Under Petilla’s Leyte EconoMICs program

TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte aims to achieve a single-digit poverty incidence percentage in 2022 with the strengthened economic strategy dubbed “Leyte EconoMiCs (More Income in the Countryside).”
In an interview, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said the efforts for human, family, and community development to alleviate poverty in the province have intensified considering the encouraging effects on the progress in the countryside.
Leyte EconoMICs remains to be the province’s main economic strategy that aims to reduce the 23.6 percent poverty incidence in 2015 to just 9 percent in the next two years.
The program adopts a community-based approach to capacitate the poor and marginalized villages through packages of goods and services.
With a target of 250 farmers and fisherfolks’ associations for 2018 to be given assistance, the program has contributed to the lives of more than 5,000 members of more than 200 groups in the province’s 40 towns and Baybay City.
Petilla said poverty is the root cause of many problems including low productivity, low government trust, vulnerability to disasters, low education, damaged moral values, poor infrastructure, lack of capital, peace, and order, lack of awareness on environmental protection, population increase, and corruption.
“Touching base with our farmers and fisherfolks proved to be rightful and significant for us because they are the most underserved sector in our society craving for the government intervention,” Petilla said.
Among the opportunities provided for them are high-value and fruit crop production, livestock projects, skills development, values formation, and education, community resiliency, and infrastructure projects.
Petilla said the Leyte EconoMICs program has slowly but surely steered the perspectives of these poor people to bond and work together to create resilient, inclusive, and competitive community economies.

“I firmly believe that people are our greatest resource and with this program backing them up, we will be able to bring about productive and sustainable rural communities,” Petilla said.
(GERICO SABALZA/PNA)

PALO, Leyte-Jan 23, 2020, marks a momentous event in the feat of Rural Electrification Movement and Rural Development – the first ever Regional Summit of Member-Consumer-Owners Organizations (MCOO) of Eastern Visayas was held at the Oriental Leyte, Palo with the theme “MCOO: Vanguards of Rural Electrification and Rural Development”.
Attended by more than 200 MCOs representing the local organizations of the 11 ECs in the region together with their Board Presidents, General Managers, ISD Managers and LEXICON.
The event was also graced by key leaders in the empowerment of electric consumers such as Dir. Nollie B. Alamillo (IDD-NEA), Mgr. Guillermo M. Paz (CDPD-NEA), Urbano “Tay Bong” Talibong (NCECCO National Coordinator), and no less than the Admin.Edgardo Rama Masongsong (NEA Administrator).
The event was leap in the empowerment of electric consumers for it was an avenue of educating, raising awareness and involving the MCOs, and giving them the opportunity to be active participants in the Rural Electrification Program and Development.
Text Box: Masongsong talks on MCOPE program of NEAMasongsong urged the MCOO leaders that they are the vanguards of rural electrification, and as vanguards, they must help and protect their Electric Cooperatives.
“You must know the essence of MCOO, na maramdaman at maisapuso kung ano Kooperatiba. Educate, Organize and Mobilize, that is key to MCO empowerment,” Masongsong said.
Election of region wide MCOO Officers was also c onducted yesterday. Atty. Geraldo C. Teves, MCOO from Catbalogan representing SAMELCO II emerged as the Region 8 President.
Text Box: Masongsong leads Oathtaking of newly-elected Eastern Visayas MCOO OfficersThe Member-Consumer-Owners Program for Empowerment (MCOPE) is a program of the National Electrification Administration (NEA) in order to empower the MCOs of Electric Coops as its partner in achieving its vision of providing sustainable rural development. Under the program, organized MCOs will be involved in the major activities of the ECs thus making them partners in the cause of the electrification movement. (PR)

