TACLOBAN CITY – The municipal government of Catarman, Northern Samar, has pledged its continued support for members of the Citizen Armed Force Geographical Unit (Cafgu), recognizing their role in maintaining peace and security in the capital town.
As part of this commitment, the Municipal Treasurer’s Office and the Office of the Municipal Mayor distributed cash allowances to Cafgu members for the first quarter of 2025 at the 43rd Infantry Battalion camp in Lope de Vega town.
A total of 77 Cafgu members received P3,000 each for the first quarter, along with an additional P1,000 that was originally intended for release in December 2024.
Under the leadership of Mayor Francisco Aurelio Rosales III, the municipal government has committed to providing a monthly cash allowance of P1,000 to each Cafgu member from Catarman to assist with their family’s needs.
This initiative, which began in October 2024, is a priority of the current administration, with hopes that future town leaders will continue the program.
BAYBAY CITY-Two individuals listed as street-level individuals (SLIs) on the local police drug watchlist were arrested in a buy-bust operation at around 1:46 am on March 29 in Zone 15, this city.
Authorities identified the suspects as alias “Pao,” 53, a painter, and alias “Polo,” 57, a beautician, both residents of the same barangay.
Confiscated from the suspects were five sachets of suspected shabu, one of which was purchased by an undercover agent for P500.
The remaining four sachets were recovered from the suspects—two sachets each. Also seized was a marked P500 bill used in the operation.
The suspects were informed of their rights in a language they understood and are now detained at the Baybay City Police Station (CPS).
They are set to face charges for violating Sections 5 (sale of illegal drugs) and 11 (possession of illegal drugs) of Article II of Republic Act 9165, or the Comprehensive Dangerous Drugs Act of 2002.
ENERGY FORUM. Members of the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Council/Active Member-Consumer Owners (MSEAC/ALAMCO) of the Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II) held an energy forum on Friday, March 31, in Barangay Suhi, Tacloban City, attended by member-consumers from the 4th district. Among those present were Leyeco II board member Ronnie Dayon, MSEAC-ALAMCO president Dalmacio ‘Massey’ Grafil, and Leyeco II representatives led by Nelson Go. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
ENERGY FORUM. Members of the Multi-Sectoral Advisory Council/Active Member-Consumer Owners (MSEAC/ALAMCO) of the Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II) held an energy forum on Friday, March 31, in Barangay Suhi, Tacloban City, attended by member-consumers from the 4th district. Among those present were Leyeco II board member Ronnie Dayon, MSEAC-ALAMCO president Dalmacio ‘Massey’ Grafil, and Leyeco II representatives led by Nelson Go. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte is becoming a major hub for renewable energy in the Philippines with the 240-megawatt San Isidro Solar Plant in San Isidro town expected to start operation this year.
Upon completion, the San Isidro Solar Power Project will be among the largest solar farms in the Visayas region which sits over a 200-hectare property.
Developed by Total Power Inc., the project aims to contribute significantly to the Philippines’ renewable energy targets. The facility will connect to the Visayas grid via a dedicated transmission line, with an estimated connection cost of P1.65 billion.
Former Energy Secretary and now Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla said hosting a number of renewable energy plants in the province ensures a steady power supply especially during disasters when power supply lines from other region are cut off, power can then be sourced locally.
“This is a good thing because this means we have a central power source. And solar power will prove to be an advantage during summer season when it stores the most solar power; which time coal-fired power generation can face drawbacks due to overheating,” Petilla said.
Most electric cooperatives in Leyte province get their power supply from Luzon or Mindanao. The power source uses coal fuel from abroad.
With reliable power supply is also seen to attract more investors for a diverse range of investments to the province.
Leyte is emerging as a renewable energy capital in the Philippines due to its rich natural resources and increasing investments in green energy projects.
Leyte is home to one of the largest geothermal power plants in the world, located in Tongonan, Ormoc City and Kananga.
The Leyte Geothermal Power Complex, operated by Energy Development Corporation (EDC), produces over 700 megawatts (MW), supplying electricity to the Visayas and parts of Luzon and Mindanao.
Another solar farm is the 50-megawatt solar power plant sitting on a 72-hectare site at Barangay Castilla in Palo town operated by the Sulu Electric Power and Light (Philippines) Corp (SEPALCO).
