In Eastern Samar

BORONGAN CITY– Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Director General Isidro Lapeña led in the soft opening of an agri-technology building in Balangiga town on March 15.
The P10 million worth of building is at the Balangiga National Agricultural School (BANAS), a TESDA technology institution.
Lapeña said the building is the realization of their expansion program to accommodate more clients.
“With the new agri-tech building, more students in animal production and agricultural crops production will enroll,” Lapeña told the small crowd of TESDA employees, school employees, students, and parents who attended the simple program.
“With the expansion of TESDA programs, we hope to contribute to address the poverty incidence in this area,” he added,
Rolando Juanillo, TESDA-Eastern Samar provincial director, said the building will be finished by the end of March.
He added that this is still one of the initiatives of then Joel Villanueva and it is only this time that the building construction was realized.
Juanillo shared that BANAS is offering courses on animal and agricultural crops production, cassava production, and poultry production.
BANAS occupies a 46-hectare campus in Balangiga and still has other sites in other barangays including one with a rice production site.
With the additional building, Maria Nenalyn Abanador, school administrator, is hopeful that more students interested in agricultural production will increase in the area.
(NBQ/PIA-8, Eastern Samar)

TACLOBAN CITY- A newly- built evacuation facility located in Barangay 107, Santa Elena, this city, built under the Pacific Partnership was formally turnover on March 22 to the villagers .
According to Capt. Randy Van Rossum, mission commander for Pacific Partnership 2019, the facility is one of the many examples of multilateral efforts for a common good and in fostering friendship and collaboration between the US and the Philippines.
The collaboration of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and US Armed Forces exemplified what Pacific Partnership came to do, he added.
“Learn from one another, working complete collaboration, and to live their combined mark in profoundly positive way. The impact of disaster emergency transcend corners and requires comprehensive preparation and coordination among nations for effective disaster response,” Van Rossum said in his speech.
“Like this facility, the impact of Pacific Partnership 2019 will last long after the mission ends here today. This morning, I’m happy to celebrate this lasting impact with all of you,” he added.
The two-storey evacuation center, which could also serve as a multi- purpose center, was built at a cost of about $98,000 or P5 million(at P52 against a dollar) that could accommodate 60 persons
“We humbly thank you for a very memorable gift to our people that can be used by our children and the next generation to come,” Letecia Olino, barangay chairman of Santa Elena, said in her speech.
“The Philippine-American friendship is always cherished by us and the partnership has always been welcome. Thank you, not only for your support, but also for the humanitarianism effort you had served us here in Santa Elena. Thank you very much,” Olino added.
The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by the US Major General Arthur Logan, Mission Cmdr. Capt. Rossum, Col. Tan, and Honorable Olino.
A boodle fight was prepared for the government troops, US Armed Forces and barangay chairman after the ceremony. (RICA NIÑA FABILLAR, MA. ESTERLITA HERMANO, CHRISTINE CARDONA, LY-ANN LANIGAO, EVSU-Interns)

TACLOBAN CITY- Outgoing board member Niccolo Villasin of Leyte’s second district, withdrew his congressional bid on Friday (March 22).
In a hastily called press conference after he withdrew his candidacy at the provincial office of the Commission on Elections, Villasin said that his decision was more on a ‘personal reason.’
According to Villasin, he was not pressured by anyone in withdrawing from the congressional race.
The board member, who is a lawyer by profession, said that his action stemmed from his decision to defend his sister, Tacloban city councilor Ressa Villasin, who was slapped with two counts of perjury.
Councilor Villasin, who is seeking to take the post of her brother at the provincial board, is facing perjury filed by her opponents citing discrepancy of the entry of her certificate of candidacy she filed at the provincial Comelec office.
With his decision to withdraw from the congressional post, reelectionist Rep. Henry Ong would now have to face lawyer Alberto Hidalgo and neophyte Karen Javier as his opponents.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Referring to candidates either suspended or found guilty

TACLOBAN CITY- Candidates who have either been suspended or found guilty by a court are still eligible to run in this year’s midterm elections.
Thus said lawyer Felicisimo Embalsado, assistant regional director of the Commission on Elections (Comelec), when asked if these candidates are still qualified to run for public posts relative to the May 13 elections despite of the suspension order or been found guilty by a court meted against them.
According to Embalsado, these candidates are still entitled to run considering that they could contest the ruling by filing their motion for reconsiderations.
“There is no final decision or conviction yet involving these candidates. They can still appeal their cases up to the Supreme Court under our laws,” the elections assistant regional director said.
Among those in the running in this year’s elections whose qualifications were put into doubt were Mayors Stephany Uy-Tan of Catbalogan City and Christopher Sheen Gonzales of Guiuan, Eastern Samar, and Rep. Milagrosa ‘Mila’ Tan of Samar’s second congressional district.
Rep. Tan, who is running for governor of the province, was found guilty of graft case by the Sandiganbayan involving alleged anomalous procurement of medicine.
While both Uy-Tan and Gonzales were ordered suspended by the Ombudsman for 90 days.
Uy-Tan for an alleged questionable land deal while Gonzales for his alleged misuse of ‘Yolanda’ funds.
Uy-Tan withdrew the mayoralty race in Catbalogan City and will be running for councilor instead while Gonzales is running for the lone congressional district of Eastern Samar.
The three candidates have all appealed the court decision suspending or have found them guilty of the complaints lodged against them.
Embalsado, however, said that while legally the three could still run, the adverse decisions may affect their respective candidacy.
“There could be perception among their voters, especially those living in remote areas where informations are hard to reach, that these candidates are indeed disqualified,” the Comelec assistant regional director said.
The Comelec official added that whoever will be elected still rest on the voters whom they want to become their next leaders. (JOEY A. GABIETA)