SAFER AND STRONGER. The retrofitted Pinamitinan Bridge in Capoocan, Leyte is now fully operational after the Department of Public Works and Highways completed strengthening works under its Bridge Program. The upgraded bridge serves as a vital link along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road, improving the safe movement of commuters, motorists, agricultural products, and essential goods across northern Leyte.
(Photo courtesy of the DPWH Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office).
SAFER AND STRONGER. The retrofitted Pinamitinan Bridge in Capoocan, Leyte is now fully operational after the Department of Public Works and Highways completed strengthening works under its Bridge Program. The upgraded bridge serves as a vital link along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road, improving the safe movement of commuters, motorists, agricultural products, and essential goods across northern Leyte. (Photo courtesy of the DPWH Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office).
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has completed the retrofitting of the Pinamitinan Bridge in Capoocan, Leyte, enhancing the structural integrity of a key national bridge that serves thousands of motorists and facilitates the movement of goods along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road.
The project was implemented by the DPWH Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office under the agency’s Bridge Program for the Retrofitting and Strengthening of Permanent Bridges, funded through the 2026 General Appropriations Act.
Costing P5.213 million, the project was undertaken by BECM Construction from May 11 to July 22, 2026.
The 23.4-meter bridge is a critical link on the national highway connecting northern and western Leyte, providing access for commuters, public transport, and the transport of agricultural produce and other essential commodities.
To improve the bridge’s load-bearing capacity and resilience, DPWH installed about 217.8 square meters of carbon fiber sheets on both sides of the bridge span. The upgrade is expected to extend the bridge’s service life and ensure safer travel for motorists.
The agency said the project forms part of its continuing efforts to modernize and preserve the country’s bridge network, ensuring reliable transportation infrastructure that supports economic growth and regional connectivity.
ORMOC CITY – Two persons were injured after a passenger van collided with a truck that was turning into a private compound along the national highway in Barangay Pawing, Palo, Leyte on Sunday afternoon, August 2, police said.
The injured were the 49-year-old driver of the passenger van and a 20-year-old student from Tacloban City, who was among the vehicle’s passengers. Both were rushed by responders from the Palo Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO) to the Leyte Provincial Hospital in Palo for treatment.
Police identified the other vehicle involved as a blue Fuso aluminum closed van truck driven by a 48-year-old man from Carigara, Leyte. The truck driver was unharmed.
Based on the initial investigation by the Palo Municipal Police Station (MPS), both vehicles were traveling in the same direction from the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) Junction toward Tacloban City.
Upon reaching Barangay Pawing at around 1:35 p.m., the truck reportedly slowed down and was about to make a right turn into the Asia Ice Plant compound when it was struck from behind by the passenger van.
The collision caused damage to both vehicles. Four other passengers of the van escaped unhurt.
Police said they received the report through the 911 Emergency Hotline at around 1:41 p.m. and immediately dispatched responding personnel to the scene.
The truck and its driver were brought to the Palo MPS for proper disposition, while the damaged passenger van remained at the accident site pending its removal.
Authorities are continuing their investigation to determine the circumstances surrounding the collision.
U.S. Embassy Acting Senior Regional Security Officer Daniel Art (seated, center) and Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Divina Grace Yu (seated, second from left) sign a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a primary hub for collaborative law enforcement training programs.(US Embassy)
U.S. Embassy Acting Senior Regional Security Officer Daniel Art (seated, center) and Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Divina Grace Yu (seated, second from left) sign a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a primary hub for collaborative law enforcement training programs.(US Embassy)
PAGADIAN CITY-The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines and the Zamboanga del Sur provincial government signed an agreement establishing a P30.8-million ($500,000) law enforcement training program, demonstrating the United States’s commitment to working with the Philippines to deter terrorist threats against Americans and Filipinos.
Under the agreement, the U.S. Department of State’s Antiterrorism Assistance (ATA) program will provide permanent and dedicated training facilities in Pagadian City to host recurring specialized training courses for the Philippine National Police (PNP).
