TACLOBAN CITY – The number of local government units (LGUs) in the region declared as having a stable internal peace and security condition (SIPSC) continues to grow as government forces intensify efforts to achieve a fully insurgency-free region.
Recently, the 43rd Infantry Battalion led the SIPSC declaration of four towns in Northern Samar: Lavezares – declared on March 12, 2025; Victoria – declared on March 13, 2025; San Isidro – declared on March 18, 2025; and San Antonio – declared on March 20, 2025.
A locality is granted SIPSC status when it is deemed cleared of communist influence, unaffected by insurgency, and relatively peaceful. The local peace and order council recommends the declaration to the municipal or city council or the provincial board for approval.
The SIPSC status is expected to promote economic growth, poverty reduction, and enhanced basic services, according to Lt. Col. Jomar Buban, Assistant Division Chief of Civil-Military Operations of the 8th Infantry Division.
“This declaration is expected to enhance the region’s image, fostering a transition from its previous status as an insurgency stronghold to a region characterized by peace and significant potential for economic development,” Buban said during the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas forum hosted by the Philippine Information Agency.
As of February 2025, the 8th Infantry Division has recorded at least 70 LGUs in Eastern Visayas under SIPSC, including Biliran province and the cities of Baybay, Maasin, and Calbayog.
Among the towns, 16 in Eastern Samar; 14 in Southern Leyte; 10 each in Leyte and Samar; and 8 in Northern Samar.
CASHLESS PAYMENT. Borongan City is the first city in Eastern Visayas to go into cashless payment in the public market. The mode of payment was made possible under the PalengQR PH Plus program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.(BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
CASHLESS PAYMENT. Borongan City is the first city in Eastern Visayas to go into cashless payment in the public market. The mode of payment was made possible under the PalengQR PH Plus program of the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.(BORONGAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
TACLOBAN CITY – Borongan City has become the first city in Eastern Visayas to implement cashless transactions among market vendors and tricycle drivers, enhancing payment speed, security, and convenience for both consumers and service providers.
This milestone was achieved through the launch of the PalengQR PH Plus program on March 19, 2025, an initiative by the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) aimed at promoting financial inclusion and empowering small businesses with secure and efficient digital payment solutions.
Based on BSP records, as of February 22, 2025, 169 local government units (LGUs) across the Philippines are implementing or preparing to roll out PalengQR PH Plus. Of these, 30 LGUs are in the Visayas.
Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda welcomed the initiative, emphasizing that the BSP provided the program to the city free of charge.
“It’s a game changer for our entrepreneurs. They can now track their sales and inventories more efficiently while eliminating pilferage, which could lead to better management and higher profits,” Mayor Agda said in a phone interview on March 21.
The mayor also highlighted the broader impact of cashless transactions, benefiting not just vendors and tricycle drivers but also everyday consumers who will experience seamless and secure payments.
He further disclosed that the cashless system would soon be expanded to other small entrepreneurs, including street food vendors such as those selling barbecue.
Currently, 200 market vendors in Borongan have already enrolled in the program, marking a significant step toward digital transformation in the city.
The move aligns with Borongan’s vision of becoming a “smart city,” where digital and online transactions play a central role in commerce and governance.
During the launch, BSP Tacloban Branch Area Director Victorio Tingcang III outlined the key advantages of the PalengQR PH Plus system, which facilitates secure and efficient transactions using QR codes.
“We no longer need to carry physical money because we can now pay the exact amount using QR PH. This helps prevent virus transmission from handling cash and protects people from counterfeit bills. QR PH is an efficient system that also saves time and transportation costs since transactions can be completed remotely via mobile phones,” Tingcang explained.
The program reduces reliance on cash transactions while enhancing financial security for small businesses, market vendors, and tricycle drivers.
To encourage participation, financial service providers such as GCash, Maya, BanKo by BPI, Landbank, and Chinabank set up on-site booths during the launch to assist vendors and transport operators in setting up digital wallets and accessing cashless payment options immediately.
