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Mormons Church to build its biggest temple in Eastern Visayas

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Located in Tacloban City

TACLOBAN CITY– The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, commonly known as the Mormon Church, has broken ground on what will become its largest temple in Eastern Visayas.

The groundbreaking ceremony took place Saturday, January 18.

Michael Strong, the First Counselor of the Philippines Area of the Church, expressed optimism that the construction of the larger temple would encourage growth among the current membership, which stands at over 35,000 in the region.

“We feel that the groundbreaking of the temple is not just for our church but for the community,” Strong said.

He emphasized the Church’s commitment to being an “important partner” with the local government and civic organizations in Tacloban and nearby areas.

“The Church is not only teaching about faith in Jesus Christ but is also very active in humanitarian works and services. We look for opportunities to contribute and partner with government and civic leaders to help make the community a better place,” he added.

The new temple will be located in the Caibaan area of Tacloban City. The two-story structure will cover an area of 21,407 square meters, making it a significant addition to the Church’s presence in the Philippines. Construction is expected to be completed in two years.

Once finished, the Tacloban temple will be the eighth operational temple in the Philippines, out of the 13 currently planned or under construction nationwide.

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has a history of community involvement in Tacloban.

Following the devastation of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013, the Church was among the first organizations to extend assistance to survivors. Its support included relief efforts and aid to local schools.

The Church hopes that the new temple will help expand its membership base in Eastern Visayas. Currently, the region is home to over 35,000 members, with more than 7,000 based in Tacloban City.

“With this new temple, we aim to provide a sacred space that inspires faith and unity while also fostering growth within our community,” Church leaders said in a statement.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

PBBM turns over housing units for ‘Yolanda’ survivors

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President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. exchages cordial conversation with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during the ceremonial turnover of eight completed Yolanda Permanent Housing Program (YPHP) Projects and signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA )and deed of donation and acceptance (DODA) in the provinces of Leyte,Samar and Biliran held at Burauen Community College Multi-Purpose Gym,Burauen, Leyte on Friday, Jan.17, morning.Also in photo are National Housing Authority General Manager Joeben Tai (2nd right) and Tingog Partylist Rep. Jude Acidre (right). photo by Ver Noveno

Issues order to complete remaining projects

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” R. Marcos Jr. exchages cordial conversation with Speaker Ferdinand Martin G. Romualdez during the ceremonial turnover of eight completed Yolanda Permanent Housing Program (YPHP) Projects and signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA )and deed of donation and acceptance (DODA) in the provinces of Leyte,Samar and Biliran held at Burauen Community College Multi-Purpose Gym,Burauen, Leyte on Friday, Jan.17, morning.Also in photo are National Housing Authority General Manager Joeben Tai (2nd right) and Tingog Partylist Rep. Jude Acidre (right). photo by Ver Noveno

BURAUEN, Leyte — President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. led the turnover of housing units across eight towns in Leyte, Biliran, and Samar on Friday, January 17, during a ceremony held in this town.

A total of 3,655 housing units were distributed, benefiting survivors of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’, which devastated Eastern Visayas in 2013.

The housing projects were initiated during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte but were completed and occupied under the current Marcos administration.

The President has said that he directed all concerned government offices, including local government units where these unfinished and unoccupied resettlements sites, to be completed on December 31,2025.

The units are located in Culaba in Biliran; Marabut in Samar; and Tabontabon, Tanauan, Julita, Dagami, Pastrana, and Burauen in Leyte.

The ceremonial turnover took place at the multi-purpose building of Burauen Community College, with mayors of the beneficiary towns accepting the housing units on behalf of their constituents. President Marcos was joined by House Speaker and Leyte Representative Martin Romualdez and Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla at the event.

Currently, 1,551 families are residing in these housing units, including 68-year-old Delia Ocesador of Barangay Arado, Burauen, who has been living in her unit since June 19, 2024.
“I am happy that we now have a better house. We can sleep soundly even during bad weather,” said Ocesador, a widow whose late husband, Romulo, passed away before they could enjoy their new home.

Her four children also reside in the same housing project, Cool Spring Residences, located about a kilometer from the town proper.

The Cool Spring Residences project comprises 600 units, each with a floor area of 28.60 square meters and a lot area of 40 square meters. All units are now occupied.

In his speech, President Marcos assured the beneficiaries of the durability and safety of their new homes, emphasizing their disaster-resilient design.

“Nagpatayo tayo ng mga bahay na matibay at kayang siguruhing ligtas ang inyong pamilya sa gitna ng mga hamon ng kalikasan,” he said.

In an ambush interview, President Marcos instructed the National Housing Authority, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, and concerned local government units to prioritize the completion of remaining housing projects for Yolanda survivors.

“Iyong unang ginawa na mga pabahay substandard—kulang sa kuryente, kulang sa tubig, walang kalsada, at napakalayo kaya’t hindi masyadong nagamit,” he said.