“This investment in Pagadian reflects our confidence in the PNP and our conviction that a safer, more capable PNP means a safer Philippines, a safer United States, and a stronger Alliance between our two nations,” said Daniel Art, the U.S. Embassy’s Acting Senior Regional Security Officer.
Since 2006, the United States has facilitated ATA courses for more than 10,000 Filipino law enforcement personnel that helped improve their capabilities to investigate, respond to, and mitigate terrorist threats and incidents. An estimated 2,000 PNP, as well as other law enforcement personnel, are expected to train at these new facilities in Pagadian every year.
“This partnership will enhance the capabilities of our law enforcers in deterring and preventing acts of terrorism. It will strengthen the security and stability of our government not only in the province of Zamboanga del Sur but most especially in Mindanao and even the whole country,” said Zamboanga del Sur Gov. Divina Grace Yu.
As the United States and the Philippines also commemorate the 80th anniversary of diplomatic ties, this enhanced partnership will work to secure the two countries’ ties for years to come.(PR)
SEEKING JUSTICE. Erbea Fabian(right) and Jennelyn Baldoria, mothers of two students killed in the June 22 mass shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, say President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s tribute to the victims during his fifth State of the Nation Address was deeply appreciated, but reiterate that their families’ foremost appeal remains justice and accountability for those responsible for the attack.(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Despite PBBM’s SONA tribute
SEEKING JUSTICE. Erbea Fabian(right) and Jennelyn Baldoria, mothers of two students killed in the June 22 mass shooting at San Jose National High School in Tacloban City, say President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s tribute to the victims during his fifth State of the Nation Address was deeply appreciated, but reiterate that their families’ foremost appeal remains justice and accountability for those responsible for the attack.(JOEY A. GABIETA)
TACLOBAN CITY – The families of two students killed in the June 22 mass shooting at San Jose National High School welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s recognition of the victims during his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA), but said their foremost plea remains unchanged: justice for the three students who lost their lives in one of the country’s deadliest school shooting incidents.
The mothers of victims Cris Lorenz Fabian and Yohancee Separa expressed gratitude after President Marcos honored the courage and sacrifice of the three slain students in his July 27 SONA.
However, Erbea Fabian and Jennelyn Baldoria, mother of Yohancee, said the tribute, while meaningful, does not diminish their desire to see those responsible held accountable.
“We are thankful that the President mentioned us in his SONA. But more than anything else, we want justice to be served,” Fabian said.
Baldoria likewise reiterated her appeal for authorities to hold the 14-year-old suspect accountable, saying investigators had identified the minor as the one who fatally shot her daughter.
“We want the 14-year-old included in the case because he was identified as the one who shot and killed my daughter,” she said.
The shooting on June 22 claimed the lives of Cris Lorenz Fabian, Yohancee Baldoria, and Ayessa Nicole Dazo, while injuring 20 other students. The attack, considered among the worst school shooting incidents in Philippine history, prompted schools across the country to tighten campus security and revived debates on school safety and the country’s juvenile justice law.
Under the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, children below 15 years old are exempt from criminal liability, although they may undergo intervention and rehabilitation programs.
The 15-year-old suspect has been charged with three counts of murder, three counts of frustrated murder, and multiple counts of serious physical injuries. Both minor suspects are currently under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) at its rehabilitation facility in Tanauan, Leyte.
Fabian said she spent the day of the President’s SONA visiting her son’s grave, while Baldoria attended a court hearing where she saw, through a video link, the arraignment of the 15-year-old suspect.
During his address before Congress, President Marcos paid tribute to the three slain students and their families, describing the victims’ courage and selflessness as qualities that inspire the nation.
“We are all so very proud of the unflinching bravery and heroic virtue that you have instilled in your children. They are an inspiration to us all. Their courage and their selflessness, true Filipino qualities, are the virtues that these trying times call for,” the President said.
Despite the President’s recognition, Fabian said the tragedy underscores the need for lawmakers to revisit the Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act, particularly the minimum age of criminal responsibility.
