ORMOC CITY-The tourism industry is increasingly becoming one of the economic pillars that provides the needed revenue to the government’s coffers. And taken as a whole, it is ecotourism that tops them all. It can be considered as a poverty alleviating industry as it creates jobs in remote parts of the country which is composed mostly of fisherfolks and farmers.
While it is a common, yet unfortunate occurrence that urban development usually overshadows and even neglects the peripheral communities, a different trend may be happening in the City of Ormoc – a bustling city by the bay with its long coastal communities and large swaths of lands with sugar cane plantations.
But where nature is allowed to thrive, it sustains and makes communities productive.
Ormoc City is one such place. All it takes is a local government unit in convergence with other national agencies, the private sector and the communities to come up with plans to provide economic opportunities to the underprivileged sectors of society. One such effort is the promotion of ecotourism in the area.
The once barren mud flats along the coastal barangays of Naungan, San Juan and Lao of Ormoc City became a thriving mangrove forest with the intervention of the DENR through its Community-Based Forest Management Project (CBFMP) and the National Greening Program (NGP) coursed through the Naungan-San Juan Mangrove Planters Association (NSJMPA).
The success of its plantation project led to the infusion of funds from the private sector to what is now the Ormoc City Mangrove Eco Park that offers a place for visitors to stay, relax and commune with nature while they indulge on its aquatic resources and other local delicacies.
Not to be left behind, a proclaimed protected area under the National Integrated Protected Area System (NIPAS) Act, the upland part of Ormoc City has its own ecotourism area which is the Lake Danao Natural Park (LDNP). The guitar-shaped lake with cool atmosphere, offers a serene and relaxing escapade for nature lovers.
While both were damaged by two separate natural calamities – super typhoon Yolanda of 2013 that destroyed the mangrove plantation and the 2017 earthquake that damaged infrastructure and facilities of the LDNP, these have since been rehabilitated and are making a strong comeback to cater to the visiting public.
Just recently, the Camping Pavilion at Brgy. Lake Danao made possible by the LGU of Ormoc City is a welcome relief to those whose income depends upon tourists of the park. At the Ormoc Mangrove EcoPark, a newly constructed public toilet was also turned-over by the Department of Tourism (DOT) to the Naungan San Juan Mangrove Planters Association (NSJMPA) to cater to the needs of its visitors.
“Let us conserve and protect this EcoPark for it provides us the needed livelihood,” says Hon. Jaime Higano, a barangay official who expressed appreciation to the LGU of Ormoc City, DOT and the DENR for the projects.
“The DENR in Eastern Visayas appreciates the convergence of support from the Local Government Unit of Ormoc City and that of the Department of Tourism for the facilities introduced to Lake Danao Natural Park and the Mangrove EcoPark, both in Ormoc City. This will not only provide convenience to the visiting public but as the number of visitors grow, so also is the knowledge of the need to protect our protected areas and the importance of our wetlands, mangrove forests included,” shares OIC-Assistant Regional Director for Technical Services Eugenia Bautista who represented DENR Regional Executive Director Tirso P. Parian, Jr. at the turn-over rites. (PR)
New facilities to spike up visitors to Lake Danao Natural Park and Ormoc City
Parents’ group denounces NPA lies on ‘Tacloban 5’
(PNA photo by SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
TACLOBAN CITY– Parents who grouped together to fight the “deceptive recruitment” of the New People’s Army (NPA) on Wednesday(Feb.12) denounced the left-leaning groups’ misleading information related to the recent arrest of five young suspected rebels in this city.
The group ‘Hands Off Our Children’, in a press briefing, said leftists should not label the arrest as a crackdown against the government’s staunch critics because those detained are former student activists who eventually joined the armed struggle of the NPA in Eastern Visayas.
The group was in the city to talk to the parents of some of the five young activists nabbed in a pre-dawn raid on Feb. 7 for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
“The death of 14 teens who were killed in an encounter between the military and NPA in recent years is proof that there is deceptive campus-based recruitment. It all started with student activism that leads to armed rebellion. Their victims are as young as 16 years old,” said Gemma Labsan, Hands Off Our Children founder.
She was referring to the number of documented deaths of young rebels from 2002 to 2019 based on the record of Hands Off nationwide.
Labsan asked militant groups to stop labeling those arrested as human rights advocates or journalists since they are actively engaged in “deceptive recruitment” on campuses and online.
This was their reaction to various social media campaigns by left-leaning groups to free the so-called “Tacloban 5”, which they identified as “political prisoners.”