“To address this, we are providing funding to local governments to rehabilitate and complete unoccupied units so they can finally be used by the people,” the President added.

According to the NHA, it has completed 175,728 out of 189,800 target units as of December 2024, including the 3,517 units in today’s ceremonial turnover, while the remaining 14,072 units are expected to be completed by December 2025.

Around 67 percent or 133,725 of the completed housing units were already awarded to, and occupied by, beneficiaries.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Leyte provincial government moves to institutionalize iTax system

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TACLOBAN CITY – The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Leyte has begun deliberations on an ordinance that seeks to institutionalize the integrated real property taxation system, known as the iTax system, within the province.

The proposed ordinance, titled “An Ordinance Institutionalizing the Implementation of the Integrated Real Property Taxation System (iTax System) in the Province of Leyte” was discussed during the regular session of the provincial board last Jan.14.

Board Member Wilson Uy explained that the iTax system aims to modernize and streamline real property tax (RPT) administration, improving efficiency and transparency in assessment and collection.

“This system minimizes human intervention, enhances revenue collection, and makes the RPT process more efficient and accessible,” Uy said during the session presided over by Vice-Governor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier.

The iTax system features a user-friendly interface for online assessment, billing, and payment. Taxpayers, particularly those in remote areas, can benefit from online payment platforms such as GCash, PayMaya, debit and credit cards, online bank transfers, and other accredited portals.

The initiative aligns with the national government’s digitalization efforts and the transparency mandate of the Department of Finance and the Bureau of Local Government Finance.

During the same session, the provincial board approved other key appointments and endorsements:

The reappointment of Atty. Jose Raymund Acol as provincial legal office chief, upon the endorsement of Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla and the endorsement of former Alangalang Sangguniang Kabataan Federation president Jan Reian Niño Saavedra as Commissioner for the Visayas in the National Youth Commission.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Unrelenting Rains

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Recently, Eastern Visayas has been battered by unrelenting rains with disastrous consequences to all facets of everyday life, agriculture, and infrastructure, submerging some communities under floodwaters. Though rain is essential to water-crop lifelines, these persistent downpours demand vigorous counter-measures to neutralize its effects. A region so reliant on agriculture and mobility cannot afford to endure this season without decisive action.

The most immediate effect of these incessant rains is the flooding that has inundated low-lying houses, roads, and farmlands. In poorly drained areas, families have been displaced, and transportation has come to a standstill. The heaviest burden falls on the agricultural sector, the backbone of Eastern Visayas, as submerged fields render harvests impossible and rot stored produce. Plants like root crops, which are vulnerable to excess water, are especially exposed to risks of jeopardizing livelihoods and food security in the region.

This prolongs the rainfall and exposes the fragility of infrastructure in the region. Poorly maintained drainage systems and unregulated land use make flooding’s effects more severe. Urban centers are clogged with uncollected debris; rural areas experience eroded riverbanks and weakened dams. These failings further exaggerate the already disastrous consequences of constant rains. Without structural improvement, Eastern Visayas is going to remain without adequate preparation to meet the recurrent weather patterns, which climate change keeps on intensifying.

This means that local governments and national agencies have a responsibility to act with dispatch in responding to the continuing crisis. Temporary relief measures, such as evacuations and distribution of aid, are important but not sufficient; long-term investment in flood control systems, reforestation of watersheds to absorb excess water, and climate-resilient agricultural practices are necessary. The establishment of early warning systems and enforcement of zoning laws to prevent encroachment into flood-prone areas are critical in reducing vulnerability to such events.

What the Eastern Visayas needs now is a holistic approach to mitigate the effects of constant rains while safeguarding the people and resources of the region. Policymakers should act decisively in the implementation of sustainable solutions for flood management and see that the region is better prepared to face challenges given by the increasingly unpredictable climate. Stakes are high, and inaction is no longer an option.

Is this what we are?

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We Filipinos find ourselves oftentimes stuck in the mud of poverty, not so much from the outside but largely due to our own doing that, like termites, is gnawing away at the foundation of our collective potential. If we truly want to prosper, we should put behind us the anti-developmental practices that have held us back for many generations. It is not that far-fetched a solution; the real work has to begin within us, and the key is discipline in unlocking our progress.

We seem to glamorize luck as if it is some kind of divine lottery ticket that takes away our efforts. “Bahala na” has become a mantra, or even a crutch as if a mere acceptance of fate justifies poor work or no work at all. I have seen small businesses fold simply because their owners spent more time betting on Lotto numbers than investing in their skills. Prosperity is not a gamble; it is a harvest, and no farmer harvests crops without first planting the seeds and tending to the field. Waiting for a stroke of fortune is no different from expecting a mango tree to grow without ever planting it.

