GUIUAN, Eastern Samar– Residents of Homonhon Island, this town, expressed their anxiety after 50 policemen descended to their island.
The policemen, who are members of the Regional Mobile Force Battalion, 8th Regional Public Safety Battalion and from the police municipal station of Guiuan, arrived at the island last Feb.8 purportedly to ensure peace will be maintained there after a dispute broke out between two mining companies.
The residents said that while they do not feel threatened with the presence of the police in their island, they still find it uncomfortable having them.
The team was in Homonhon Island to maintain the peace and order of the island after Cambayas Mining Corporation president Yan Ming went to the island to enforce a liquidation order against TechIron Resources Incorporated issued by a regional trial court in Taguig City.
Cambayas filed a claim in court alleging that TechIron is not compliant on a profit sharing agreement that they have entered.
TechIron maintained that based on their agreement, sharing will come from the net income of the operation.
In November 2018, the court issued a resolution in favor of Cambayas reason why its officials wanted it to be implement even in the absence of a court sheriff.
“We feel threatened. Most residents are afraid to leave their house. Some even say that we were like in Marawi,” Jonalyn Anos, village council member of Barangay Casuguran.
Anos relayed the sentiments of the island residents to the officials of mining companies who came to Homonhon Island accompanied by their respective lawyers.
During the meeting, Urbano E. Garado Jr., village chairman of Canawayun, asked the two erring mining companies to settle the problem in proper court.
“This problem is too big for us to handle. I suggest that you settle this in court,” Garado said.
After a long debate, the two sides agreed to have the policemen pulled out from the island to the relief of the islanders.
TechIron is one of the three mining firms which have mining claims in the historic island Homonhon.
The other two are Mt. Sinai Mining Exploration and Development Corp.; and Emir Minerals Corp.
Of the three, only TechIron continue to conduct mining activity in the island. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The province of Leyte has more than P8.6 billion for its Annual Investment Plan (AIP) to fund programs and projects for 2019.
Leyte Governor and chairman of the Provincial Development Council Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told Leyte Samar Daily Express, in an interview, that this year’s annual investment plan is higher than last year.
In 2018, the AIP of the province was only P7.60 billion.
Petilla reported that part of the 2019 AIP is the approved executive annual budget for 2019 of the provincial government in the amount of P2,968,467,167.
The 2019 AIP funding requirements and percentage distribution of the various projects, programs and activities being implemented per sector include: the P4,927,720,583.70 for economic services which is 56 per cent of the AIP; the P1,985,557,685.21 for social services which is the 22 percent; the P1,740,941,400 for general public services comprising 20 percent; and the P25,400,000 for special education fund which represent only 0.29 percent, Petilla said.
The funding for the 2019 AIP is taken from the provincial general fund of P2 billion annual internal revenue allotment (IRA); funding from government agencies, projected foreign assistance, 20 percent of its annual IRA; Rehabilitation and Improvement Program (CMGP) of the Department of Interior and Local Government; the Special Education Fund (SEF) and other sources such as the Conditional Matching Grant to Provinces for Road and Bridge Repair; and other funding facilities of foreign development institutions and other development partners.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

GOVERNMENT CENTER,PALO, Leyte- The Department of Health in Region 8 (DOH-8) has urged parents and the general public to have their children vaccinated against measles as cases in the region continue to increase.
During the press conference on Monday (Feb. 11), DOH-8 reported 268 cases of measles in the region with 11 deaths from January to February 9 this year.
With the measles outbreak in the region, DOH-8 Regional Director Minerva P. Molon advised parents to bring their children, at the onset of fever, to the nearest health center for treatment and proper case management.
Molon informed that children aged six months to 59 months old are eligible for measles vaccination which is available at the DOH health facilities for free.
As an ongoing response to the outbreak, Molon said they have already scheduled vaccination and assured also of enough measles vaccines. She, however, stressed that they were already conducting immunization activities as early as November last year before Secretary Francisco Duque declared the measles outbreak in the region.
“We will give focus first in areas with high number of cases as well as in areas with reported death,” Director Molon said adding that they are already in constant communication with the provincial and municipal health officers especially in areas with reported cases.
Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the regional epidemiology and surveillance unit, said majority of the measles cases was noted in the province of Leyte with 197 (73.5 percent) and the areas with high number of cases are as follows: Tacloban City (64), Palo (20), Burauen (19), Dagami (14), and Ormoc City (8).
Molon said they will be conducting a more intensive immunization activity in coordination with the local health offices.
The regional health department has already issued guidelines to the local government units which will guide them in properly handling measles cases.
The DOH is also asking the schools to help them advocate to their pupils and students about the school-based immunization.
Measles is a highly contagious respiratory disease caused by a virus and can be transferred from person-to-person by sneezing, coughing and close personal contact. Its signs and symptoms include cough, runny nose, red eyes, fever, and skin rashes lasting for more than three days.
Complications include diarrhea, middle ear infection, pneumonia, swelling of the brain, malnutrition, and blindness which may eventually lead to death. (LDLopido/PIA-8 Leyte)

