TACLOBAN CITY- Department of Agriculture (DA) Secretary Emmanuel F. Piñol fulfilled his promise to come back to Eastern Visayas for a 2-day working visit and engage farmers, fisherfolk and other stakeholders in “face-to-face consultations” to ensure they are guided on the priorities and the road map of the Duterte administration in agriculture and fisheries.
Sec. Piñol and party, including staff from DA Region 8 headed by Regional Executive Director Wilson A. Cerbito, reprised his successful ‘biyaheng bukid’ this time to Catarman, Northern Samar then to Borongan City where he spearheaded a series of dialogues with key stakeholders and presided the turnover of various agriculture and fishery projects worth P53 million for Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.
In said occasions, Sec. Piñol enumerated various measures to increase farm output and farmers’ income in these three Samar provinces which indisputably among the top ten poorest provinces in the country according to the latest poverty statistics released by the Philippine Statistical Authority (PSA).
In his dialogue with the political leaders in Northern Samar, Piñol urged them to support what he called as the Corporate Farming System which he has crafted in order to help hasten the food and economic development and growth of the farm sector.
“There is an urgent need for convergent efforts to lift up farmers and fishermen and those who depend on agriculture for their livelihood and business,” Piñol said.
To help increase their production, Piñol added that the local government units should invest in developing at least 5,000 hectares through contract farming and help provide farmers with seeds, fertilizer and other farm inputs, while the national government will focus in providing them financial and logistical support such as production facilities, pre and post-harvest equipment and farm mechanization, among others.
“With even just 5,000 hectares the LGU who will venture in corporate farming will stand to gain to as much as PhP50Million per cropping, Piñol explained.
Accordingly, with such kind of arrangements, farmers will already be assured of the market since LGUs will take care of it and farmers will no longer be manipulated by local traders and middlemen. “Any extra produce will be used by the LGUs in their local feeding programs,” Secretary Piñol added.
On the issue regarding the considerably low level of irrigated areas in three provinces of Samar, the DA Chief underscored the need to focus on small scale irrigation system such as the water impounding project, diversion dams and the provision of shallow tube wells, rum pump and the like which can be constructed more cheaply and quickly compared to irrigation systems built by the National Irrigation Administration.
He also encouraged the adoption of the solar-powered irrigation technology which turns sunlight to thermal energy and ultimately drives a steam turbine to generate electricity designed and popularly used in California, USA.
Piñol likewise instructed the Philippine Crop Insurance Corp. to intensify PCIC’s implementation of its crop insurance program to farmers in the 3 Samar provinces which are identified as “high-risk” or vulnerable areas for flooding. (PR)
Piñol bares plan to boost rice production in Samar Island
Public consultation on tide embankment project held in Tanauan town
TANAUAN, Leyte- A public consultation with the residents of Barangay Sto. Niño, this town, affected by the road heightening and tide embankment (HRTE) project was conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-8 officials last September 23, 2016.
Also present during the public consultation were Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr., some local barangay officials and some 21 residents who will be affected by the project.
The said consultation aimed to resolve the issue of the original alignment of HRTE in contrast to the proposed new alignment to the existing barangay road.
This is part of the 3.1 kilometer project (Section 6) of HRTE which stretches from Calogcog Junction and ends at Bislig Rotonda, this town.
The proposed new alignment is to the existing barangay road instead of the original alignment which is 40 meters from the shoreline.
The original alignment will preserve the shore area based on tourism development plan and will avoid affecting concrete residential houses and other structures.
The majority of residents that will be affected with the new alignment finally agreed to reconsider the original proposed plan of DPWH.
Other issues raised by the affected residents by the original plan include livelihood, boat landing, and structures, i.e. homes.
This was also resolved and assured by Mayor Tecson that these have been taken into consideration by the Area Management Committee of HRTE.
DPWH requested assistance from the barangay officials to facilitate parceliary survey requirements like: proof of ownership; title of land among others.
Affected structures, properties on land surface like plants, houses, etc. will be paid by the government.
The consultation concluded with barangay resolution signed by the persons affected by the project endorsing the original plan or alignment.
