TACLOBAN CITY – The Leyte provincial government is pushing for skills training for the children of farmers who have been receiving assistance over the past years.
The program is in partnership with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA), tasked to raise the capability of youth to process and market farm produce.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said the training intended for children of farmers belonging to established associations, is designed to hone their skills to process raw farm products into high value processed food.
The month-long training has started this month for the first batch.
Training will be done in TESDA-accredited training centers closer to residence of recipients. No educational attainment is required to avail the program, according to the governor.
“We want children to learn these skills because food processing is more complicated than planting crops or raising animals,” Petilla added.
This training by TESDA is primarily funded from the office of Senator Loren Legarda.
The provincial government has been training thousands of farmers on producing high-value crops using new technologies.
As of June, the initiative has covered 180 villages all over the province. Priority areas are those with high poverty incidence and areas known to be former hotbeds of the New People’s Army.
The program, officially dubbed as More Income in the Countryside (MIC) compact farming for high-value vegetables and fruit crops, also covers areas with organized group of women and persons with disabilities.
Petilla said the program was conceptualized in the province seven years ago to raise the income of poor farmers, ensure stable local supply of high value crops, link farmers with institutional buyers, increase school participation rate, and curb malnutrition among children.
(MELVA MAE C. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), as part of its poverty-free zone program thrust, conducted for free, the Basic Safety Training for Motorboat Handlers/ Operators / Fisher folks with Typhoon Preparedness (MBHOF) to 156 motorboat handlers / operators / fisher folks’ participants on June 4-5 2018 at the Judgebar Restobar, Victory, Abuyog Leyte.
The training was held in partnership with the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) Regional Office VIII.
The training was conducted taking in cognizant of the fact that maritime incidents and loss of lives are sometimes attributed to accidents involving marginalized vessels and motorboats, thus, the NMP, PCG, Marina, and the local government of Abuyog realized the need to optimize its resources and harmonize its efforts to enhance the basic safety skills of the residents of Abuyog – motorboat handlers / operators and fisher folks to promote safety of life at sea.
The Basic Safety Training for MBHOF aimed in improving the basic safety skills of local motorboat operators and fisher folks and expose them to new techniques in personal survival, Fire prevention and firefighting, elementary first aid and personal safety and social responsibility.
Other salient topics were rules of the road, typhoon awareness and marine safety requirements.
The MBHOF training is in conformity with the NMP Course Plan as approved by the Board of Trustees on 19 March 2007. (PR)

MAASIN CITY- At his home town in Southern Leyte, President Rodrigo Duterte was apparently at his best, throwing rowdy antics and narrating past political exploits while making his ‘kababayans’ in Maasin City laughed as he defended himself against various criticisms hurled against his administration, particularly by the religious sector.
In his impromptu speech during the 58th anniversary of the province on July 2, Duterte asked everyone to listen to him alone instead of the noise created by his critics, saying he should be trusted as the people elected him into office.
“Masuko ba diay’g ingnong lain imong Ginoo? You know, God is what you conceive him to be. Lain-lain ta’g Ginoo eh (Why do you get mad if I hit your god? God is what you conceive him to be. We all have different gods),” the 73-year-old firebrand President said as he lashed out his opponents who used the name of “God” against him.
“Ang pagtuo nako sa Ginoo, katong natun-an nako sa akong mga ginikanan…Mao to’y akong Ginoong nahibaw-an. Dili pud nang Ginoo sa anang gamiton nimong plataporma, unya gamiton nimo ang Ginoo, muingon ka’g gabaan ka kay ang Ginoo mao ni, mao na (The god I know I learned from my parents…That’s the god I know. Not the gods of those who use god as a platform, to warn of karma)…,”Duterte said in vernacular.
While he defended his own belief about God, he maintained that “God is all forgiving.”
Duterte added that his own version of “god” is better than that of his opponents.
“They said god will put me in hell. That’s crazy. My god has no heaven or hell. Do you think god is stupid to create hell?” Duterte asked.
He also reasoned out that there is no truth about hell or purgatory which are found in the traditional Roman Catholic teachings.
“Even purgatory is not true. There is heaven, but do not believe that St. Peter guards the gates….,” the President, who is also a Catholic, said in reference to the Biblical passage on Peter denying Jesus three times before a chicken crowed.
While Duterte admitted that a dialogue has been ongoing with the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) which has been attacking his bloody anti-drug campaign, he said that he is not out for a fight with the Catholic Church.
“I don’t like a fight. I will have a dialogue with the CBCP. (Archbishop Romulo) Valles is from Bohol. We understand each other. He is very kind. As long as he works on his own and I work on my own, we will have no problem. If your heaven is not true, come here to my heaven. And if my heaven is not true, let me enter your heaven,” the President said in his native language.
A Palace official also confirmed that Duterte and Valles would be meeting on July 9 next week, this after Mr. Duterte was met with strong opposition over his “God is stupid” remark.
Meanwhile, a priest in the Archdiocese of Palo also saw something “good” over the recent “God is stupid” remark of Duterte which created a furor among the Catholic leaders and conservative majority.
“At the end of the day, all of this ‘Your God is stupid’ snafu will also bring out good fruit for the Church; I’ve contemplated, also looking back at her long history (others have come up with this realization long before me, and I won’t be the last), that hard times for the Church are good times for her. Times of persecution and hardship are times of clarity,” said 35-year old Fr. Mark Ivo Velasquez.
With Duterte’s harsh pronouncement against the Catholic Church and its faithful, Velasquez said that this may also bring any form of renewal to the Church and its men.
“Pastors are presented with the challenge of revamping their catechism styles (that is, if they do any catechism at all. Parish priests get to see in a renewed light the importance of educating their parishioners in the faith (this is what catechesis means). Priests receive impetus in making their presence seen and felt in their communities, barangays, local schools,” the priest said in his post in his Facebook account.
“Thank you, Mr. President sir, for granting the stage and the opportunity for our catholic communities and clergy to become truly relevant than before! The Church is a seed, the smallest of all seeds… only in burying it could it grow to become the biggest of trees. Such is the work of the Lord, and it is wonderful in our eyes!” Velasquez said. (Ronald O. Reyes)