She said lowering the age of criminal liability would help prevent similar incidents in the future by ensuring that young offenders involved in grave crimes could be held accountable under the law.
The June 22 shooting also triggered heightened security measures in schools nationwide after several educational institutions, including those in Tacloban City and other parts of Eastern Visayas, received shooting threats in the succeeding weeks. Although most of the threats were later found to be hoaxes, authorities said they underscored growing concerns over campus safety.
Amid their grief, the victims’ families acknowledged the assistance extended by the national government and other sectors.
On July 3, each family received P150,000 in financial assistance from the Office of the President and was assured of housing units in a resettlement community in Tacloban City originally developed for survivors of Super Typhoon Yolanda. Additional aid was also provided by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, the Department of Education, local officials, private organizations, and individual donors
FLEXI TIME. Northern Samar Governor Harris Ongchuan signs Executive Order No. 26-07-01 reimplementing a hybrid work arrangement for eligible provincial government employees. The policy adopts a four-day onsite workweek and one-day work-from-home schedule to help reduce fuel and electricity costs while ensuring the continued delivery of essential public services. (Provincial Government of Northern Samar)
FLEXI TIME. Northern Samar Governor Harris Ongchuan signs Executive Order No. 26-07-01 reimplementing a hybrid work arrangement for eligible provincial government employees. The policy adopts a four-day onsite workweek and one-day work-from-home schedule to help reduce fuel and electricity costs while ensuring the continued delivery of essential public services. (Provincial Government of Northern Samar)
TACLOBAN CITY — The Northern Samar provincial government has reinstated a hybrid work arrangement for eligible employees as part of its cost-cutting measures amid rising fuel prices and electricity costs.
Governor Harris Ongchuan signed Executive Order No. 26-07-01 on July 27, requiring covered provincial government employees to report onsite from Monday to Thursday and work from home every Friday. The policy applies to regular employees, contract of service workers, and job order personnel whose duties can be performed remotely.
The executive order also directs government offices to adopt energy-saving measures, including limiting air-conditioning use and implementing other electricity conservation practices to reduce operating expenses.
Ongchuan said the policy, first introduced in April this year, is intended to help employees cope with higher transportation costs while enabling the provincial government to manage its operational expenditures without affecting productivity and public service.
The governor clarified that offices providing essential services, including provincial hospitals, jail facilities, and the Civil Security Office, will continue operating on regular work schedules. Other frontline offices will implement skeleton workforces and shifting schedules to ensure uninterrupted delivery of government services.
The provincial government said the flexible work arrangement is part of its efforts to promote efficient governance, prudent resource management, and sustainable public service amid increasing operational costs.
TACLOBAN CITY — The regional office Department of Tourism (DOT) and Tingog party-list are to honor 12 individuals from Eastern Visayas for the inaugural Outstanding Eastern Visayas Awards (OEVA) slated this Friday night, July 31, recognizing their contributions to the region’s development in various fields.
Dubbed “Voices of Excellence,” the awards recognize Eastern Visayans who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, innovation, excellence, and service in areas such as arts and culture, education, entrepreneurship, environmental protection, health, media, public service, science and engineering, youth leadership, and faith-based service.
Among this year’s awardees are Stephen Lagarde (arts and cultural heritage), Janet Alexis de los Santos (education and research), Gilbert Trinchera (entrepreneurship and innovation), Margarita dela Cruz (environmental protection and sustainability), Aileen Riel-Espina (health and medicine), Michael Jude Casaljay (media, journalism and communication), Norman Sabdao (public service and governance), Ea Kristine Clarisse Tulin-Escueta (science and engineering), Aron Sedrick Caminong (youth leadership and community development), and Aldrin Norio (faith, religion and philanthropy).
Also recognized were Eliseo III Lucero-Prisno, who will receive the Eastern Visayan Regional Champion Award, and Lydia Escober dela Rosa, recipient of the Outstanding Legacy of Excellence Award.
The DOT-8 said the awards aim to recognize individuals whose achievements have helped shape Eastern Visayas while inspiring others to contribute to the region’s continued growth and development.