PalengQR PH Plus is part of BSP’s broader initiative to promote financial inclusion and digitalization across the Philippines.
Launched in 2022, the program enables businesses, vendors, and transport operators to accept digital payments via QR codes, which customers can scan using mobile wallets and online banking apps.
Among the key benefits of the program are enhanced security, reduces risks of theft and counterfeit money;convenience as it speeds up transactions and eliminates the need for exact change; financial inclusion as it expands digital payment access to small businesses and informal workers; and business growth, help boosts economic activity by streamlining payments.
TACLOBAN CITY – A Panama-flagged vessel, M/V Fionan, temporarily anchored off the waters of Barangay Cabatuan, Palapag, Northern Samar on Saturday, March 22, as it said to have experienced a mechanical problem.
Based on the information from the Palapag Coast Guard, at about 7:18 am that day, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) Palapag reported on what they suspected to be a case of vessel grounding near the barangay’s vicinity waters.
This prompted the Coast Guard in Palapag to verify the report.
Upon arrival at the area, the team, together with the members of the Marine Environmental Protection Enforcement and Response Unit of Northern Samar, conducted an inquiry with the residents, who confirmed that no oil spill or environmental hazards had been observed.
Merlinda Flores, Cabatuan barangay chairperson, informed authorities that her villagers had spotted the vessel at around 2:00 am on Saturday, it said.
At 11:50 am, the Coast Guard successfully established radio contact with the vessel, later identified as MV Fionan, a Panama-flagged ship with a Vietnamese crew of 23, including the captain.
The vessel had last departed from Australia and was en route to Vietnam when it dropped anchor for shelter and mechanical repairs.
The crew reported no distress, stating they were addressing an engine piston system issue before resuming their voyage at 6 am on Sunday, March 23.
Due to a language barrier, authorities were unable to obtain further details about the vessel.
TACLOBAN CITY – The military in Eastern Visayas has asserted that the New People’s Army (NPA) no longer holds the power to demand so-called “permits to campaign” or “permits to win” from political candidates in the region relative to the May 12 midterm elections.
According to Lt. Col. Joemar Buban, assistant division chief of staff for community and military affairs, the NPA has lost both its mass support and influence over barangays, making any such demands ineffective.
“Candidates should not be deceived if they receive demand letters from the NPA for permits to campaign or win,” Buban said during the ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ of the Philippine Information Agency on Tuesday, March 18.
“This communist terrorist group no longer controls any barangay, nor do they have the mass base to justify such demands,” he stressed.
Buban further questioned the rebels’ ability to influence election outcomes. “How can they make a candidate win when they no longer have any barangay or mass base under their control?” he pointed out.
In previous elections, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) reportedly demanded that candidates secure permits to campaign in areas under their control, particularly in remote barangays.
The so-called “permit to win” was also offered in exchange for financial contributions, with the promise of ensuring votes for a candidate in NPA-influenced villages.
However, Buban stated that the situation has significantly changed.
“We are closely monitoring the security (landscape) for any election-related violence, including potential threats from NPA rebels. But we are confident that we are on the final stretch of ending the insurgency in Eastern Visayas, with its complete eradication within reach this year,” he said.
According to military data, the number of active NPA rebels in Eastern Visayas has dwindled to just over 100, primarily in Samar Island. This marks a significant drop from more than 400 members in 2019, when the government launched the End Local Communist Armed Conflict (ELCAC) initiative.
ELCAC, a whole-of-nation approach initiated under former President Rodrigo Duterte and continued under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., has been credited with reducing insurgency-related threats.
Since its implementation in 2019, military operations conducted 461 armed encounters, leading to the deaths of 791 rebels, including 115 key leaders. Additionally, 1,124 assorted firearms, 704 anti-personnel land mines, and 703 rebel camps have been seized or dismantled.
With NPA-controlled villages being cleared, Buban noted that development initiatives such as road construction have begun benefiting communities, allowing residents greater access to government services.