MAASIN CITY- City Mayor Nacional Mercado has resolved to fully enforce the price cap of fishes sold in the city’s wet market, following widespread clamor on sky-high cost of this marine resource, the city’s Information Officer announced.
In a video interview posted on social media, Information Officer Royeno Segovia said the mayor is serious on his effort to implement the price ceiling ordinance.
“Violators will be dropped, their business license will not be renewed, and the stall will be closed, no second chance,” Segovia told freelance journalist Daniel Maturan, adding that the move was meant to check abuses.
“The highest price as of now is P300 per kilo for the first class,” Segovia pointed out.
City Ordinance number 2015-078 classified as first class, Group A, the following names of fishes: Tangigue, Maya-Maya, Pugapo, Dugso, Marang, Sono, Kilawin, Balansugi, Liplipan, Mamsa, Tali-lion, Dugho, Kawayanon, Pangalwan, Aha-an, Makabangus, Bariles, and Saminan.
First class, Group B, in which the highest price set was P250 per kilo, include the following: Salindato, Kamohay, Lagan, Katambak, Nokos (Piliw), Kitong, Danggit (Big), and Dorado.
Second class fishes, pegged at P150–P200 per kilo, are Tambungan, Solid, Indangan, Bat-og, Bolinao (Tugnos), Tamarong/Adlo, Anduhaw, Bulis, Batod, Lipti, Mais-Mais, Sasa, Kabutan, Budloy, Danggit (Small), Mangko, Bansikol, Karabalyas, and Bangus.
Third class, P110–P140 per kilo, are Balo, Libgao, Bolinao (Dagko), Bangsi (Nani, Lampirang), Uwapay, Banggisan, Suwahan, Samok, Nokos (Lawod), Bajo-Bajo, Suwasid, Mayaos, Buntog, Iho (Tadlongan), Tabangko, Banak, Lahing, and Mangsi (Hawol-Hawol, Hilos-Hilos, Tayapad).
And belonging to the fourth class, P60–P110 per kilo, are Pantihan, Pawotpot, Lambiyaw, Mabgas, Pugot, Tabawong, Mol-Mol (Uhawon), Taad, Tige, Sagoksok, Tagutungan, Kapaw, Pata, Labayan, Bakasi, Panangitan, Ubod, Baro-Baro, Gisaw, Pagi, and Iho (Banakan, Kurusan, atbp.)
Segovia also said that not displaying a price tag constituted in itself a violation.
Last Christmas and New Year, the price of tangigue, a fish under first class, had reached P500 per kilo, prompting facial expressions of disbelief, shock, and frowns from customers.
On Wednesday, Jan. 15, Mayor Mercado called all the fish vendors to a meeting at his office to address the situation, and warned violators of business permit cancellation.
The day after that meeting, market personnel distributed “taripa” of fishes with corresponding price list based on the city ordinance, with specific instructions for fish vendors to display or hang the list for easy reference of consumers.
(nbq/mmp/PIA8-Southern Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY- The local government of Tacloban under Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez through the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) will strictly enforce the ‘No Segregation, No collection’ garbage policy starting February 1.
In a meeting held Wednesday (Jan.22) at the City Hall, CENRO Head Jonathan Hijada said that effective next month, there will be strict implementation of residual waste collection in the city.
“So meaning, only residual waste will be collected by the Service Providers. Dire na kinahanglan igawas han mga mulopyo an mga madurunot, sugad man ang mga recyclables, ang igagawas nira mga residual waste lang,” he emphasized.
Residual wastes are solid non-compostable and non-recyclable materials such as sanitary napkins, disposable diapers, worn out rags, parlor and barbershop waste, household medicine bottles, dirt from sweepings, broken ceramics, and the like.
On the other hand, Hijada believes that public needs to be disciplined for the implementation of the policy to succeed, as the said initiative is in accordance to City Solid Waste Management Ordinance 2017-13-37.
Sections 16 and 18 of the said ordinance orders Service Providers not to collect unsegregated garbage and pick up waste materials if it does not fall on the collection schedule.
“They really need to follow because garbage management must start from the community…kasi pag nakita sa atong inspection team nga naghalu-halo an ira mga basura, there will be citation of tickets,” said the official.
Hijada likewise mentioned that the said implementation is part of the measures of the City Government to help reduce the trash being disposed at the Sanitary Land Fill (SLF) in Barangay San Roque.
Data from CENRO indicated that the SLF which was projected to last eight to 10 years is already one fourth filled up to the 5-meter mark.
In 2019, Tacloban City generated an average of 115 tons of garbage daily. For this year, Hijada hopes to target a lower volume of waste to be collected which is approximately 103 tons per day.
Also, CENRO disclosed that the volume of trash being collected usually goes up in the first quarter (January to March) and last quarter (November to December) of the year, as rainy seasons fall on the said months.
Meantime, since the ordinance has been largely ignored by some residents in the community no matter the efforts to strictly implement it, the city government has partnered with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to call the attention of barangay leaders to enforce it in their respective areas.
Accordingly, the City DILG is set to conduct a joint meeting on January 30, dubbed as ‘New Year’s Call’, to be attended by the 138 barangay Chairpersons of the City. The meeting will include a discussion on the implementation of the residual waste collection policy.
Apart from the strict implementation of residual waste collection, the local government plans to put up another composting facility in Barangay Sto. Niño to provide an effective solution to the garbage problem of the city. (C. MERIN/CIO)