelligence Unit Tracker Team, Regional Intelligence Unit 8, Provincial Intelligence Team Leyte, the 34th Special Action Company of the 3rd Special Action Battalion of the Philippine National Police Special Action Force, the 805th Maneuver Company of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, and the Calubian Municipal Police Station.

PRO-8 Regional Director PBGen Jason Capoy commended the police units involved, saying the surrender reflected progress toward lasting peace and increasing public confidence in government peace and security programs.

The former rebel is currently under the custody of the 2nd Leyte Police Mobile Force Company headquarters for proper disposition and assessment, including possible enrollment in the government’s Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Business group urges RDC Chair Petilla to push rehab of Calbiga Bridge

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CALBIGA BRIDGE UPGRADE. Eastern Visayas business leaders urged Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla to push for the immediate rehabilitation and structural upgrading of the Calbiga Bridge in Samar to improve regional connectivity, ensure public safety, and support economic growth in Eastern Visayas. (PHOTO COURTESY)
CALBIGA BRIDGE UPGRADE. Eastern Visayas business leaders urged Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla to push for the immediate rehabilitation and structural upgrading of the Calbiga Bridge in Samar to improve regional connectivity, ensure public safety, and support economic growth in Eastern Visayas. (PHOTO COURTESY)

TACLOBAN CITY — Citing rising logistics costs and disrupted supply chains, a business group in Eastern Visayas has urged Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla, in his capacity as chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC), to seek the immediate rehabilitation and structural upgrading of the Calbiga Bridge in Samar.

In a letter dated December 29, 2025, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PCCI) Tacloban-Leyte, Inc., through its president Eugene Tan, asked Petilla to endorse the project to concerned national government agencies and the Office of the President for urgent action.

The group said the recent increase in the allowable load capacity of the San Juanico Bridge was a welcome development for the business and logistics sector, as it significantly eased transportation constraints and reduced operational costs.

“However, the existing limitations of the Calbiga Bridge have now become a critical bottleneck,” the letter stated.

Due to the load restriction, heavy trucks are now forced to take an alternative route of about 250 kilometers, resulting in additional logistics expenses estimated at P10,000 to P15,000 per trip, the group said.

The business sector noted that the situation has imposed a substantial burden on businesses, contractors, and suppliers operating not only within Eastern Visayas but also in other parts of the country that rely on the Calbiga Bridge as a vital transport corridor.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) imposed a 15-ton gross vehicle weight limit on the Calbiga Bridge on October 27, 2025, citing structural deterioration due to age and overloading.

As a result, heavy vehicles have been required to reroute via Eastern Samar using the Buray–Taft Road, travel by roll-on/roll-off (RoRo) vessels, or take other longer routes to reach Tacloban and nearby areas.

“In view of this, the Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry Tacloban-Leyte and the Philippine Contractors Association, Leyte Chapter, Inc., respectfully request your endorsement to the concerned national government agencies for the immediate assessment, prioritization, and allocation of funding for the said projects,” the letter read.
The groups said swift action on the Calbiga Bridge would enhance regional connectivity, ensure public safety, and promote economic growth in Eastern Visayas.

Calbiga Bridge is among several steel truss bridges in the region that have been placed under load restrictions this year due to structural concerns. Prior to the imposition of the load limit, the DPWH Samar 2nd Engineering District had sought a P140-million budget for the bridge’s retrofitting and repair.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Beyond question

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The passage of the 2026 national budget by Congress and the Senate, despite questionable “unprogrammed” appropriations, is a troubling act that raises serious doubts about the integrity of the country’s budget process. Even more disturbing is the manner in which dissenting voices were silenced, with some legislators reportedly denied the opportunity to question or explain their objections. Such conduct demeans institutions that claim to be deliberative and accountable.

Unprogrammed appropriations are not harmless technical insertions; they are discretionary pools of money that often escape strict scrutiny and transparent sourcing. When embedded in a national budget, they create fertile ground for abuse, backroom deals, and political accommodation. History has shown that vague budgetary items can serve as convenient channels for pork, patronage, and outright plunder, especially when oversight is weak and transparency is deliberately blurred.

Equally alarming is the apparent suppression of debate during the budget’s passage. Legislatures are supposed to be arenas of reasoned argument, not conveyor belts for executive or leadership dictates. When elected representatives are prevented from speaking, questioning, or registering dissent, the budget ceases to be a product of collective judgment and becomes an imposition by a powerful few. This undermines the very idea of representation and reduces lawmaking to a hollow ritual.

The speed and silence that accompanied the budget’s approval suggest a deeper problem than fiscal policy alone. They point to a political culture that prioritizes convenience over conscience and obedience over accountability. Lawmakers who benefit from opaque allocations have little incentive to demand clarity, while leadership that tolerates muted debate signals that scrutiny is unwelcome. In such an environment, corruption does not merely slip through cracks; it is effectively invited.

