TACLOBAN CITY – Poverty incidence in the three Samar provinces, particularly the farmers, are expected to decrease with the funding released by the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Governors Sharee Ann Tan of Samar, Jose Ong of Northern Samar and Conrado Nicart, Jr. of Eastern Samar received P25 million from Agriculture Assistant Secretary Lerey Panes on Monday(January 16) that will be used to implement DA’s Special Area for Agricultural Development(SAAD).
SAAD is a special program of the DA focusing on 10 top poorest provinces in the country of which the three Samar provinces are included in the list.
DA is targeting to reduce poverty in Samar provinces by 25% in the next three years.
The three Samar governors received the first tranche of the P50 million SAAD fund.
The national government allocates P50 million budget for each province while P150 million is allocated to the DA regional office for the implementation of SAAD.
Of the P50 million budget per province, P31.5 million will be used for enhancing rice production, P3.3 million for corn production, P7.5 million to enhance vegetable production and P7.6 million for sustainable livestock production.
Under the P150 million budget for the region, P94.6 million will be used to enhance rice production, P9.9 million for corn production, P32.5 million to enhance vegetable production and P23.1 million for sustainable livestock production.
ASec. Panes said that Secretary Manny Piñol’s mandate to all offices of DA is to implement the SAAD project free from corruption to achieve their goal of improving the living condition of the people in poorest provinces of the country.
“That is why, he entrusted us this budget to help the farmers to create a good environment and that good environment will affect others, making them productive and we will evaluate this after three years to know if the program is effective or not,” he said.
Panes added that SAAD has two funding components- one is to be implemented by the provincial government through the fund they will turn over to the governor and projects to be implemented by the DA regional offices.
Gov.Tan said that for the project to succeed, social preparation among the beneficiaries is really necessary.
“The biggest responsibility in this program is on the implementation but its success will depend on the attitude of the people,” she said.
Gov. Ong, for his part, said that in support to the SAAD project of the national government, they will also implement agricultural projects that will complement it and will augment the income not only of farmers but including fishermen.
“Our role in this program is to monitor and see that the funds are utilize properly by the beneficiaries who will decide if this program will succeed or not,” he said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
3 Samar provinces received financial help from DA
Town council resolution calls for the return of Naval-Cebu route
NAVAL, Biliran- Residents of this town have expressed their support on a resolution introduced at the Sangguniang Bayan for the resumption of the Naval-Cebu sea travel route, which was stopped last year.
Councilor Ofelia Espina has introduced a resolution at the town council seeking for the return of the said route saying, among others, it would be beneficial to the residents of Naval as well as towns of the province.
The resolution also stated on the long and historical trade ties between Naval and Cebu why shipping companies should resume the route.
Local businessmen have claim that the absence of the Naval-Cebu route causes them additional expenses in transporting their goods.
The same sentiment is also being shared by the parents who have children studying in various schools in Cebu City as they incur more expenses.
The residents of Naval and those coming from other municipalities of Biliran have to travel to Ormoc City for them to reach Cebu City in Cebu province.
Councilor Espina said that the resumption of the Naval-Cebu operations will also benefit other towns of the province for easy transport.
Sometimes last year, the Naval-Cebu route was suspended by the Roble Shipping Company which serves the area due to low volume of cargo and passengers.
(REY FAJARDO)
Man arrested for homicide thru reckless driving
ORMOC CITY- The police here arrested a 35-year old man who was charged with homicide inside his house in Barangay Hibunaon on Thursday (January 19)
Inspector Rito Pallomino, chief of police station 2, identified the arrested suspect as Renato Beronilla who did not resist when the police served him the warrant of arrest issued by judge Girlie Borrel-Yu of Regional Trial Court- Branch 35 that was issued on January 16, 2017.
Beronilla faces murder in relation to section 12 of Republic Act 10586 otherwise known as An Act Penalizing Persons Driving under the Influence of Alcohol, Dangerous Drugs, and Similar Substances, and for Other Purposes.
Pallomino added that the suspect was drunk when he got involved in a vehicular accident in Barangay Luna sometime in September last year that caused the death of another single motorcycle driver.
He is currently detained at the station while his family prepares for a surety bond worth P30,000.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
Hot lumbers seized in Northern Samar town
CATUBIG, Northern Samar- More than 2,640 board feet of illegally cut lumber of various species were recovered by the police this town.
The forest products recovered by the members of the police operatives of this town headed by station chief, Senior Inspector Gary Nee Tungala, were found near Irawan Bridge on Tuesday (January 17).
The sawn lumbers were valued at P79,365.
The anti-illegal logging operation was launched acting on a tip coming from an informant on that same day.
“Confiscated lumbers were turned over to CENRO-Pambujan Office for custody and proper disposition. However, owners of said confiscated forest products amid nationwide ban on illegal logging are still unknown as of the moment,”Tungala said in a press statement.
Police provincial director, S/Supt.Ceasar Tannagan, solicited the public’s cooperation by giving information to the police for any omission of forestry laws in order to protect and conserve the environment. (PR)
Farmer Ruperto Alesna
14 mayors no show during Digong’s meeting
TACLOBAN CITY- The regional office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) reported that 14 mayors from the region did not attend the meeting with President Rodrigo Duterte on Wednesday(Jan.11).
Of the 14 mayors, six of them were from Leyte; two from Samar; three from Southern Leyte and one each from Biliran, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar.
Pia Monina Lovete, chief of the local government monitoring and evaluation division of the DILG-8, said that all the 143 city and town mayors of the region were given an invitation to attend the Malacañang meeting course through their office.
“As far as our office is concerned, all the city and municipal mayors were invited and confirmed their attendance,” she said.
Asked if these 14 mayors who failed to attend the Malacañang meeting would be asked to explain for their absence, Lovete could not ascertain.
“I am not really sure but it was just an invitation…” she said whose department was among those in charge on this matter.
The invite was signed by DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero.
Among those who failed to attend was Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez who was scheduled to leave for London, Lovete said.
Also absent from the gathering were Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla; Hindang Mayor Betty Cabal; Isabel Mayor Marcos Cerillo; Tunga Mayor Amando Aumento Sr. and MacArthur Mayor Rene Leria, all in Leyte.
From Samar, Mayors Ananias Rebato of San Jose de Buan and Leonilo Costelo of Talalora were also no show during the meeting as well as Mayor Dominador Agajan of Almeria.
In Southern Leyte the mayors of Hinundayan (Evelyn Lee), Malitbog (Alan Go) and Tomas Oppus (Agustin Escaño) were not also around in the meeting.
In Eastern Samar, the mayor of Gen. MacArthur, Jaime Ty was absent as well as Mayor Isidro Bandal of Capul, Northern Samar.
Meantime, Barugo, Leyte Mayor Ma. Rosario Avestruz, who attended the gathering, said that Pres. Duterte asked them to help his all-out war against the proliferation of the illegal drugs.
“Actually, I am supportive of his campaign against the illegal drugs and with his (latest order), I will further intensify our war against illegal drugs,” she said.
But she stressed that while she will intensify the campaign, she would make sure it would “possibly save lives.”
Avestruz was apparently alluding to killing incidents that have attended the brutal campaign of the Duterte’s administration on the illegal drugs.