Anabelle Sabado, the organization’s secretary questioned the militant group’s fundraising drive every time a young NPA member is arrested.
“Why are they asking for donations? They never helped the family of young recruits. Their intention is to raise funds for the communist terrorist group,” said Anabelle, the mother of Christian Sabado, 22, who was captured by government troops in Northern Samar last year while conducting extortion activities for the NPA.
Christian was an accounting student at the Polytechnic University of the Philippines in Manila when he joined the communist terrorist group through student activism.
“They never care about the feeling of a mother whose child’s mind is poisoned by NPA. It’s hard to see my child in jail, but it is better to see him behind bars than to see him die fighting the government,” Anabelle told reporters.
The group was in the city to talk to the parents of some of the five young activists nabbed in a pre-dawn raid on Feb. 7 for illegal possession of firearms and explosives.
Government forces arrested Frenchie Mae Cumpio, Marielle Domequil, Alexander Philip Abinguna, Marissa Cabaljao, and Mira Legion at the alleged communist terrorist group’s safe houses here.
The suspects yielded two .45-caliber pistols, two magazine assemblies and 14 live ammunitions for .45-caliber, two fragmentation grenades, a red flag with Communist Party of the Philippines-NPA symbol, and PHP557,360 in cash.
Those arrested are active members of militant groups linked to the NPA.
On Tuesday, the Tacloban City Prosecutor’s Office found probable cause in filing charges against those arrested. Two of those arrested were charged for violation of Republic Act 10591 or “An Act Providing for a Comprehensive Law on Firearms and Ammunition.”
The three other activists are now facing raps for violating Republic Act 9516, the “Unlawful Manufacture, Sales, Acquisition, Disposition, Importation or Possession of an Explosive or Incendiary Device.” (SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
Rep. Noel announces approval of House of Representatives converting EVSU-Dulag into a regular campus
TACLOBAN CITY-The bill converting the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU)-Dulag Satellite Campus into a regular campus has already been approved at the House of Representatives.
This was disclosed by An Waray party-list Rep. Florencio “Bem” Noel said.
House Bill 04949 which aim to convert the Dulag Satellite campus located in the municipality of Dulag, Leyte, into a regular campus is now referred to the committee on Higher and Technical Education chaired by Senator Joel Villanueva.
Noel along with Leyte 2nd District Representative Lolita “Karen” Javier authored the said bill.
“As a regular campus, EVSU-Dulag will have autonomy and will be able to offer more courses. Its conversion shall promote inclusive growth and development which will encourage the expansion of its services and facilities,” the solon said.
Moreover, the conversion would also allow the campus to be subsidized by the Commission on Higher Education (ChEd), Noel added.
More students from the towns of Dulag, Mayorga, McArthur, La Paz, Julita, and Tolosa could now be accommodated and enrolled once the satellite school become a regular campus, Noel said.
Noel added that both the House of Representatives and the Senate are hastening the approval of the bill after the ChEd said that they will stop in providing fund to the school because Commission on Audit disallows it.
“ChEd said that they will stop supporting the campus not until it becomes a regular campus under EVSU,” he said.
The bill states that once approved, aside from undergraduate courses, EVSU Dulag must also offer technical-vocational education training, and graduate programs.
At present the school offers three courses, namely, Bachelor of Science in Information Technology, Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering and Bachelor of Secondary Education.
A campus administrator shall render full time service and must be appointed by the Board of Regent.
The bill also states that until such time funding for the operation and maintenance of EVSU Dulag Satellite campus is included in the annual General Appropriations Act, the municipality of Dulag shall provide the necessary amount in the initial implementation of the law.
EVSU Dulag campus, formerly Leyte Institute of Technology Dulag Campus, become part of EVSU in 2000.
Prior to the bill of Noel and Javier, in the 17th Congress, former An Waray Representative Victoria Isabel Noel also filed the bill the convert EVSU Dulag as a regular campus.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
P24M TUPAD funds to benefit 5,375 Leyteños
TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Regional Office VIII through its North Leyte Field Office awarded to nine (9) municipalities of the second district of Leyte Tulong Panghanapbuhay para sa Ating Disadvantaged/Displaced Workers (TUPAD) funds amounting to a total of P24,160,731.00 last February 5, 2020 at Haiyan Resort Hotel in Tanauan, Leyte.