Restoring credibility to the budget process requires firm structural correctives. Unprogrammed appropriations must be subjected to strict limits, clear conditions, and mandatory disclosure. More importantly, Congress and the Senate must reclaim their duty as forums of open debate, where objections are heard rather than buried. Without transparency, genuine deliberation, and the courage to question questionable provisions, no budget—however large or ambitious—can claim to serve the public good.

Recycling for beauty

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At the roadside after garbage day, plastic bottles lie crushed beside wilted cardboard, waiting either for the landfill truck or for a second life. That moment always feels like a quiet crossroads, and choosing recycling over waste is not just practical—it is wise. Throwing everything away is easy; thinking twice is the real act of intelligence.

Recycling, at its core, is an admission that materials still have stories left in them. I have always been drawn to that idea—that what looks finished is merely paused. Paper remembers trees, glass remembers fire, metal remembers pressure and patience. When these things are recycled, they are not rescued out of pity but respected for their remaining worth. To recycle is to acknowledge that usefulness does not end at first use.

What makes recycling even more compelling is how it trains the mind to see value where others see clutter. I find myself looking at empty jars, scrap wood, or fabric remnants not as trash but as possibilities. This habit quietly reshapes how one thinks about consumption. It discourages excess, slows impulse, and replaces mindless buying with deliberate choice. In that sense, recycling is not just an environmental act; it is a discipline.

The practice becomes truly admirable when recycling crosses into art. There is something deeply satisfying about seeing discarded materials transformed into objects meant to be looked at, not hidden. Recycled art refuses to be ashamed of its origins. Rust, scratches, faded labels, and uneven textures are not flaws but signatures. They remind the viewer that beauty does not require perfection, only imagination and care.

I have always believed that art made from recycled materials carries a moral weight without preaching. A lamp fashioned from scrap metal or a sculpture made of bottle caps does not lecture about climate change or waste. It simply stands there, quietly asking why such materials were ever dismissed in the first place. That silent question lingers longer than slogans ever could.

There is also a gentle humor in recycled art that I deeply enjoy. A flower made from spoons or a bird shaped from tin cans feels playful, almost defiant. It mocks the idea that newness is the only path to beauty. It says, with a wink, that creativity thrives best when resources are limited and imagination is forced to stretch.

On a more grounded level, recycling teaches responsibility without drama. It does not demand grand speeches or heroic gestures. It asks only for attention—segregating waste, reusing what can be reused, supporting those who turn discards into something meaningful. These are small acts, but they accumulate, much like the materials themselves. Over time, they shape habits, communities, and even taste.

The wisest approach, I believe, is to treat recycling not as an obligation but as a way of seeing the world. When people are taught to recognize beauty in the reused and value in the overlooked, waste naturally loses its grip. Encourage creativity, celebrate recycled art, and let usefulness and beauty share the same space. In doing so, what we throw away may finally begin to reflect how thoughtfully we live.

Lessons we can learn from the Epiphany

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Web Master
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DEFINITELY, the main lesson we can learn from the Solemnity of the Epiphany when we commemorate the visit of the 3 Magi to the newborn Jesus is that Jesus is meant to be the redeemer not only to the Jews, regarded as the chosen people of God, but also to the non-Jews. His message and redemptive work have a universal scope, covering all men and women regardless of background, race, color, social status, etc.

That’s because God’s love is for all. And that love had its ultimate expression when Christ died on the cross for the sins of all people, providing a way for reconciliation with God, as articulated in the First Letter of St. John where it says: “He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (2,2)

Thus, it is through our faith in Christ that all of us can receive forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life. Christ himself said: “I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the father except through me.” (Jn 14,6) With these words, Christ proclaims that he is the path or direction to God, that he is the embodiment of truth and the source of truth and that he is the source of eternal life. No one can reach God without going through Christ.

We need to meditate these words of Christ more deeply so we can truly capture the significance of the Epiphany of the Lord. They surely tell us that Christ’s mission was to bring salvation to all people, breaking whatever barriers there may be due to the diversity of backgrounds, race, color and the like.

We also need to understand that while Christ offers us a universal salvation, we too should also realize that we need to properly correspond to that offer. We need to realize that the offer of universal salvation is also a universal call to holiness to all of us. That’s because, as St. Augustine once said, that while God created us without us, he cannot save us without us.

We have to overcome the idea that sanctity is reserved only for a few and that it can only be achieved through certain acts and states of life. Sadly, sanctity has often been associated with priests and nuns and others who by some peculiar circumstances prefer to lead a religious or consecrated life practically spent in churches or some isolated or special places like caves, deserts, mountains, convents, monasteries, hermitages, mission areas, foreign lands, etc.

As a consequence, the ordinary people who stay at home and work in the fields or schools and offices, or those who simply find themselves in the middle of the world, are often considered out of contention for sainthood. At best, they can aspire only to be helpers and assistants to priests and religious men and women.

We need to correct this attitude because it is not quite correct. While such conception about sanctity contains a lot of truth and many good things, it however does not capture many other elements through which holiness can be pursued and achieved.

Everyone is called to holiness, because everyone is a creature of God, and as such is therefore created in the image and likeness of God, adopted as a child of his, and meant to participate in the very life of God.

