TACLOBAN CITY – The municipal inter-agency task force (MIATF) in Mondragon, Northern Samar had requested the Regional Inter-Agency Task Force to place six of its villages under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) from November 2 until November 15.
The request, signed by Mayor Mario Madera as head of the council, is due to the spike of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in their town.
The MIATF agreed to declare the six barangays that have active cases to be placed under MECQ, thereby imposing stricter protocols on the movement of persons within the respective barangays,” the resolution said.
The municipality has recorded 53 COVID-19 cases of which 40 are still active cases while 13 are already classified as recovered.
Villages to be placed under 14-day MECQ are Bugko, Chitongco, Eco, Imelda, Makiwalo, and Nenita.
“This will help ensure that prevention of the spread of the virus and the delivery of essential health care services to the affected residents,” Mayor Madera said, citing the reason why these barangays are to be placed under MECQ.
“This will also allow the local government unit to better manage and implement its COVID-19 response and mitigation mechanisms, “he added.
Based on the data of the LGU, in Bugko village, 17 residents are confirmed infected by the disease where they have 104 identified close contacts and 12 secondary contacts.
Chitongco has five confirmed cases, Eco has four, Makiwalo has seven, while Imelda and Nenita both have two confirmed cases. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – A new councilor in Baybay City has taken his oath and assumed office as one of the Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) members of the city, a report from the Leyte Governor’s Office said.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla told reporters in an interview that he administered the oath taking of Ramon Ronald Veloso as the new councilor of Baybay City, replacing his father, Vicente Victor Veloso, who resigned his post.
Petilla informed reporters that the oath taking ceremony which was attended by some officials of Baybay City and from the province of Leyte was held October 27, 2020 at the Governor’s Office at the Government Center, Palo town.

Green space or a bike lane

TACLOBAN CITY – The council members of this city approved a resolution endorsing two proposed projects to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
These projects are the Tacloban City Urban Bike Lane, and the development of Green Spaces in Tacloban North. However, the DBM will only choose one of the two proposed projects for funding.
During their last week’s regular session, the city council was graced by Tacloban City Engineer Chief Dionisio de Paz and discussed the Tacloban City Urban Bike Lane project.
“It is very important that we have discussed this in the council to know which is the priority, the urban bike lane or the green space,” Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin said.
The component of the urban bike lane which the city government is proposing starts from the City Hall grounds to the Tacloban City Astrodome, going to the northern barangay.
Yaokasin also stressed that it is important to know which of the two proposed projects is needed by the city residents at this time to ensure that the fund to be utilized are used properly and would benefit the people most.
“We are leaving it to the DBM to decide, instead us deciding what is best for our city. I think we should look at it in a way which is more important, the bike lane but what the DBM approves is the green space or the green space but they approved the proposal for the urban bike lane,” the vice mayor said.
“Hopefully if this will be implemented, this could help in easing traffic situation and also in the safety of bikers,” Yaokasin added.
The proposed Tacloban Urban Bike Lane will cost P21.79 million and will cover a total of 28 kilometers from the city downtown area to astrodome then to the park near the GMA Kapuso Housing, according to Tacloban City Engineer Chief Dionisio de Paz.
Prior to creating the proposal, the city government had called for a meeting with different bike organizations, de Paz said.
Included in the proposal is the construction of a waiting shed, bike parking area, and structures that will separate motorists to bikers, and bike lanes in road designated as one way street.
Protective equipment are to be installed like the structural barriers to protect the bikers who are traversing bike lanes located along the national highways.
“We have structures that will separate vehicles from bike lane; there are also areas where we will use paint as markings,” De Paz said.
“In Anibong, since residents of this area are to be relocated, road will be extended for the construction of bike lane,” he added.
De Paz added motorcycles are not allowed to use the bike lane.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)