Rep. Lolita Karen T. Javier of the 2nd district of Leyte graced the turn-over ceremony together with DOLE Regional Director Yahya A. Centi and NLFO Officer-in-Charge Norman L. Uytico. Mayors of the recipient municipalities were likewise present to personally receive the checks.
The following municipalities are the recipients of the TUPAD funds: Jaro, Dulag, Capoocan, Julita, Pastrana, Barugo, Tunga, Dagami and Burauen. A total of 5,375 disadvantaged workers from the said municipalities are to benefit from the emergency employment assistance. These workers will be employed for the implementation of projects which will include declogging of canals and clean up drive in their respective municipalities.
Director Centi in his opening remarks committed to remain relentless in pursuing the mandate of DOLE.
“As your fellow public servant, I assure you that the government is doing its part in sending help where help is needed. We at DOLE are working so hard for all of you and this TUPAD program is just one of DOLE’s ways to extend assistance to the community and eventually pursue our given mandate”, said Director Centi.
Meanwhile, Rep.Javier, aside from expressing her sincere thanks to DOLE for the strong commitment to assist the second district of Leyte, likewise emphasized that she will continue to remain dedicated for the good of her fellow Leyteños.
“I would like to thank DOLE for being so active in helping us have this TUPAD projects come to reality. It is indeed comforting to know that we have this kind of partnership centered on delivering excellent service. As your representative, I would like to inform you that mañana habit is not in our vocabulary. We will work together for the good of my fellow Leyteños”, said Javier.
TUPAD is a community-based package of assistance that provides emergency employment for a minimum period of 10 days, but not to exceed a maximum of 30 days, depending on the nature of work to be performed.
(NORMA RAE S. COSTIMIANO with reports from GEMMA D. DE LA CRUZ)
EV has just 1 PUI for coronavirus
Still, DOH-8 remain vigilant
TACLOBAN CITY- A bit of good news from the Department of Health here in the region: the number of persons suspected to have the coronavirus disease 2019(Covid-19) in the region is now down to just one person.
And she appears to be recovering from her cough and colds, the health department said.
Dr. Minerva Molon, DOH-8 regional director, said that the previous 15 patients under investigation (PUIs) from the region have already been discharged from their confinement.
All the swab samples taken from the 15 PUIs, two of them were American nationals, turned out to be negative.
“This is a good news but we are not letting our guards down. We will remain with our monitoring,” she said.
According to Molon, the only PUI case of the region involved a 25-year old woman who is from Samar province and works in Jiangsu, China.
She arrived to the country for a vacation on Jan.30 but on Feb.11, she was confined after experiencing mild sore throat, cough and colds.
Dr. Molon said she hopes that the swab samples taken from the woman would turn out to be negative just like the previous PUIs.
The health regional director added that though they are only monitoring a single case, their office continue with their coordination with other government agencies, hospitals, and local government units down to the barangay levels to ensure that Eastern Visayas would remain to be Covid-19 free.
She also urged the public to always observe personal hygiene like frequent handwashing and proper cough etiquette saying these are still the best way for one not to get the virus.
“I am calling the people of Eastern Visayas to cooperate. In such trying times, we should not let our fears overwhelmed us and cause us to over-react. We need to work together,” Molon said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)
LTFRB chief Delgra, Tacloban City Mayor Romualdez leads launching of 25 modern PUVs with Tacloban-Catbalogan-Calbayog routes
TACLOBAN CITY- About 10 units of public utility buses with routes from Tacloban to Calbayog and another 15 public utility coasters with routes from Tacloban to Catbalogan were launched on Wednesday (Feb.12) at the Tacloban City New Bus terminal in Abucay district.
The new fleet of public utility buses that will be plying from this city to the two Samar cities is in compliance to the program of the national government on public utility vehicle modernization program (PUVMP).
Land Transportation and Franchising Regulatory Board Chairman Atty. Martin Delgra III and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez led the ceremony dubbed, “One Direction to PUV Modernization” with other transport stakeholders of the city.
The 25 modern PUV units which are compliant with the PUVMP requirements and specifications under the Omnibus Franchise Guidelines (OFG) and Philippine National Standards (PNS), have been granted provisional authority by the LTFRB to ply its service areas.
For the safety and convenience of passengers, the vehicles are equipped with speed limiters, GPS, CCTV, Wifi, comfort rooms, and an automated fare collection system.
Also in attendance during the launching were LTFRB 8 Director Gualberto Gualberto, Vice Mayor Jerry ‘Sambo’ Yaokasin and Councilors Aimee Grafil and Brian Steve Granados. (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)