There is a basic and inalienable equality among all of us insofar as we are God’s creatures and children called to holiness. Regardless of our position and state in life, whether we are priests, religious men and women, or ordinary lay faithful, we have the same calling and purpose in life.

Decoding the DNA of a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem

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An entrepreneurial ecosystem is more than just a collection of startups; it’s a complex and interconnected network of resources, institutions, and individuals that foster innovation, support new ventures, and drive economic growth. A thriving ecosystem provides fertile ground for entrepreneurs to flourish, increasing their chances of success and creating a ripple effect of positive impact. But what are the key ingredients that make an entrepreneurial ecosystem truly successful?

1. Access to Funding: Fueling the Fire

Capital is the lifeblood of any startup, and a successful ecosystem provides entrepreneurs with access to a diverse range of funding sources. This includes:
Angel Investors: High-net-worth individuals who invest in early-stage companies in exchange for equity.

Venture Capital Firms: Firms that invest in high-growth potential companies in exchange for equity.

Government Grants and Programs: Public funding initiatives designed to support small businesses and innovation.

Crowdfunding Platforms: Online platforms that allow entrepreneurs to raise capital from a large number of individuals.

Incubators and Accelerators: Programs that provide seed funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage startups.

A healthy funding landscape ensures that promising startups have the resources they need to develop their products, scale their operations, and compete in the global market.

2. Talent Pool: The Human Capital

A successful ecosystem attracts and retains a skilled and diverse talent pool. This includes:
Entrepreneurs: Individuals with the vision, drive, and risk tolerance to start and grow new businesses.

Engineers and Scientists: Individuals with the technical expertise to develop innovative products and services.

Business Professionals: Individuals with the skills in marketing, sales, finance, and operations to manage and scale businesses.

Mentors and Advisors: Experienced entrepreneurs and industry experts who provide guidance and support to startups.

Researchers and Academics: Individuals who conduct research and develop new technologies that can be commercialized.

A strong talent pool provides startups with access to the expertise and skills they need to succeed.

3. Supportive Infrastructure: The Foundation for Growth

A successful ecosystem has a well-developed infrastructure that supports entrepreneurship. This includes:

Co-working Spaces: Affordable and collaborative workspaces that provide startups with access to office space, equipment, and networking opportunities.

Incubators and Accelerators: Programs that provide startups with mentorship, resources, and access to funding.

Research Institutions and Universities: Institutions that conduct research, develop new technologies, and train future entrepreneurs.

Legal and Accounting Services: Affordable and accessible legal and accounting services to help startups navigate complex regulations and manage their finances.

Broadband Internet Access: Reliable and affordable broadband internet access to enable startups to connect with customers and partners around the world.

A supportive infrastructure makes it easier for startups to launch, grow, and scale their businesses.

4. Culture of Innovation: Embracing Risk and Experimentation

A successful ecosystem fosters a culture of innovation that encourages risk-taking, experimentation, and collaboration. This includes:
Tolerance for Failure: A recognition that failure is a learning opportunity and that entrepreneurs should not be penalized for taking risks.

Open Communication: A willingness to share ideas, knowledge, and resources among entrepreneurs, researchers, and investors.

Collaboration: A culture of collaboration between startups, established companies, and research institutions.

Celebration of Success: A recognition and celebration of entrepreneurial success to inspire others.

A culture of innovation creates a positive and supportive environment for entrepreneurs to thrive.

5. Supportive Government Policies: Creating a Level Playing Field

Government policies can play a significant role in fostering a successful entrepreneurial ecosystem. This includes:

Tax Incentives: Tax incentives for startups and investors to encourage investment and innovation.

Streamlined Regulations: Streamlined regulations to reduce the burden on startups.
Access to Capital: Government-backed loan programs and grants to provide startups with access to funding.

Education and Training Programs: Education and training programs to develop the skills and knowledge of future entrepreneurs.

Intellectual Property Protection: Strong intellectual property protection to encourage innovation.

Supportive government policies create a level playing field for startups and encourage entrepreneurship.

6. Strong Networks: Connecting the Dots

A successful ecosystem has strong networks that connect entrepreneurs with investors, mentors, customers, and other resources. This includes:

Industry Associations: Associations that bring together companies in a specific industry to share knowledge and collaborate.

Networking Events: Events that provide opportunities for entrepreneurs to meet investors, mentors, and other potential partners.

Online Communities: Online communities that allow entrepreneurs to connect with each other, share ideas, and ask for advice.

Alumni Networks: Networks of alumni from universities and other institutions who can provide support and mentorship to startups.

Strong networks facilitate the flow of information, resources, and opportunities within the ecosystem.

Conclusion

A successful entrepreneurial ecosystem is a complex and interconnected network of resources, institutions, and individuals that foster innovation, support new ventures, and drive economic growth. By focusing on these key elements, communities can create a fertile ground for entrepreneurs to flourish and build successful businesses.
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If you have any questions or would like to share your thoughts on the column, feel free to send an email to jca.bblueprint@gmail.com. Looking forward to connecting with you!

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