A follow-up barangay session will be conducted on October 1, 2016 at the Brgy. Sto. Niño Hall to discuss other matters.
The P 7.9 billion HRTE project include civil works and right of way acquisition broken down in four years – P1.46 billion for 2016, P 1.19 billion for 2017, P 2.64 billion for 2018, and P 2.64 for 2019.
This 27.3-kilometer project stretches from Diit village in Tacloban to Brgy. Cabuynan in Tanauan town.
Sections 1 to 3 are in Tacloban, Section 4 is coastal villages of Tacloban and Palo, Section 5 is some areas in Palo and Tanauan, and Section 6 in Tanauan town to Bislig.
The four-meter high structure is designed to shield coastal communities from storm surges similar to that generated by supertyphoon “Yolanda.” (PR)
Mini-Marshall Plan mulled to address poverty situation in Samar provinces
TACLOBAN CITY – The Eastern Visayas Regional Development Council (RDC) is pushing for the creation of a task force to formulate a mini-Marshall Plan to curb poverty in three Samar provinces.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, former RDC chairman, said that a task force is needed to “deeply understand the problem on poverty in Samar areas and formulate a Marshall Plan.”
“The region cannot push for economic growth if the challenge on poverty persists in Samar Island. The economic ranking of the region will never improve if areas in Samar remain poor,” said Petilla, who just concluded his term as RDC head on June 30.
A Marshall Plan refers to the massive financial aid program of the United States to western and southern countries in Europe to help them rebuild after the destructions they suffered in the aftermath of World War II.
In response to the proposal, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) has allocated funds for research development.
One of the studies approved for this year is to determine the socio cultural factors on the poverty situation in the region.
“NEDA Region 8 has allotted P5 million funds to conduct the said study which will be bid out to come up with scientific and objective study on the factors and root causes of poverty,” said NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
Aside from the NEDA initiative, the RDC is also counting on studies initiated through the implementation of Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan program, which downloaded P5 billion funds in Samar remote communities.
The RDC also urged national government agencies to step up support to Samar provinces under existing programs.
The Philippine Statistics Authority has identified Samar provinces as among the 10 areas with the highest poverty incidence in the country.
Eastern Samar had 40.1 percent poverty incidence while both Samar and Northern Samar posted 41.8 and 52.4 percent poverty incidence respectively.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
Man nabbed for selling shabu to police personnel in a buy-bust operation
TACLOBAN CITY- A jobless man who lives in one of the resettlement sites in this city was arrested for selling the prohibited drugs to police personnel who acted as a buyer-poseur.
Arrested by the members of the city anti-drug special task force headed by Chief Inspector Steve Castillote was Oliver Vero, 25, jobless and a resident of Barangay 106, Santo Niño, this city.
During the buy-bust operation, five pieces of heat-sealed transparent sachets believed to be shabu were seized from the suspect’s possession.
Also recovered from Vero were one unit caliber 38 revolver with four rounds of live ammunitions and two pieces of P100 bills.
Confiscated items were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the pieces of non-drug evidence were turned over to Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) evidence custodian.
Suspect is now under the custody of TCPO custodial facility while cases for violation of sections 5 & 11, Article II of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency under the supervision of S/Supt.Rolando V. Bade, officer-in-charge of the Tacloban City Police Office. (PR)
Tacloban exec says temporary shelters to be demolished by October
TACLOBAN CITY – The city government wants to see all temporary shelters in this city vacant by October with the plan to transfer the remaining 339 families from makeshift houses to permanent housing units.
City housing and community development office head Maria Lagman said these families should be moved to their permanent houses with the onset of rainy season and availability of thousands of substantially completed permanent shelter.
“If we will transfer these families, there would be no additional effort on the part of the city government since we have been delivering (drinking) water there over the past years,” Lagman said, referring to the relocation sites located in the northern part of the city.
Families who totally lost their houses due to supertyphoon “Yolanda” devastation were relocated at the northern part of Tacloban.
Only temporary houses at the Cali transitional shelter site in Barangay Cabalawan will be spared from demolition since shelters there were built on higher grounds, and sturdier and the lot is owned by the city government.