The Leyte Provincial Government Complex, also located in Palo town, is solar powered by a P70-million solar power project since 2023 after they transferred the provincial seat to the complex.
These solar power investments and project is making Leyte a critical player in the Philippines’ push for clean energy. The initiatives underscore the Philippines’ commitment to expanding its renewable energy portfolio and reducing reliance on fossil fuels.
OPERATION BAKLAS: As the campaign period for local candidates officially begins on Friday, March 28, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Eastern Visayas launched “Operation Baklas” to remove campaign materials placed outside designated areas. The initiative aims to ensure compliance with election regulations and maintain fairness in the electoral process. Comelec warned that violators may face possible disqualification cases for non-compliance.
(MacArthur, Leyte LGU)
Several areas tagged as hot spots
OPERATION BAKLAS: As the campaign period for local candidates officially begins on Friday, March 28, the Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Eastern Visayas launched “Operation Baklas” to remove campaign materials placed outside designated areas. The initiative aims to ensure compliance with election regulations and maintain fairness in the electoral process. Comelec warned that violators may face possible disqualification cases for non-compliance. (MacArthur, Leyte LGU)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Commission on Elections (Comelec) in Eastern Visayas has expressed confidence that the upcoming midterm elections in the region will be peaceful and orderly with the support of law enforcement agencies and candidates.
This assurance came from Comelec-8 Regional Legal Officer Ma. Krishna Athena Elardo as the campaign period for local elective posts begin on Friday, March 28.
“Of course, we are confident that we can have peaceful and orderly elections in our region. We are being assisted by both the Army and the Philippine National Police (PNP),” Elardo said in an interview on Wednesday, March 26.
She also called on candidates to refrain from actions that could incite election-related violence and emphasized that peace covenants and unity walks—participated in by candidates, election officials, and security forces—will contribute to ensuring a smooth electoral process.
A total of 2,390 candidates are vying for various elective positions across Eastern Visayas, including 6 governors and 6 vice governors; 12 congressional representatives; 56 provincial board members; 143 city and municipal mayors; 143 city and municipal vice mayors; and 1,152 city and municipal councilors.
Comelec-8 has identified several election hotspots in the region, classifying areas based on the color-coded security system: red category (grave concern): Sta. Margarita, Samar due to its history of intense political rivalry and the presence of armed groups; orange category or immediate concern): 13 areas – these have active armed groups posing potential threats; yellow category or area of concern): 13 areas – these have a history of politically motivated violence.
Meantime, the green category or absence of security concerns): 116 areas – including Tacloban City, Ormoc City, Borongan City, Maasin City, and Catbalogan City.
Baybay City in Leyte, has been placed under the orange category, while Calbayog City, Samar, is classified under yellow.
Among the provinces, Eastern Samar, Biliran, and Southern Leyte are categorized as green or having no major security concerns.
However, security concerns persist in Leyte with five areas of concern, five immediate concern areas; Samar with six areas of concern, and one grave area of concern; and Northern Samar, two areas of concern and eight immediate concern areas.
HEALTH SERVICES AT THEIR DOORSTEP. The residents of Barangay Buenavista, San Jorge town in Samar, will no longer travel to the town proper to have access on health services with the operation of their own barangay health station. Photo shows village chairman Aljun Barrientos(right) and World Vision Philippines executive Romil Jeffrey Juson during the March 27 inauguration.
(SHERNAN JABOLI, PHOTO COURTESY)
HEALTH SERVICES AT THEIR DOORSTEP. The residents of Barangay Buenavista, San Jorge town in Samar, will no longer travel to the town proper to have access on health services with the operation of their own barangay health station. Photo shows village chairman Aljun Barrientos(right) and World Vision Philippines executive Romil Jeffrey Juson during the March 27 inauguration. (SHERNAN JABOLI, PHOTO COURTESY)
SAN JORGE, Samar– Residents of Barangay Buenavista, an interior village of this town, now have direct access to essential health care services following the turnover of a newly constructed health station.
The Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and World Vision Philippines formally handed over the facility to the community on Thursday, March 27.
Located more than seven kilometers from the town proper, Buenavista is home to over 800 residents who previously had to travel long distances for medical care.
Marie Sirvo, 33, a mother of seven, welcomed the new health center, saying it will provide easier access to medical services.