Despite withdrawal of the order

TACLOBAN CITY- Officials and personnel of the Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II), the power provider of this city and the nearby towns of Palo and Babatngon, joined on Thursday (Feb.14) a nationwide protest on the plan of the Department of Energy to revoke the franchises of 17 electric cooperatives.
As a sign of their dramatic protest, they all wore in black shirts, calling it as a black Valentine celebration.
Leyeco II general manager Fernan Paul Tan said that the activity was an act of support to condemn the move of Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi who earlier recommended to revoke the franchises of 17 electric cooperatives which he claimed to be under performing.
Cusi, however, retracted his recommendation before the House of Representatives as he instead asked the National Electrification Administration (NEA) to review on the compliance of these power cooperatives to the service requirements of their franchises.
Still, what Sec. Cusi has done has caused damaged and had a chilling effect among the country’s 112 electric cooperatives, Tan said.
The Philippine Rural Electric Cooperatives, the umbrella organization of the country’s electric cooperatives, is leading in opposing to revocation of the franchises which they fear could lead to the privatization of these affected electric cooperatives.
It was revealed that in the succeeding Fridays the management and employees will continue to wear black shirt to show their continuing protest.
The 17 cooperatives recommended by Cusi to have their franchises be revoked were Abra Electric cooperative (Abreco), Pampanga Electric Cooperative (Pelco III), Occidental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Omeco) Oriental Mindoro Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Ormeco), Palawan Electric Cooperative (Paleco), Camarines Sur III Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Casureco III,) Albay Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Aleco), Masbate Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Maselco), First Catanduanes Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (Ficelco), Ticao Island Electric Cooperatives, Inc. (Tiselco); Zamboanga City Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Zamelco); Davao del Norte Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Daneco); Basilan Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Baselco); Sulu Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Suleco); Tawi-Tawi Electric Cooperative Inc. (Tawelco; Maguindanao Electric Cooperative, Inc. (Magelco) and Lanao del Sur (Lasureco).
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- An official of the Population Commission and Development is hopeful that Congress will approve a measure making it mandatory for all local government units (LGUs) to create their local population development offices.
The said bill, principally authored Laguna Rep. Sol Aragones, is still pending at the committee level of the House of Representatives.
Undersecretary Antonio Lopez, who was in Tacloban City last week, said that once the measure will be enacted by Congress, it would now be mandatory for all LGUs to create the local population development office.
Lopez said that under the Local Government Code of 1992, LGUs are given the option whether to create such an office or not.
Thus, it’s the reason why only a few of LGUs have a population development office, he said.
Lopez also pointed out that barangay service point officers (BSPOs), the front liners in the delivery of population-related programs in the villages, have also became limited.
As of today, there are only 9,000 active BSPOs serving in the country.
The agency only has 2,000 local population officers and workers in the country.
Lopez said that two weeks ago, he had a meeting with Rep.Aragones, the main author of the proposed bill, who vowed to work hard so that the measure would be approved by next year.
Still, Lopez said that even if the bill has yet to be approved by Congress, he personally coordinates with the Regional Development Councils (RDCs) and encourage them to create population and development offices voluntarily so that the Department of Health will have the necessary support to promote health, family planning and other related policies.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)