TACLOBAN CITY- More than 500 plate numbers for motor vehicles were released by the regional office of the Land Transportation Office (LTO) on Thursday (July 6).
Edgar Catarungan, LTO regional director said, that the released plate numbers by their office covers the registration periods of July, August, and September of 2016.
On Thursday, about 504 plate numbers were released by the agency.
They intend to release 50 to 100 plates a day until all identified vehicle owners are given of their plate numbers, Catarungan said.
“Vehicle owners need not visit our office as we will notify car dealers for them to pick up their plate numbers,” Catarungan said.
Catarungan said that Eastern Visayas has around 100,000 vehicles, to include motorcycles, which have yet to be issued plate numbers.
But the LTO regional director assured the owners that they would be given their plate numbers soon as they were directed by President Rodrigo Duterte to distribute plate numbers to all motor and vehicle owners.
He said that their central office could now process 20,000 plate numbers day which could hasten in the distribution of plate numbers across the country. (JOEY A. GABIETA with HYDE OPADA,MARIA FELINDA CADA, ESSU Student Interns)

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The regional office of the Department of Health(DOH-8) reported that 16 people have died across the region due to dengue fever just last month alone.
The DOH-8 said that of the reported casualties due to dengue fever, Ormoc City posted the highest number of deaths with five followed by Salcedo, Eastern Samar with two fatalities.
Meantime Calbayog City; Pinyutan, Saint Bernard, and Libagon, all in Southern Leyte; Baybay City and Bato, both in Leyte; Santa Margarita, Samar; Cabucgayan, Biliran; and San Isidro, Northern Samar have one each confirmed fatality.
The regional health office said that about 1, 724 people from different parts of the region were hit by dengue fever, a disease cause by a mosquito bite of Aedes type.
It reported that the ages of the victims ranged from a month old to 82 years old.
And of the 1,724 dengue fever reported by the DOH-8 last month, 22 percent were in Leyte, the DOH reported.
For the safety of everyone, the DOH strongly suggest to follow their 4s Advocacy to prevent dengue- search and destroy – where mosquitos are residing; secure self-protection by wearing long sleeves, use anti-mosquito products; seek early consultation within two days, especially if fever does not stop and support fogging and spraying but only on hotspot areas. (FRANZ ERICK DADIA, KEN LOUISE DE LUNA, ELIZABETH BAGUILOD, ESSU Student Interns)

TACLOBAN CITY – The elections officer of this city is calling for qualified registrants to visit their office as the listing up for voters has started early this week.
Lawyer Ma. Goretti Cañas, city elections officer, said that their office, located at the Tacloban Convention Center or astrodome, is open during office hours for the registration of voters.
For this purpose, their office will also be open during Saturdays, to include holidays.
“We will be accepting applications for those who will be turning 18 on or before May 13, 2019 which is the schedule of our next national and local elections,” Cañas said.
The registration of voters begun on July 2 and is to end on September 29 this year.
Cañas said that applicants have only to bring with them identification cards issued by the government and if students, their school identification cards.
They can also bring with them their certificates of live birth or baptism.
The Commission on Elections is accepting for new registration, transfer, reactivation, and change of status or correction of entry or entries and inclusion or reinstatement of voters. (MARIE CRISSALYN A.AGUJA, ADFC Student Intern; GILAMAE P.RONCALES and EDEN C.TEJERO, ESSU Student Interns)