“We no longer have to travel to the rural health center in town or even to nearby Gandara just for a checkup,” she said in Waray.
Sirvo, who gave birth to her seventh child on October 3 last year, added that having a health center within the village will help families save on transportation costs. Villagers currently pay P40 per ride on a ‘habal-habal’ to reach the town center.
“This is the first time Buenavista will have its own health center,” she said.
Romil Jeffrey Juson, project manager for maternal, newborn, and child health at World Vision, said the health station will serve not just Buenavista but also nine nearby barangays.
“This facility will provide essential health services such as checkups, immunization, and prenatal care,” he said.
The center is also expected to offer birthing services, further improving maternal health in the area.
Juson noted that the facility will provide eight prenatal checkups for pregnant women, following World Health Organization (WHO) recommendations.
“Most health centers only offer four prenatal visits, but here, we are ensuring eight, which will help detect potential health concerns for both mother and baby during pregnancy,” he explained.
Shernan Jaboli, project officer, described the new health center as a milestone for the community.
“Today is not just about the physical structure of this health station; it’s about the future and the promise of accessible, quality health care for every resident of Barangay Buenavista,” he said during the inauguration.
The P4-million facility, staffed by a midwife and a nurse, will also have scheduled visits from the town doctor. It sits on a 100-square-meter lot donated by a local resident.
Construction began in November last year and was completed this month. To ensure safety, the building was reinforced with a retaining wall, as it stands on elevated ground prone to landslides.
With this new health station, residents of Buenavista and neighboring villages now have a vital lifeline to medical care—without the burden of long and costly travel.
Representatives from the World Bank hold consultation dialogue with agrarian reform beneficiaries in Barangay Borseth, Alangalang, Leyte in relation to the 11th Implementation Support Mission for the project Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT). (DAR Eastern Visayas)
Representatives from the World Bank hold consultation dialogue with agrarian reform beneficiaries in Barangay Borseth, Alangalang, Leyte in relation to the 11th Implementation Support Mission for the project Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT). (DAR Eastern Visayas)
ALANGALANG, Leyte – World Bank task team leader, Theresa Quiñonez, expressed satisfaction with how the Support to Parcelization of Lands for Individual Titling (SPLIT) Project is being implemented by the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) in Eastern Visayas over the past four years.
Quiñonez said during the 11th Implementation Support Mission (ISM) held in this region from March 19 to 21 this year, “I am very happy to see the progress made in Region-8.” “Based on what we have heard from the ARBs (agrarian reform beneficiaries), they are happy with the process of SPLIT, how the DAR had conducted the activities under SPLIT, ensuring participation as well as in decision making of ARBs,” she added.
Together with other World Bank representatives, Quiñonez proceeded to Barangay Borseth in this town, some 30 kilometers away from Tacloban City, on the first day, despite heavy rains, and had a consultation-dialogue with ARBs who are recipients of the SPLIT Project.
The World Bank team, accompanied by representatives from the Central Project Management Office (CPMO) of DAR, were happy to note that the ARBs were fully informed and understood the purpose of the SPLIT Project after each one of them were asked to share their individual experiences related to SPLIT implementation.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Agrarian Reform Office (MARO) personnel were likewise commended for knowing the process and doing their job correctly after they were asked to demonstrate the steps in conducting the “pulong-pulong.”
Though, the team decided to forego the observation of the actual conduct of the survey due to the inclement weather, Quiñonez likewise commended how this region accomplished survey activities conducted by administration.
Assistant Regional Director for Operations, Renato Badilla, reported that survey conducted by administration was more efficient and effective over survey conducted by contract. Badilla explained that field activities were completed in a shorter period with surveys conducted by administration.
Further, DAR Eastern Visayas Regional Director, Atty. Robert Anthony Yu, disclosed to the World Bank that “field validation throughout the region is already completed, while redocumentation activities by the MAROs are being monitored daily to make sure that we be able to deliver our target this year.”
ISM, according to Quiñonez, is being conducted jointly by the World Bank and DAR every six months to see the progress of the SPLIT Project as well as determine the areas that need improvement to expedite its implementation. SPLIT Project is going to end in 2027.
The World Bank provides funding to the implementation of the SPLIT Project through a loan.