TACLOBAN CITY– Eastern Visayas may have only been visited by more than 1.6 million tourists but its contribution to the regional economy could not be sneered at.
Thus said Karina Rosa Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism, who said that the tourist receipt, or the amount being spent by every tourist, in 2024 amounted to more than P39.33 billion which is more than 24 percent higher compared to the 2023 figure of P31.52 billion.
“You may say that we have only been visited by 1.6 million arrivals last year but look at the earnings. So we can really say that in tourism, there is really money. In tourism, it can create jobs; it can create livelihood,” she said during ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ of the Philippine Information Agency on March 13.
In 2023, the region was visited by more than 1.3 million tourists with total receipts of P31.52 billion.
For this year, the DOT in the region is targeting 1.8 million tourist arrivals with an estimated tourist receipt of P67.05 billion.
The DOT in the region estimates that every tourist spends at least P5,758 a day.
Tiopes said that one of the biggest factors as to the increasing tourist arrivals in the region is its increasing access either by air, land, and sea.
“One of the factors that we attribute to the increase of our tourist arrivals is actually access. If you are difficult to go to, chance the visitors would not consider visiting your place. So it is important for us to have connectivity by air, sea, and by land,” she said.
She particularly mentioned the ongoing rehabilitation of the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport in Tacloban City in attracting more guests.
The airport, considered among the busiest in the country, has about 20 flights a day or 140 flights a day.
Tiopes also said that other airports in the region like those in Borongan City in Eastern Samar; Catarman in Northern Samar; and Calbayog City in Samar are seeing increase of daily flights.
She also noted that sea connectivity is also improving particularly those in Ormoc City, Leyte which have a daily Cebu schedule and in Allen, Northern Samar which serves as the main route in going to Luzon.
Tiopes also reported that their office together with the Department of Public Works and Highways are also improving land access by constructing more so-called ‘tourism roads’ or roads leading to a tourist destination.
Just last year, about 16.34 kms were constructed involving the amount of P930 million consisting of 33 projects, she said.
Tiopes said that among foreign guests, among the leading visitors are Americans, Chinese, Australians, Japanese, and Canadians.
She also disclosed that Indians are the ‘new market’ of the region among foreign guests.
These guests in the region visits the region’s tourist destinations.
These include the Kalanggaman Island in Palompon and Canigao Island in Canigao, both in Leyte; Lintaon Peak 16,000 blossoms in Baybay City, Leyte; Pinusilan Lagoon in Mapanas, Northern Samar; and Tagbak Marine Park in Liloan, Southern Leyte.
Among the six provinces of the region, Samar was visited by more than 383,724 tourists with tourist receipts of over P9.05 billion.
Tacloban City, the regional capital, meantime, was visited by more than 377,612 guests who spent more than P8.91 billion.
TACLOBAN CITY – The National Amnesty Commission (NAC) is expanding its efforts in Eastern Visayas to support the reintegration of former insurgents into mainstream society.
In the region, the local amnesty boards, both in Tacloban City for Leyte and Catbalogan City for Samar Island have processed a combined total of 434 applications.
These boards play a crucial role in facilitating the amnesty process, ensuring that applicants fully understand the conditions and commitments required for their reintegration.
Lawyer Leah Tanodra Armamento, NAC chairperson clarified, that the NAC cannot guarantee that all former rebels will not return to insurgency after receiving government interventions.
“Actually, we cannot assure that they will not go back, but for us, the government is giving them the opportunity to make their lives better,” Armamento said during the ‘Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas’ of the Philippine Information Agency on Tuesday, March 18.
Moreover, local amnesty boards offer livelihood programs, scholarships for children, and financial assistance to help former rebels establish a stable future.
“These interventions include financial assistance, livelihood programs, scholarships for their children, and even PhilHealth IDs for some applicants,” Armamento stated.
The government’s approach to amnesty focuses on providing opportunities for a better life, although it cannot guarantee that all applicants will fully reintegrate into society.
