TACLOBAN CITY — Residents of Barangay Kalilihan in Calbayog City are expected to gain better access to education, transportation, and livelihood opportunities following the completion of a new school building and a concrete farm-to-market road in the remote community.

The projects were formally turned over to barangay officials during a joint ceremony held in Barangay Payahan, with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Samar and the city government of Calbayog leading the turnover.

DILG Samar Provincial Director Judy Batulan and Calbayog Mayor Raymund “Monmon” Uy led the ceremony for the completed 2024 Support to the Barangay Development Program (SBDP) school building and the 2024 Unprogrammed Appropriations (UA) SBDP road opening and concreting projects.

The turnover formally transferred the operational ownership, management, and maintenance responsibilities for the completed facilities to the barangay government and other designated local stakeholders.

Kalilihan village officials, led by barangay chairman Raul Fajardo, accepted responsibility for the completed projects, while the principal and teachers of Kalilihan Elementary School took custody of the newly constructed school building.

The new school building provides students with a permanent and more durable learning facility, replacing temporary learning spaces with a structure designed to withstand the challenges posed by the local environment.

The completed road opening and concreting project, meanwhile, transformed a previously unpaved route into a concrete farm-to-market road, improving mobility within the barangay and facilitating the transport of agricultural products.

Before the road project was completed, Barangay Kalilihan could only be reached after a three- to four-hour trek from major transit points. The improved road is expected to reduce travel time and make it easier for residents to access essential services and transport farm produce to markets.

The projects form part of the national government’s rural development efforts to improve access to basic services and infrastructure in geographically isolated and disadvantaged communities.

For residents of Kalilihan, the new school building and road represent improved access to education and mobility in a community that has long faced challenges because of its remote location.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The municipal government of Guiuan, Eastern Samar has ordered an intensified environmental sanitation campaign after the town recorded 16 confirmed dengue cases from January to the second week of July, with more than half of the infections reported in a single village.

Mayor Annaliza Gonzales-Kwan on July 16, issued Executive Order No. 07-94-2026, directing all 60 barangays to immediately mobilize and strengthen clean-up and dengue prevention activities to curb the spread of the mosquito-borne disease.

The order was issued after an inspection report submitted by the Municipal Health Office (MHO) on July 15 showed that nine of the 16 confirmed dengue cases were recorded in Barangay Salug, making it the municipality’s most affected village.

The report also identified numerous mosquito breeding sites across the town, including stagnant water, clogged canals, overgrown vegetation, and improperly managed solid waste, prompting local officials to intensify preventive measures.

Under the executive order, all barangays have been directed to conduct weekly clean-up drives, remove water-holding containers that could serve as mosquito breeding sites, unclog drainage canals and waterways, eliminate stagnant water in public places and residential areas, trim overgrown vegetation, and strengthen solid waste management in accordance with Republic Act No. 9003.

Barangays were also instructed to coordinate with the Municipal Health Office in conducting information and education campaigns on dengue prevention, mobilize barangay health workers and community volunteers for sanitation activities, and assist health personnel during larval surveys, misting, spraying, and other vector-control operations.

Households are likewise encouraged to undertake weekly search-and-destroy activities against mosquito breeding sites, properly dispose of household waste, maintain clean surroundings, and cooperate with health authorities during inspections and vector-control interventions.

To ensure compliance, all village chiefs have been ordered to submit weekly accomplishment reports, including photographs and summaries of activities undertaken, until the Municipal Health Office determines that the intensified sanitation campaign may be scaled down.

(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY — Tubig Catbalogan Corporation (TCC) has launched an emergency response plan after the city’s water supply system fell to only 30% to 40% of its normal capacity, leaving many households, schools, businesses, and workers with little or no water for several days.

In a statement issued July 16, 2026, TCC apologized to residents affected by the prolonged water shortage and admitted that the company should have acted earlier to detect and repair leaks, improve backup capacity, and develop additional water sources.
The company attributed the crisis to a combination of prolonged dry conditions that depleted water sources, heavy rains that made other sources difficult to treat, power interruptions that disrupted pumping operations, and significant water losses caused by leaks.

To oversee the emergency response, Mark Eric Roxas, chief operations officer of Tubig Pilipinas, has been deployed to Catbalogan to supervise operations and ensure the rapid implementation of response measures and infrastructure projects.

Among the immediate measures being undertaken is the expansion of leak-repair teams from two to four. A second leak-detection team equipped with sonar technology has also been deployed to locate underground leaks that may be contributing to the loss of water in the distribution system.

TCC also began testing a District Metered Area (DMA) rotational piped-water service on July 16. The system is intended to improve water pressure in selected areas while providing scheduled water distribution through existing pipelines.

The company said water delivered by local government unit trucks will remain free to all Catbalogan residents, whether or not they are connected to the TCC system. Additional water trucks will also be deployed, with routes and schedules to be announced through official communication channels.

TCC said it will begin utilizing the Masacpasac water source this month, which is expected to add about five liters of water per second to the system.

The company also plans to upgrade the pumping and filtration facilities that transport water from Caramayon to the Kulador Water Treatment Plant to increase the volume of treated water available for distribution.

A longer-term project, the San Andres–Caramayon–Cagutian water source and pipeline project, is scheduled to begin construction in August 2026 once the required materials arrive. Upon completion and successful testing, the project is expected to provide up to 15 million liters of water per day.

TCC urged residents to help address the crisis by reporting visible leaks and broken pipes, conserving water, and avoiding the use of unauthorized booster pumps directly connected to the main distribution line.

The company said unauthorized booster pumps can reduce water pressure for neighboring households.

The water crisis has forced many Catbalogan residents to rely on water containers and deliveries as the city’s water distribution system struggles with depleted sources, infrastructure problems, and operational disruptions.

TCC thanked the city government of Catbalogan, the Catbalogan Water District, barangay officials, emergency responders, and residents for their assistance during the crisis.
The company said it would continue to release updates on repair work, DMA schedules, water-truck routes, and the progress of water infrastructure projects through its official communication channels.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)