Then there’s the matter of our reliance on others to bail us out. How often do we see capable adults leaning too much on relatives working overseas? I know families who’ve turned OFW remittances into a lifeline for non-essentials like karaoke systems and endless fiestas while ignoring opportunities to start small businesses or improve their living conditions. This dependence drains not just our wallets but our pride. If you’re always expecting someone else to pull your weight, you’re not just staying poor—you’re becoming poor in spirit, too.

Our environment tells a similar story of irresponsibility. Rivers that should be bubbling with life are instead choked with the garbage people throw in the dead of night, hoping no one will notice. But trash has a way of coming back; it floods our streets, clogs up our lives, and leaves us wading through the mire of our own making. It’s a bitter irony: we complain about poverty, yet we defile the very things that could provide us with the wherewithal to rise above it. If discipline means cleaning up after ourselves, why do we refuse to pick up the broom?

Poor sanitation is not just an environmental issue; it is a health risk that will eventually cost us more. Passing by makeshift food stalls near terminals, I cringe at the sight of uncovered dishes swarming with flies. One bout of diarrhea may mean the erasure of a family’s daily income and, with that, lasting productivity diminution. Yet we seem to take these circumstances for granted. Isn’t it strange how we are quick to wash our hands of responsibility but slow in washing our hands before meals?

Laziness is another invisible chain around our ankles. It’s not that we Filipinos are short on talent or intelligence; it’s just that we more often settle for mediocrity. I have seen it myself: farmers who would rather not plant in a planting season because they are too tired, or tricycle drivers who, rather than take on another passenger, would rather idle and gamble. This isn’t just about individuals; this is a national malaise. Productivity is the engine of progress, but an engine needs fuel, and that fuel is hard work.

Worse is when some of us romanticize this lack of responsibility to the point that it is somehow this charming quirk of our culture. “Ganito talaga tayo” (This is just how we are.) (Kay amo man la kita hini—Winaray) is such a dangerous mindset. It’s like saying a broken clock doesn’t need fixing because it tells the correct time twice a day. If we continue to cower behind these excuses, we’re only passing the same broken clock to the next generation, ensuring that not only do they inherit poverty, but our complacency as well.

If there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that discipline isn’t a punishment; it’s liberation. It’s what allows us to break free from the vicious cycles we’ve created and start building something better. Imagine if every Filipino cleaned their surroundings, worked diligently, and invested in their growth instead of waiting for miracles. The ripple effect would be transformative. Discipline, after all, is contagious. The question is, who’s willing to start the wave?

The answer may be simpler than we think. It begins with the small, consistent actions of throwing trash in the right bin, showing up on time, and teaching our kids the value of honest work. If we can master the basics, bigger changes will naturally follow. Stop blaming luck, others, or our culture, and start taking charge. After all, in the end, nothing is standing between us and prosperity but us.

Lack of parental guidance

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Threats to the family are aplenty that we cannot and must not just rely on authorities for protection. Children of school-going age need parental care and protection more than what authorities can provide. We know too well that authorities could only provide limited supervision and protection to school children. School authorities can only oversee school children while in the confines of the school premises.

Beyond class hours and outside the school campus, we cannot expect school authorities to still be responsible for school children. It is the responsibility of parents to do their share in providing care and protection to their children after school. While there are police authorities providing school safety and protection, they too can only do so much of their task within the area of the school.

Reports regarding students being duped into vices and other undesirable activities by peers must be a cause for concern among parents. These problems are prevalent among high school students who are found in groups that engage in off-campus activities. These youthful students call their groups as fraternities and sororities. Observers however consider these groups as gangs for they do not have the characteristics of real fraternities and sororities. All that these groups do are nefarious activities like forcedly collecting money from hapless students who are threatened with harm by the gang.

In other instances, these groups engage in misguided activities. They do not have any clear purpose than enjoy the company of their gang doing what they want to do afar from the sight of their busy parents. Students of this generation seem lacking in parental guidance and influenced by misguided elements of society. We are aware how peer groups take primacy among the influential factors in the life of students. It poses to parents the great challenge of combating the evil forces that drag students to misguided activities. We cannot rely on others, not even authority figures, for the care, protection and guidance of our children.

But we must give attention to the factors that lead to the way students behave today. We may unconsciously be allowing our children to take misguided paths. A lot of media blitz from television programs require parental guidance but parents simply do not care providing children the needed guidance. In school, values education is part of the curriculum but matters like children’s rights and related topics on freedom and privacy sometimes go offhand, giving the students the wrong notion of independence and less respect for parental guidance.

In their eagerness to assert the rights being taught in school, students often go beyond the parameters by totally excluding parental guidance in the vocabulary. The indoctrination of wrong and misguided values by various sectors are the unwitting cause why students are falling into unwanted and undesirable activities. All these may still be traced to seeming lack if not the utter failure of parental guidance.
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