“The plan is to convert the Cali shelters into evacuation centers,” Lagman added.
The city has 10 temporary shelter sites in five villages. Some of the properties are owned by the local government with the rest privately owned.
The 339 families will join the more than 2,000 households now in permanent shelters constructed by the National Housing Authority (NHA) in the northern part of the city for Yolanda survivors living in danger zones.
The city government is reluctant to bring more families from coastal communities to relocation sites due mainly to lack of water supply.
The local government has been delivering 80 tons or 21,521 gallons of water daily to resettlement sites since they were relocated.
Water supply has been tagged as the major setback to government’s effort to relocate more than 14,000 families to their new homes.
As of this month, only 2,036 houses of the estimated 5,000 completed units have been occupied.
Of the 2,036 houses, 1,028 were funded by the NHA and 1,008 by non-government organizations.
Most of them were transferred last April. Due to water supply problem, only less than 200 families from danger zones were moved to resettlement sites between April to September this year.
The national government earlier approved the proposed P152 million for long-term water system, which will take several years to complete.
“DBM agreed to release P90 million for the medium term solution so we could start the project using underground sources. We cannot transfer people without water,” Lagman said.
The city government is eyeing to relocate additional 3,000 families once the medium-term water supply project is completed. The target date is early next year. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
Archbishop Du calls dialogue between Church, gov’t amid campaign on illegal drugs
TACLOBAN CITY-Amidst the spate of killings due to the campaign of the national government on illegal drug proliferation, Palo Archbishop John Du underscored the need for a dialogue between the Catholic Church and the government.
“We respect each other’s ways and means but it is a matter of agreement,” Du said.
The region’s top prelate said that there is no need for the local church to come up with its own statement condemning the killings, described by human rights groups as extra-judicial killings (EJKs).
“No need for statement, they know what is the stand of the Catholic (Church) and it is their own responsibility because the Church and the state are not really to compete but are side-by-side,” Du said.
In an unofficial media tally, as of September 29, 3,509 persons were killed since President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs became full swing on July 1.
Of this number, 1,276 drug personalities were killed in police operations and 2,233 were victims of extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings.
However, in the senate probe on EJKs, PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa disclosed that the actual figure as validated by the PNP Directorate for Operations was only 1,105 as of last week.
The spate of killings whether in legitimate police operations or by unknown perpetrators has spurred concern from powerful foreign states such as the United States and the European Union and the United Nations.
The Catholic Church, particularly in general terms the bishops, even caught the ire of Pres. Duterte for criticizing his stance and the manner of executing the “Oplan Double Barrel” and “Oplan Tokhang” (Toktok Hangyo) flagship program of his administration.
This sparked misunderstanding between him and the leadership of the Catholic Church in the country.
Du stressed too that there is a no gag order on the clergy in the Archdiocese of Palo that will restrain them from speaking about this issue in their homilies.
“They can say something about (the EJKs) but the general principle but not very personalized because we have to respect the stand if that is the President’s way of really trying to put things in order, well that is his way,” Du commented.
He stood pat though that “the way of the Church is different.”
“That is the time that we have to come to what we call the dialogue, it is needed that we have to meet in middle ground,” he said.
“We cannot just go on world affair but we also have to put the spiritual as a part of the solution so that it is where dialogue would come in,” Du added.
Although the general impression is that the Catholic Church in the country is against the President, expressed a varied view.
“We are not disappointed because he is also got some good points especially that his intention is peace and order,” he clarified.
“It is only in the means and the process that we could not agree on,” he said.
As of now various parishes and vicariates in the Archdiocese of Palo are in the process of finalizing its formation module which will be part of the total package for the rehabilitation of drug surrenderees in their respective turfs.
Du underscored a necessary partnership between the Church, the government and the stakeholders in the reformation and rehabilitation of drug personalities.
Du is optimistic of the capability of the local Churches to carry on its part in the rehabilitation process that drug surrenderees will undergo with the “techniques and skills which so many of (Church) people have.”
(EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS)