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<center>[[Southern Leyte, Philippines|<font size=4>'''Southern Leyte'''</font>]] - [[Southern Leyte Archived News|<font size=4 color=green>'''Archived News'''</font>]]</center>
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==Electric coop conducts info drive in SoLeyte==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1281336640775
*Saturday, May 12, 2012
:by  (LDL/ESG-PIA8 SoLeyte)


==BSP Southern Leyte Council marks 50th council anniversary==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=57696
*Wednesday, October 05, 2011
:by  ES Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 12 (PIA) -- The Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO) schedules series of information drives throughout the province as their commitment to the provincial government to increase the level of awareness of the stakeholders on the power situation of the province.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Oct. 5 (PIA) -- The Boy Scout Philippines (BSP) – Southern Leyte Council is in the height of preparations as they will host the Golden Jubilee Jamborette at Camp Danao in Maasin City on October 24-30, 2011 to mark the 50th council anniversary celebration.
Professor Wally del Mundo of the University of the Philippines National Engineering Center and SOLECO officer-in-charge Arce B. Salazar will assist the information drive entitled “Power 101.”
In time with the golden anniversary celebration of the BSP - Southern Leyte Council, the provincial council will initiate for the conduct of a jamborette in the province, Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco, who is also the BSP – Southern Leyte Council Chairman, reported during the “Maasin City In Action” radio program, Tuesday at the DyDM radio station.
Samaco reported that at least 1,000 senior boy scouts, cub scouts delegates coming from the different municipalities in the province and other councils, who were also invited, were expected to join the provincial jamborette.
He also disclosed that another scouting activity which is the holding of a National Rovermoot in Davao City this year shall be conducted at the same period. He intends to send a lean delegation to the said scouting activity due to its conflict.
Last year, the provincial council hosted for the conduct of 7th National Rovermoot and the First One Visayas Regional Jamboree in Camp Danao, Maasin City.
Meanwhile, the first provincial Kawan holiday, another three- day scouting activity intended for the cubs scout with ages ranging from 6 – 10 years old was successfully conducted at Malapoc Norte Elementary School, Council Clerk Carl Carrayo reported to PIA Maasin.
Carroyo also disclosed that last Monday, October 5, selected boy scouts has started to hold one-day offices at the provincial and city offices from the office of the City Mayor and the different department heads as one of the activities of the boy scout in the province.### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


Earlier the SOLECO management has committed to the provincial government to disseminate information to the general consumers and the local government sector on the developments that affect the operations and directions of electric Distribution Utilities (DUs) particularly among the electric cooperatives, Salazar said.


The local electric cooperative aims to increase the awareness of the electricity stakeholders especially business and government heads, barangay officials and community leaders on the power situation of the province, he said.


The first information campaign shall be conducted at SOLECO Multi-purpose Building in Maasin City then it will be followed at Southern Leyte State University (SLSU)- Sogod Campus in Sogod, Southern Leyte on the second day, he added.


He further said the speaker for the subject has the layman’s grasp on its intricacies that can be understood even by those who are new to the subject.






==Tree planting activities in Maasin City enlists 600 planters==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=57502
*Tuesday, October 04, 2011
:by ES Gorne




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, October 4 (PIA) -- At least, two more National Greening Program (NGP) sites identified in Maasin City were planted with seedlings jointly by selected national high school students, barangay officials and some members of the Knights of Columbus last Saturday, October 1. Led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources – Community Environment and Natural Resourses Office (CENRO), two different planting activities were held. Rene Soria, CENR focal person, said an ongoing tree planting in one of the NGP site identified in Sitio Magtuasi, Ibarra which covers eight hectares was started by at least 400 fourth year high school students coming from the following schools in the city: Maasin Vocational High School, Libhu National High School, Guadalupe National High School and Ibarra National High School While in the Barangay Laboon planting site, at least 200 students coming from Nonok National High School and Dongon National High School, barangay officials and members of the Knights of Columbus joined the event, Soria added. Earlier, Soria said that the NGP sites in Sitio Canlugok, Lunas with 80 hectares and Barangay Kahupi-an, Sogod with 85 hectares were planted completely with 500 seedlings per hectare.. He also expressed appreciation to the transportation assistance of the Department of Public Works and Highways in bringing the students to the designated NGP sites on Saturdays. He also disclosed that their office only allowed the fourth year high school students in the tree planting since the NGP sites were located at high mountains which posed danger to younger students. Those younger ones were tapped to plant trees in the school premises, barangay plazas, safe river banks with the direct supervision of their respective teachers, he said.### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==SoLeyte propagates parasitoid to combat brontispa infestation in 6 towns - PCA==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=57229
*Monday, October 03, 2011
:by  ES Gorne




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, October 3 (PIA) -- The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Southern Leyte Provincial Office now undertakes the propagation of parasitoids to combat the infestation of brontispa in the six municipalities of the province.
The provincial office has started to gather the pupa of brontispa from the municipality of Bontoc that they can use for the parasitoids to lay their eggs, PCA Provincial Officer Manuel Sembrano disclosed.
Sembrano said their office no longer promote spraying insecticides since it has no effect to curb brontispa infestation but rather affected more municipalities instead.
He earlier reported that brontispa infestation has covered only four municipalities, namely Bontoc, Tomas Oppus, Malitbog and Lilo-an and the city of Maasin, however recently, their office has monitored that the municipality of Sogod is the newest municipality to have been affected by the said coconut disease.
He is optimistic that brontispa could be minimized with the introduction of parasitoids eating the eggs of brontispa that in a cycle of 18 days, one mummified pupa of brontispa could produce 7 to 40 parasitoid adults. That only five mummified pupa of brontispa is needed to clear out brontispa infestation in one hectare of coconut trees.
Sembrano said that parasitoid propagation has been successfully implemented in Vietnam in its struggle against brontispa dilemma among coconut plantations.
He further disclosed that they expect that from six to twelve months after the parasitoids shall be introduced in brontispa infected coconut trees, affected trees will be revived.
Sembrano said that they intend to pilot in Barangay Pamahawan of Bontoc to its three-year old affected brontispa coconut trees since it would be easier for them to monitor of the progress of the parasitoid. ### (PIA Southern Leyte/esg)


==DENR completes planting of 82,500 seedlings in two Southern Leyte NGP sites==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=56826
*Friday, September 30, 2011
:by  ES Gorne


==Green Southern Leyte==
*Source: http://leytesamardaily.net/2012/05/happynings-56/
*Friday, May 11, 2012
:by Vicky Arnaiz


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, September 30 (PIA) --- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Provincial Office reported to have completed the planting of seedlings in two enrolled National Greening Program (NGP) sites in Southern Leyte.
According to Rene Soria, the NGP Focal Person, said that Southern Leyte has enrolled 13 NGP sites so far.
Soria added that the national high school students and people’s organizations filled the two NGP sites to total number of 82,500 seedlings planted and completed the same by the middle of September, this year.
Soria said the people’s organization, Young Innovators for Sustainable Environment Association, which is based in Sitio Canlugok, Barangay Lunas together with the fourth year national high school students coming from the Bantid National High School (NHS), Baugo NHS and Dongon NHS, were all able to plant the whole of the eighty (80) hectares to a total of least 40,000 seedlings being planted in at least two Saturdays.
He also reported that another enrolled NGP site in Barangay Kahupi-an, Sogod which covers 85 hectares has been planted with at least 42,500 seedlings already.
Since the enrolled site is very far, the DENR has decided to forego with the participation of the children instead the tree planting were spearheaded by the barangay officials, the people’s organization which is the Kahupi-an Upland Farmer’s Association and the DepEd staff of the concerned national high schools. (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==PNP – South Leyte commends police break through vs illegal drugs, wanted persons==
MACROHON, Southern Leyte – “”We were surprised to find a patch of pristine forests in Mt. Nacolod, Southern Leyte. We found an amazingly impressive flora and faura. The rich forests we saw did not match the map of a denuded forest, shown to us before we explored Southern Leyte,” said Ronald Altamarino, leader of the Biodiversity Assessment Team from the Flora and Fauna, International (FFI).
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=56574
*Thursday, September 29, 2011
:by  ES Gorne


Altamarino said during the presentation of the Biodiversity Assessment and REDD Plus/Mt. Nacolod, Southern Leyte, Pilot NewCAPP at this town last May 2 and 3. FFI along with partners the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), NewCAPP among others.


SOUTHERN LEYTE, Sept. 29 (PIA) -- The Southern Leyte Police Provincial Office gave letters of commendation to the PNP personnel of Maasin City and Macrohon Police Officers for their accomplishments in enforcing the law against illegal drugs and arrest of wanted persons in their areas of responsibility.
Turn -over of mini biodiversity exhibit (L-R) Dalton Durban of GIZ, Engr. Aileen Basilan, DENR Regional Executive Director Rogelio Trinidad, So. Leyte Vice Governor Miguel Maamo, Dr. Bernd Markus Liss of GIZ.
According to Police Chief Inspector Abdulmajid B Jaji, PCR Chief , PSupt. Jacinto Arazo Cesar, Officer In Charge of the Southern Leyte Police Provincial Office and PSupt. Jonathan Penida, Deputy Provincial Director for Operation led in the awarding of their accomplishements last September 26, 2011 at the Camp Gov. Alfredo K. Bantug in Maasin City.
Jaji said commendations were given to PSupt Hector F Enage, Maasin City Chief Of Police and to his personnel SP04 Nicasio F Sunit, P02 Oscar D Dullasin Jr, P02 Dominico G Petere and P02 Aldous Dexter M Roa, for the success of their operation against illegal drugs last 15 September 2011 at Barangay Maria Clara, Maasin City.
That the operation resulted to the apprehension of Andrew Maceda Caberte, a known drug pusher in the area and the confiscation of four (4) pcs small sachets containing Methamphetamine Hydrochloride locally known as “shabu,” one (1) pc rolled stick of suspected dried marijuana leaves, cash money amounting to six hundred twenty pesos (P 620.00) and one piece of five hundred peso bill “buy bust” money, Jaji said.
While in Macrohon Police Station, Jaji further disclosed that commendations were also given to PInsp Aljohn Teddy R Llanes, Chief Of Police and to his personnel SP04 Loido D Achacoso, SP04 Raymundo A Almacin III, SPO2 Restituto E Ligtas, SP02 Virgilio M Paloma, PO2 Robert P Villa, P02 Jimmy T Ganosa, for the success of their operation against wanted persons last 09 September 2011 at Barangay Lower Villa Jacinta, Macrohon.
It resulted to the arrest of Alfredo Lolo Mindajao, a long time wanted person for the crime of Homicide docketed under Criminal Case number 1481 issued by the RTC Judge of 8th Judicial Region, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Branch 24, Maasin City, Jaji added.
He said such accomplishments have proven their strong determination to enforce the law without fear nor favour and compliance with existing orders to arrest law violators in the province of Southern Leyte.(PIA So. Leyte/esg)


==Silago Women’s Group ventures into vegetable production==
The comprehensive ground assessment has found 2 new frog species under the genus Playmantis group. The new discovery brings so much pride to the province and the country.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=56509
Southern Leyte lone district Representative Roger Mercado, who squeezed in to attend this activity in his very hectic
*Wednesday, September 28, 2011
:by  R.G. Cadavos


schedule, said that efforts of the local officials and its people have not gone to waste.


SOUTHERN LEYTE, Sep 28 (PIA) – The Katipunan Women’s Association (KWA) from Barangay Katipunan of Silago here ventured into vegetable production as their first project and started planting last August, 2011. They had their first harvest after about three weeks, newly designated Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) Information Officer Marilyn L. Capilitan reported to PIA-Maasin.
Dr. Eugenia Bautista, chief technology transfer division ecosystems research and development service-DENR asks questions during the presentation of biodiversity assessment.
“KWA was formally organized last June, this year with the assistance of DAR through Municipal Agrarian Reform Officer Deonilo H. Malaki and Senior Agrarian Reform Program Technoligst- Development Facilitator Magdalino Tagnipez, both of DAR-Silago,” Capilitan related.
She said that KWA, formerly a women’s group composed of all ages with sixty five (65) members, is now down to forty two (42) as the senior members decided to transfer to the Senior Citizens association. “Mostly women-members are wives of Agrarian Reform Benificiaries of same barangay,” Capilitan added.
The group ageed and voluntarily prepare the area for their vegetable production and planting materials. In twentry five days, the KWA had their first harvest of 19 kilos of cucumber (pipino) last Septemer 23 from the 15-20 cucumber hills out of 1,080 cucumber hills planted on August 29.
Capilitan disclosed that the women’s group are looking forward to make a huge harvest of the planted cucumber by the end of this week and the rest of their planted veggies such as pechay, ampalaya, string beans, tomatoes, okra, pepper and eggplants.
The project, according to Capilitan will not only improve the camaraderie of the women and uplift their livelihood but will also make the association active and productive under the energetic leadership of the group’s President Clarinda Casicas. (rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)


==Southern Leyte formally declared insurgent free on September 29==
“We have been planting trees since 1987 and encouraged our people to do the same. Our People’s Organization (PO) YESIDA is said to be the best PO in the region under the Community Forest Management Program. Not to brag, I have my own tree farm and bird sanctuary in Maasin City which you are free to visit. Southern Leyte is one of the two provinces in the country that supports the total log ban. Every weekend when I am back in the province after session in Congress,  
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=56350
*Tuesday, September 27, 2011
:by PIA Press Release


I see to it that tree planting is part of my activity. We want our people to be sufficient in food through the richness of our forests and our marine resources. Indeed the hard work, solidarity, discipline displayed by Southern Leytenos is worth emulating,” said Mercado.


TACLOBAN CITY Leyte, September 27 (PIA) -- The Province of Southern Leyte will be formally declared as “Insurgent-Free” in simple rites that will be conducted at Ruperto Kangleon Function House in Maasin City on September 29.
PENRO So. Leyte Ricardo Tomol
Captain Dranreb Canto of the Philippine Army’s 802nd Brigade based in Ormoc City, informed that the pronouncement will be formalized with the signing of the joint declaration by the 8th Infantry Division of the Philippines Army commander Major General Mario Chan and Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado.
The 802nd Brigade CRS explained that a province is categorized as insurgency free when the threat posed by the CPP/NPA is successfully downgraded into a mere law and order problem.
This is what happened to Southern Leyte and the other previously declared insurgency-free areas.
After a thorough security situation assessment, when it is found that the local government can handle the situation, the AFP then hands over the lead-role to the LGU and assumes a support role to the PNP.
On September 29, the guests will be welcomed officially by Vice Governor Miguel Maamo who is also the Vice Chairman of the Southern Leyte Provincial Peace and Order Council.
This will be followed by the narrative on declaring Southern Leyte as insurgent free and the signing of the joint declaration.
Among the special guests in this historical occasion are Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho L. Petillla who is the Chairperson of the Regional Peace and Order Council, and Lt. General Ralph Villanueva, commander, Central Command of the AFP who aside from Major General Mario Chan, commander of the 8th Infantry Division and Southern Leyte Governor Damian Mercado, will also deliver their respective messages.
Being declared as insurgent free will boost Southern Leyte’s of becoming a tourism and investment destination as it will enhance confidence among investors and business companies to come to the province. (PIA 8)


==DSWD conducts training for counselling services for rehab of domestic violence perpetrators==
A very excited Mercado continued, “I will author the passage in Congress for the declaration of the Mt. Nacolod and its mountain range that spans 14,000 hectares as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas or NIPAS. For now I will lobby that
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=56177
*Monday, September 26, 2011
:by R.G. Cadavos


President Aquino will issue an executive order declaring Mt. Nacolod as a protected area.”
Southern Leyte Vice Governor Miguel Maamo, who represented Governor Damian Mercado, said that they will pass a resolution in the sangguniang bayan for the protection of Mt. Nacolod. Indeed last May 7, in its regular session, the board members of Southern Leyte made an unprecedented mass move to declare Mt. Nacolod as a protected area.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte Sep 26 (PIA)-- At least 28 participants throughout Eastern Visayas attended the Training on the Counseling Services for Rehabilitation of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (CSRPDV) initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) Field Office 8 at Orcmoc City, September 19-22, 2011.
DENR regional information chief Purificacion Daloos; Mary Jane Honor Du, PENRO staff, So. Leyte; Rep. Roger Mercado; Marita Cesneros, NewCAPP and Marissa Solite, DENR-PAWC ZMS
Fe Nida Sy who was the representative from the City Social Welfare and Development Office here disclosed that the week-long training emphasized the responsibilities of both the victim/survivors and the perpetrators of domestic violence, which is considered as one of the serious problems in the society.
Topics of the said training include Gender Sensitivity, Gender Responsive Case Management, Bayanihan ng Awa at Gawa ni Apo (BAGA), Types of Counseling for the Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, among others, while Lessons from the Masters were also presented by the facilitators from the DSWD, Sy reported.
“Violence can be stopped and abusive behaviors among perpetrators can be reduced only by providing appropriated interventions to the offenders,” Sy quoted Yvonne Abonales, who was one of the speakers, saying that the importance of community involvement and initiative is responding and reducing the incidence of domestic violence are recognized.
There were five phases on case management that were discussed such as: initial supportive response, gender-based assessment process, intervention planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and finally, the closure and follow-up which is an integral part of a continuing process to complete the rehabilitation, Sy said.
Other discussants during the training were Lolta B. Dadap, John Caliguid, Thelma F. Banal, Myrna U. Tan, Leilani Jocano, Anabelle Agner, all Municipal Social Welfare Officers who underwent the Trainors’ Training on CSRPDV in Baguio City.
“Success begins in the mind, nurtured in the heart and expressed by the hands,” Sy quoted BAGA resource speaker Thelma Banal. Southern Leyte sent Virgie Caimo to represent the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.(rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)


==TESDA -8 aims for ISO certification==
A multi-sectoral group submitted management plans for the
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=56055
*Sunday, September 25, 2011
:by Bong Pedalino


protection and sustainability of its forests. As one scientist said, “who knows there might still be interesting finds in Mt. Nacolod especially flora that can be used in the medical field?
Indeed, Southern Leyte is doubly-blessed- they have the rich forests and rich marine resources. Padayon Southern Leyte!
Love, Laugh and Live!


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 25 (PIA) -- Out of the 16 regions across the country, the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Region 8 office, along with Region 3 and the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) offices, has been busy these days to comply with the procedures and requirements to attain the ISO 2009-9001 certification.
Om Shanti!
Rolando Juanillo, TESDA Director of Southern Leyte province, disclosed during the “Action Center” cable TV program Thursday that once their office would become ISO-certified, their services and programs can be delivered more efficiently, such as the processing of registration for technical-vocational skills training providers or for qualified private institutions.
Quality of trainings, quality graduates produced, and institutions strengthened, were just some of the expected impact of having an ISO certification, Juanillo said.
He added that his office right now was undergoing an internal audit as one of the requirements for attaining the ISO goal.
Another positive effect was that those being assessed for specific skills competencies would no longer be delayed in the processing of their applications and in taking the assessment for a national TESDA certificate in an ISO-tagged agency, Juanillo added.
With the TESDA chief as guest during this week’s edition of “Action Center” were two heads of private schools which were providers of TESDA-accredited vocational-technical courses. They were Armado Daque, Vice-President of Hinunangan Skills and Technological Center which opened just last year, and Emelyn Corollo, Executive Training Director at Saint Joseph College (SJC) Vocational Training Center (Voctrac), now on its 8th year of operation since 2003.
Other private learning institutions in the province with TESDA-accredited programs included the College of Maasin, Systems Technology Institute (STI), Southern Leyte Business College (SLBC), St. James College in Padre Burgos, and St. Thomas Aquinas in Sogod.
Meanwhile, Juanillo informed that his office is having an ongoing program, the National Synchronized competency assessment for specific technical-vocational courses, a program that began in August and will last until November this year.
He said in Southern Leyte province, 170 slots were slated for free assessment on a first-come, first-served basis, and at present only 73 slots remained open.
Those interested are advised to coordinate with the TESDA office to file their application before proceeding to the private provider for the competency assessment which, when one shall have passed it, would entitle him or her to have a National Certificate II (NC II), a document employers would usually ask. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==DSWD conducts training for counselling services for rehab of domestic violence perpetrators==
==DOLE-So. Leyte disburses P 2.6M for projects of self-employed individuals==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=56177
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1301336620382
*Monday, September 26, 2011
*Thursday, May 10, 2012
:by R.G. Cadavos
:by Marcelo M. Pedalino




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte Sep 26 (PIA)-- At least 28 participants throughout Eastern Visayas attended the Training on the Counseling Services for Rehabilitation of Perpetrators of Domestic Violence (CSRPDV) initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DWSD) Field Office 8 at Orcmoc City, September 19-22, 2011.
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 10 (PIA) -- The provincial field office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here has set aside over P 2.6 million worth of livelihood projects intended for individual small-scale businesses in the so-called informal sector.  
Fe Nida Sy who was the representative from the City Social Welfare and Development Office here disclosed that the week-long training emphasized the responsibilities of both the victim/survivors and the perpetrators of domestic violence, which is considered as one of the serious problems in the society.
Topics of the said training include Gender Sensitivity, Gender Responsive Case Management, Bayanihan ng Awa at Gawa ni Apo (BAGA), Types of Counseling for the Perpetrators of Domestic Violence, among others, while Lessons from the Masters were also presented by the facilitators from the DSWD, Sy reported.
“Violence can be stopped and abusive behaviors among perpetrators can be reduced only by providing appropriated interventions to the offenders,” Sy quoted Yvonne Abonales, who was one of the speakers, saying that the importance of community involvement and initiative is responding and reducing the incidence of domestic violence are recognized.
There were five phases on case management that were discussed such as: initial supportive response, gender-based assessment process, intervention planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and finally, the closure and follow-up which is an integral part of a continuing process to complete the rehabilitation, Sy said.
Other discussants during the training were Lolta B. Dadap, John Caliguid, Thelma F. Banal, Myrna U. Tan, Leilani Jocano, Anabelle Agner, all Municipal Social Welfare Officers who underwent the Trainors’ Training on CSRPDV in Baguio City.
“Success begins in the mind, nurtured in the heart and expressed by the hands,” Sy quoted BAGA resource speaker Thelma Banal. Southern Leyte sent Virgie Caimo to represent the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office.(rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)


The amount was already moving in various stages of implementation as coursed through DOLE’s accredited co-partner (ACP) consisting of five municipalities and one city, involving 251 individual beneficiaries, said Fe Norma Valuis, DOLE provincial field officer.


During the cable TV program “Action Center” yesterday morning, Valuis identified DOLE’s LGU partners as the City of Maasin which garnered almost half of the total fund assistance, barangay Sta. Crus of Macrohon, and the towns of Saint Bernard, Pintuyan, Silago, and Libagon.


Valuis said she had recently talked with Mayor Roberto Loquinte of Anahawan who also wanted to avail of DOLE’s support to fund a tourism-related project in the municipality - the Mainit Spring.


All the rest of the 18 municipal local government units will eventually be reached by DOLE’s livelihood assistance where there are individual workers who are self-employed, Valuis added.


For the city of Maasin, the amount of P 642,729 will be for the livelihood formation of 63 informal sector workers, while another P612,049.00 was also due for release to 48 small scale fishing project of marginal fisherfolks, Valuis said.


==Senator shares P 9.5 M PDAF for market, abbatoir development in 19 So. Leyte LGUs==
These assistance, scheduled to be turned over yesterday, were not yet given since Mayor Maloney Samaco was still in Lingayen, Pangasinan, attending the Palarong Pambansa, she added.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=55793
*Friday, September 23, 2011
:by Bong Pedalino


DOLE and the barangay LGU signed yesterday a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at Supercha Foodhauz, this city another assistance for 15 ambulant vendors of barangay Sta. Cruz, Macrohon, for their fish and food vending worth P 224,996.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 23 (PIA) -- This city an 18 municipalities of Southern Leyte province received an equal share of financial aid given by Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero, taken from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
Meanwhile, some 39 displaced workers from Saint Bernard will soon become beneficiaries of entrepreneurial funds worth P334,016, and another amount of P 413,432 is now in the pipeline for 46 unemployed or underemployed sectoral workers in the town of Pintuyan.  
Each recipients got P 500,000.00 assistance for the development of their respective public markets and abbatoirs, said District Engineer Carlos Veloso of the Department of Public Works and Highways-Southern Leyte Engineering District (DPWH-SLED), the implementing agency tasked to handle these projects.
The Senator’s total financial assistance on this matter totaled P 9.5 Million, and the money was already available at the DPWH Regional Office, Veloso remarked during the weekly “Media Forum” live Wednesday at dyDM where he was the guest.
With Veloso in the radio program were three division chiefs, namely, Engr. Allan Eway for maintenance, Engr. Vincent Sy for Planning, and Engr. Letty Olarte, the Office-In-Charge for Construction.
These projects were scheduled for bidding and for proceeding to actual work within the last quarter of this year, according to Engr. Sy in a follow-up interview with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) yesterday.
Sy said that six towns out of the 18 were slated to sign a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Regional Office very soon for them to undertake the project by administration.
As for Maasin City, the assistance was included in the relocation sites for market stalls at the Combado reclamation area, where construction was in progress, said Sy. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==BIR clarifies action vs So Leyte's tax evading professionals==
Among the funds already given to LGU partners were those at Silago for the high-value vegetable production project of 26 individuals who are members of the Puntana Women Nature’s Club Association worth P 261,340 and another P 179,600 for 14 women from Libagon for their Negosyo sa Kariton (Nego-Kart) project.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=55704
*Thursday, September 22, 2011
:by ES Gorne


Accredited co-partner LGUs shared 20 percent of the funds as equity not necessarily in cash but other non-cash equivalent like training, capacity-building, or equipment, while DOLE provided the needed materials and in some cases cash as capital, Valuis said.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 22(PIA) -- Mr. Carlos Tambal, Assistant District Revenue District Officer in Southern Leyte clarified that the legal team of the BIR Regional Office in Eastern Visayas was the entity in charge of filing the case against the tax evader-professional from Southern Leyte.
The assistance has always been in the nature of a grant, and the beneficiaries' sole obligation is to see to it that their businesses flourish and develop further, Valuis added. (PIA8, Southern Leyte)
The action made by the BIR in Southern Leyte was to refer the findings to the legal team at the BIR Regional Office, Mr. Tambal said in a phone patch with Philippine Information Agency.
Mr. Tambal said his agency’s action was not the direct filing of a tax evasion charge but was a referral to their legal team at the BIR Regional Office recommending the filing of such a charge.
Mr. Tambal was referring to the reported case of tax evasion filed by BIR against a lawyer based in Sogod, Southern Leyte. Said tax evader has not been paying the annual income tax, no monthly filing of income tax, no issuance of receipts and is not even registered with the BIR.
It may be recalled that taking a cue from the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino, the Bureau of Internal Revenue has vowed to go after doctors, lawyers, accountants and other professionals who are not paying the right income taxes.
The BIR is now collecting pertinent data from various agencies such as the Professional Regulation Commission which exercises supervision over all professionals such as accountants, nurses, teachers, engineers, among others.
Aside from running after big time tax evaders, the agency will also go after professionals who under declare their income. (PIA 8 Southern Leyte)


==Anti-smoking drive in Maasin City boosts tourism, says Mayor==
==Maasin City delegates off to Palarong Pambansa in Pangasinan==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=55309
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1291336447193
*Wednesday, September 21, 2011
*Wednesday, May 9, 2012
:by Bong Pedalino
:by Rebecca S. Cadavos




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 21 (PIA) -- Prohibiting smokers in public places began as a program to keep the people healthy but it turned out to be a magnet for visitors to come into this city, to learn and study on how it was done.
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 9 (PIA) -- At least 30 sports delegates from Maasin City was sent off Thursday to participate in the Palarong Pambansa 2012 held at Lingayen, Pangasinan, as part of the Eastern Visayas regional delegation.  
“It has become one of our tourism come-on, a tourist’s attraction,” said City Mayor Maloney Samaco in the bi-weekly radio program “Maasin City In Action” today.
Samaco reported that right after the dyDM program he will be meeting a group of visitors coming from Butuan City, the Caraga Region composed of Doctors, Department of Health (DOH) personnel, and from the local government unit (LGU) who are scheduled to pay a courtesy call to him this morning at his office.
He said last week, students from Dumaguete City doing theses on anti-smoking were also here for a deeper study on the subject, adding that their leader was a confessed chain smoker who wanted to quit smoking at least for the time being that they were in the city.
The smoke-free advocacy has become a cause worth pursuing, not just for compliance so that the city can garner awards, Samaco said, stressing that his fulfillment has always been to see a smoker, either a visitor or a Maasinhon, change such an unhealthy lifestyle by quitting the habit, with the city anti-smoking program serving as the friendly inspiration.
Samaco claimed the city has been known by other local government units across the country for its strict implementation of smoking ban as many LGUs had come already, and many are still wanting to come in the near or far future, a scenario that undoubtedly helped the tourism-related sectors in the city.
Asked by host Zaldy Olita that the Butuan visitors will soon become Maasin’s rival in the coveted Red Orchid award of the DOH, Samaco said he would not mind if the visitors, upon learning in the city, would eventually be part of the competitors in a stiff competition for the DOH recognition.
“The more important thing is that we can share with them, teach them just the same” the ways and strategies on how to implement a successful anti-smoking campaign, Samaco replied. (PIA-Southern Leyte/Bong)


==PDC to tackle 2012 AIP with focus on food security==
“Maasin City in Action” program host Zaldy Olita reported via phone patch this morning from Pangasinan that Maasin City delegates include the athletes, coaches and trainers from different sports such as badminton, swimming, arnis, boxing, softball, among other games that gave Maasin City athletes medals during the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) competition held early this year hosted by Maasin City.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=55250
*Tuesday, September 20, 2011
:by ES Gorne


Olita, Maasin City Sports Council staff, who went with the delegates said that the games begun Sunday, May 6, “but the opening of the competition formally opened Monday, May 7 when President Benigno S. Aquino delivered his address to the athletes, coaches and officials including the game spectators at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center as the main venue of the Palaro, in Lingayen, Pangasinan.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 20 (PIA) -- The Provincial Planning and Development Office will present the 2012 Annual Investment Program (AIP) and the 6-year Provincial Development Investment Program (PDIP) for its discussion and approval by the Provincial Development Council (PDC).
He said that the opening ceremonies was preceded by the parade of athletes from the Pangasinan provincial capitol grounds to Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) that was completed in time for the opening program at 10:00 a.m.  
According to Provincial Planning and Development Officer Virginia Lim-Cruz, who is also the Provincial Development Council (PDC) Secretariat Head, the final annual investment plan shall be deliberated during the meeting of the PDC on September 29, 2011.
Cruz said, so far, the biggest share that the AIP will appropriate every year usually is biased for the agricultural development wherein the food security of the province is at stake. She expects that the PDC will give consideration for the food security of the province for this year, as well.
She said that the presence of foreign organizations who are spearheading for agricultural development pouring down interventions in the province of Southern Leyte , however, the need for the counterpart of the province has to be considered in the AIP.
Cruz further disclosed that the 6-year PDIP shall be anchored on the major thrusts on Tourism, Environment and Agriculture (T-E-A) development of the province, in addition to the basic social services of the provincial government.
Another factor that has to be well thought of in the plans is the looming reduction of Internal Revenue Allocation (IRA) of the province , Cruz added.
Cruz added that PDC is composed of the Office of the Reprsentative, local government units, all SP chair on finance and non-government organizations to include local media, all based in the province.### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==SoLeyte LGU releases P2.7 M for irrigation repair in Barangay Nava==
Olita disclosed that Maasin City delegation was supported by City Mayor Maloney Samaco, who went with the delegation, some Sangguniang Panglungsod members, Department of Education Maasin City Division, among others.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=54960
 
*Monday, September 19, 2011
With the week-long game competition, the city government is hopeful the Maasin City athletes will bring home medals. Maasin City allocated cash incentives to the medalists, it was learned. (LDL/RGC-PIA8 Southern Leyte)
 
==DOLE holds orientation for livelihood program recipients in Southern Leyte==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1141336290025
*Tuesday, May 8, 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Southern Leyte is holding a two-day values orientation to the recipients of the Starter Kit livelihood program for the small economic entrepreneurs in the locality on May 7 and 8.
 
“Before the release of the financial assistance to the 63 informal workers for the second batch of the Starter Kit livelihood program, they all need to undergo a Social Preparation Training and Entrepreneurship Appreciation (SPTEA) course with the employment agency provincial staff,” DOLE Provincial Office senior staff Mario Tictic disclosed.
 
He also stated the program’s objective of providing a sustainable source of income for the family is to see a fully operational entrepreneurial undertaking that would make a change in the lives of the beneficiaries.
 
Tictic said the livelihood assistance will be received by the recipients in form of materials needed for each of the project proposals submitted such as carpentry tools, sewing machines, food, among others, to ensure that the proceeds of the financial assistance will really be bought readily as their startup capital.
 
“The financial assistance varies from P10,000 to P14,000 depending on the need of each recipient in their project proposals ,” he said.
 
Among the project proposals include peanut butter-making, ice cream production, barbecue vending, carpentry works, manicure and pedicure, tailoring and sewing, he said.
 
The DOLE Provincial Office partnered with the city government of Maasin in the mentioned program to increase productivity among the small economic entrepreneurs in the locality, he added. (PIA8 SoLeyte)
 
==Forest exhibit, roadshow open in Southern Leyte==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1141336290025
*Monday, May 7, 2012
:by pia.gov.ph
 
 
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 7 (PIA) -- An exhibit and roadshow about the Philippine forests are set to open in Southern Leyte.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Forest Management Bureau, German Development Cooperation-Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, CoDe REDD Philippines and the provincial government of Southern Leyte will be opening the Color it REDD-Plus Roadshow and “The Philippine Forests: Before and What Now?” exhibits on May 8 to 9 at Maasin City Gymnasium, Southern Leyte.
Dr. Bernd Markus Liss of GIZ said that REDD-Plus or Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation with conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks is a measure being under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that contributes in the stabilization of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere.
In the Philippines, from April 2009 to July 2010, multi-sectoral and multi-level workshops were carried out to know more about REDD and REDD-Plus in aid of drafting the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy (PNRPS) for 2010 to 2020.
In April of 2010, the PNRPS Components were considered in the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC) under section 8.5 of the Key Result Areas on Mitigation. On the same month, DENR has been designated as the operational arm of REDD-Plus implementation through Executive Order 881 of the President. Given these, the PNRPS was presented to the DENR Executive Committee that approved the Strategy on August 9, 2010 and transmitted the same to the Climate Change Commission on August 27, 2010.
Liss said REDD-Plus is at its early stage in the Philippines and the exhibit offers a visual presentation of this approach. The Philippines has elaborated a National REDD-plus Strategy that was endorsed by DENR and is now a key element of the National Climate Change Action Plan approved by the Climate Change Commission chaired by the President in November 2011.
The Climate-relevant Modernization of Forest Policy and Piloting of REDD Project implemented by DENR and GIZ at national level, with pilot activities in Southern Leyte is the featured REDD-Plus Project in the exhibit.
It focuses on avoiding further deterioration of forests and emissions of greenhouse gases while generating benefits such as biodiversity conservation, improvement of local livelihoods and enhancement of ecosystem services through the development of improved forest policies and specific incentives for forest protection and rehabilitation.
The newly discovered frog species in Mt. Nacolod is supported by GIZ and is part of the Biodiversity Resource Assessment done for five municipalities of the GIZ-REDD Plus sites in Southern Leyte covering the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus and Malitbog.
The information generated, now provides a baseline that can be used to predict impacts of habitat change on species and to design measures to protect forest biodiversity. For local government units in Southern Leyte, the findings provide the scientific basis in designing appropriate management systems and monitoring protocols useful in protecting forest ecosystems, establishing local forest and biodiversity areas as well as to steer the rehabilitation of forests towards an efficient and more ecologically sound path.
For the national Government, it will spur forest protection and rehabilitation efforts under the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAPP), and the National Greening Program.
On the other hand, the Forest Exhibit captures current actions of local communities in forest conservation and protection in Leyte Island, done through a competition among journalists last year. Media representatives from Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News Online and Business Mirror were among those who participated in the competition. The exhibit depicts how the country is beginning to adjust national forest policies to the necessities of climate protection and to test approaches for REDD-Plus.
The exhibit, Liss said, is an opportune time to bring together the medium of film, graphics and photography to communicate historic images of the nation’s massive forest loss and depict current initiatives to achieve sustainable forest management. This means working towards improving the environment and people’s conditions by protecting, replanting and sustainably managing the forests.
Fishbowl Discussion, Debate, and REDD-Plus Hour will be carried out to discuss forestry, highlight the role of community forestry as a central ingredient to the implementation of REDD-Plus, emphasize that tenure over the land is a must for REDD-Plus implementation, and orient participants on basic concepts in relation to REDD-Plus as well as on the PNRPS.
A cultural night will also be held on May 8 evening at Maasin City Gymnasium featuring local artists, and prominent national artists Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios and Lolita Carbon at 8pm.
The event is a compelling visual presentation and interactive dialogue to discuss REDD-Plus and its on-going implementation in the Philippines.
REDD-Plus is an approach that embodies actions of empowered forest managers and support groups to manage forestlands in a sustainable and equitable manner while working towards improved forest policies with regard to climate change, forest protection and rehabilitation.
The DENR-GIZ REDD Project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Government. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. (PIA8 with GIZ)
 
==Bureau seeks to establish Mt. Nacolod as a conservation area==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281336114142
*Saturday, May 5, 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
:by  Erna S. Gorne




SOUTHERN LEYTE, Sept. 19 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Southern Leyte led by Provincial Governor Damian G. Mercado turned-over P2.75 Million - worth irrigation repair project, Nava Communal Irrigation Improvement Project to Obong Farmer’s Association thru its President Ricardo T. Burlaza to boost the palay production in the province.
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 5 (PIA) -- The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau/New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (PAWB/New CAPP) seeks to establish an inter-local government unit alliance to establish Mt. Nacolod as a conservation area.
Governor Damian G. Mercado turned-over in a simple ceremony last Sept 13, 2011at Tuburan, Hinunangan, So. Leyte the P2.75 M Nava Communal Irrigation Improvement Project undertaken by the Provincial Agricultural Services Office (PAgSO) to benefit at least 79 direct local rice farmers, PAgSO staff Feliciano Malaki, Jr reported to PIA Southern Leyte.
 
The 79 members – beneficiary of the mentioned irrigation repair will cover 80 hectares rice fields which will soon betprovide better irrigation water distribution needed to boost palay production, Malaki said.
"A study has been undertaken jointly by the PAWB/New CAPP and Forest Management Bureau/German Development Cooperation-Duetsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit, through the Fauna and Flora International in coordination with DENR Region 8 and PENRO So Leyte for one-month-long ground survey for a biodiversity assessment in key biodiversity area in Southern Leyte,” said DENR-8 Regional Executive Director Rogelio Trinidad, during the Presentation of the Results of the Biodiversity Assessment of REDD+ Pilot Area/Mt Nacolod in Southern Leyte and Management Planning Workshop, last May 2 and 3 at Kuting Reef, Macrohon, Southern Leyte.
Malaki added that Ricardo “Titing” Burlaza and fellow 79 members were very thankful for the concerted approach of all the concerned government officials who have collaborated towards the realization of their dream to improve the decade old facilities to alleviate their plight.
 
Also present with Gov. Mercado were Mayor Romeo M. Gomez of Hinunangan LGU, the four (4) Sanguniang Panlalawigan members from the 2nd District (Hon. Junby Fernandez, Hon. Berting Lagumbay, Hon. Daisy Gamale and Hon. Almario), the barangay Captains of Nava and Tuburan, Hinunangan, he said.
He said that the identified key biodiversity area in Southern Leyte covers six municipalities, namely Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin City, Tomas Oppus, and Malitbog.
Gov. Mercado stressed to demonstrate under the “Aksyon, Solusyon, Inisyatibo” we are serious in improving the efficiency of support services to the farmers who are our partners in the thrust of “food security,” that is why “we included these in our Annual Investment Plan.” Malaki added.
 
On the other hand, Hon. Junby Fernandez, the SP Committee Chairman on Agriculture expressed hope that after the turn-over, these will be managed and maintained by the recipient Obong Farmer-Members and could be passed thru their respective successors. In this way, we will be able to address similar needs or purposes in the future, Malaki said.
The study that spanned slightly over one month, from November to December 15, 2011, recorded a total of 229 flora species in 65 families, with 31 Philippine endemics, 10 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-critically endangered species, which are mostly Dipterocarp species, and 20 IUCN-vulnerable species. It was also learned that terrestrial vertebrates accounted in the survey totaled to 212 species (birds: 112 species, mammals: 36 species, herpetofauna: 64 species).
While, OIC Provincial Agriculturist Marina E. Gador also said, “ with the cooperation of the farmers here, you have your Palayamanan Project here and we should also be able to contribute to the goal of increasing the present level of palay production per hectare. We should likewise work on producing vegetables and corn for local demand.” ### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)
 
Likewise, there are a total of 69 species of terrestrial amphibian and reptiles recorded across the four localities, and of these 69 species, 25 species are frogs belonging to the seven families; 23 species lizards belonging to five families; 20 species of snakes and one specie of terrestrial turtle.
 
"The PAWB/New CAPP, with funding support from Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, aims to expand and strengthen the terrestrial PA system in the Philippines by developing new conservation models," Trinidad disclosed.
 
The group aimed to capacitate their partners for effective management of the system supported by improved systemic and institutional capacities.
 
The study also identified threats to biodiversity, which include widespread illegal collection of wildlife, conflicting land tenurial issues improper wildlife collection (e.g. bat collection in caves in Maasin City).
 
"However, these threats can be addressed by having proper land use classification with strict implementation of policy and reforms that strengthens sustainable conservation initiatives through increased capacitation of stakeholders," he added. (PIA8 SoLeyte)
 
==Southern Leyte solon cites impt programs as economic boosters==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1291336096874
*Friday, May 4, 2012
:by Rebecca S. Cadavos
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 4 (PIA) -- Important programs of the national government such as Tourism, Environment and Agriculture (TEA), are important components to help boost economy not only here in the province but throughout the country said Southern Leyte Lone District Congressman Roger G. Mercado.
 
In Southern Leyte, Mercado cited the Panan-awan airport, in Barangay Panan-awan, the Roro Port of Barangay Guadalupe and the on-going port rehabilitation, all in Maasin City as the sites that can help tourism industry in the province.
 
“If the airport in Panan-awan will be completed, this will hasten the incoming and outgoing of tourists and visitors coming from other places that will visit not only in Maasin City but the province as well, which can automatically improve economic activities,” the solon disclosed in a press conference held at Kinamot Sa Abgao, May 3.
 
The length of the runway of the Maasin airport is still lacking with only 1.2 kilometers, supposedly the needed runway is 2.0 km, the Congressman said. “An initial funding of P4.5 million had already been released for the extension of the runway, but it was not implemented yet," he added.
 
Meanwhile, the Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) port in Barangay Guadalupe, if pushed through, can also promote economic activities and the P20 million rehabilitation of Maasin City Port which is now on-going through the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).
 
The other two economic boosters he mentioned were the environment and agriculture programs of the government. “We need to encourage the people to obey local ordinances and laws of the government,” Hon. Mercado said referring to the anti-smoking campaign, traffic rules, illegal activities, to include illegal logging, illegal drugs, illegal fishing, among others that can affect not only one’s health but the environment as well.  
 
The solon also urged everyone with the help of the media to disseminate the problems concerning the bunchy top virus that affect the abaca industry, brontispa for the coconut industry, and the crown-of-thorns starfish that is now affecting the coral reefs around the province. Through information dissemination, everyone will be aware of the situation, the congressman noted.
 
“In order to achieve the targets and goals at our end, using our own resources, we need the support of everyone and the media people as one of the forefronts,” Cong. Mercado revealed at the press conference attended by the local reporters, to include Leyte Samar Daily Express correspondent Vicky Arnaiz, Maasin City Senior Citizens Federation President Willy Justimbaste, among others. (EOPT/RSC-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)
 
==Sack yields dead girl==
*Source: http://www.journal.com.ph/index.php/news/provincial/29177-sack-yields-dead-girl
*Thursday, May 3, 2012
:by  Zaida delos Reyes-Palanca
 
 
AUTHORITIES have launched a manhunt for a 27-year-old man tagged in the rape and killing of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found inside a sack dumped at the back of the victims house in Pastrana, Southern, Leyte.
 
Town police commander Insp. Romeo Abano identified the suspect as Allan Pulga, 27, neighbor of the victim Mary Joy Paboyo, of Barangay Cabauhan.
 
Abano said autopsy result showed the victim, who was reported missing on April 29, was positively molested and her head was bashed with a hard object that caused her death.
 
Police said Pulga had no records of mental illness or drug addiction. His family said he may be under the influence of liquor when he committed the crime.
 
==DSWD-8 to hire 800 young workers in Southern Leyte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281335930752
*Wednesday, May 2, 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 2 (PIA) - - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office 8 is set to screen today the applicants for the 832 summer job young workers coming from Southern Leyte to join the nationwide Expanded Government Internship (EGIP).  
 
According to Edna Dator of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) EGIP team will meticulously select 112 qualified youths out of 700 young applicants in Maasin City alone; the rest of the EGIP slots will be filled by 40 selected youths from each of the 18 municipalities in the province.
 
Right now, the said team is still screening the final list of summer job youth workers, who will participate in the internship program of government, she added.
 
The hired applicants will work for 52 days in the community where they come from in 4Ps, Social Pension for the Indigent Elderly, Supplemental Feeding, Cash for Work and Day Care Services earning P252 per day, she said.
 
Most of the applicants are aged 18 to 30 years old, many are in school, a number are out-of-school youths, several have degrees and technical-vocational courses, Dator added. (PIA 8, SoLeyte)
 
==CENRO-Maasin partners with 11 POs to protect 5,410 ha. upland areas==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281335759627
*Monday, April 30, 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 30 (PIA) -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Maasin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Southern Leyte Provincial Office is now undertaking the development of 5,410 hectares of upland areas under the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFMP) in close coordination with the local peoples’ organizations.
 
CENRO-Maasin, which covers eight municipalities out of the 18 municipalities and one city of Maasin in the province, reported that the CBFMP is a regular program of the environment department to carry out the reforestation in timberland areas in the mountains and mangrove areas, CENRO-Maasin Senior Staff Edil Alcarde disclosed.
 
He said, “Thru the social forestry program, the upland dwellers have become partners in the protection of the remaining forest.”
 
The following upland areas and respective people’s organizations and their area coverages includes: 1) Maasin Farmers Marketing and Credit Org. (MAFAMCO) in Ibarra, Maasin City with 181 has; 2) Young Innovator for Social & Environmental Development Association, Inc. (YISEDA) in Maasin City with 549 has; 3) Kapunongan Mag-uuma sa Sto. Nino (KAMAS) in Macrohon with 182 has; 4) Malico Farmers Resources Management and Conservation Organization (MAFARMCO) in Macrohon with 102 has; 5) Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) in Malitbog with 563 has; 6) Tomas Oppus-Malitbog Farmers Association, Inc. (TOMFA) in Tomas Oppus with 71 has; 7) Tomas Oppus Forest Developers Association, Inc. (TOFDA) in Tomas Oppus with 325 has; 8) Anahao Movement for Productive Community organization (AMPCO) in Bontoc with 451 has; 9) Kahupi-an Upland Farmers Association, Inc. (KUFA) in Sogod with 2,169 has; 10) Aktibong Grupo sa Mag-uuma Alang sa Libagunong Abot (AGILA) in Libagon with 675 has; 11) Barangay Danao Farmers Association (BADAFA) in Macrohon with 244 has; 12) Bogo Women’s Association (BWA) in Maasin City with 50 has thru the Congressional Fund of Rep. Roger G. Mercado.
 
The overall CBFMP workers availing of the said social forestry program totaled to at least 410 beneficiaries, he added.
 
He further disclosed that before the implementation of the social forestry program, reforestation was very limited in terms of survival since laborers burned the forest so that they will be hired again.
 
With this program, the beneficiaries will be able to harvest the trees as if they were their own and harvest mature trees, he added. (EPT/ESG-PIA8, SoLeyte)
 
==CENRO-Maasin partners with 11 POs to protect 5,410 ha. upland areas==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281335759627
*Monday, April 30, 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 30 (PIA) -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Maasin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Southern Leyte Provincial Office is now undertaking the development of 5,410 hectares of upland areas under the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFMP) in close coordination with the local peoples’ organizations.
 
CENRO-Maasin, which covers eight municipalities out of the 18 municipalities and one city of Maasin in the province, reported that the CBFMP is a regular program of the environment department to carry out the reforestation in timberland areas in the mountains and mangrove areas, CENRO-Maasin Senior Staff Edil Alcarde disclosed.
 
He said, “Thru the social forestry program, the upland dwellers have become partners in the protection of the remaining forest.”
 
The following upland areas and respective people’s organizations and their area coverages includes: 1) Maasin Farmers Marketing and Credit Org. (MAFAMCO) in Ibarra, Maasin City with 181 has; 2) Young Innovator for Social & Environmental Development Association, Inc. (YISEDA) in Maasin City with 549 has; 3) Kapunongan Mag-uuma sa Sto. Nino (KAMAS) in Macrohon with 182 has; 4) Malico Farmers Resources Management and Conservation Organization (MAFARMCO) in Macrohon with 102 has; 5) Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) in Malitbog with 563 has; 6) Tomas Oppus-Malitbog Farmers Association, Inc. (TOMFA) in Tomas Oppus with 71 has; 7) Tomas Oppus Forest Developers Association, Inc. (TOFDA) in Tomas Oppus with 325 has; 8) Anahao Movement for Productive Community organization (AMPCO) in Bontoc with 451 has; 9) Kahupi-an Upland Farmers Association, Inc. (KUFA) in Sogod with 2,169 has; 10) Aktibong Grupo sa Mag-uuma Alang sa Libagunong Abot (AGILA) in Libagon with 675 has; 11) Barangay Danao Farmers Association (BADAFA) in Macrohon with 244 has; 12) Bogo Women’s Association (BWA) in Maasin City with 50 has thru the Congressional Fund of Rep. Roger G. Mercado.
 
The overall CBFMP workers availing of the said social forestry program totaled to at least 410 beneficiaries, he added.
 
He further disclosed that before the implementation of the social forestry program, reforestation was very limited in terms of survival since laborers burned the forest so that they will be hired again.
 
With this program, the beneficiaries will be able to harvest the trees as if they were their own and harvest mature trees, he added. (EPT/ESG-PIA8, SoLeyte)
 
==Affordable health services for 700,000 Filipinos==
*Source: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/opinion/columnist1/21944-affordable-health-services-for-700000-filipinos
*Sunday, April 29, 2012
:by  RANDOM JOTTINGS
 
 
LOW income families living in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar in the Eastern Visayas region will soon have increased access to affordable maternal health services, thanks to the World Bank which – acting as administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA) – has approved a grant of US$3.6 million towards the project.
 
The project will be implemented over a 4-year period by Population Services Pilipinas Incorporated (PSPI) supported by Marie Stopes International Australia (MSIA), established providers of maternal and child health care in the Philippines since 1990. About 145,000 poor families (an estimated 700,000 individuals) are expected to benefit through subsidized access to services including birth delivery and pre- and post-natal care.
 
The National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) has a mandate to provide universal health insurance coverage to all Filipinos and a solution is needed for the large numbers of indigent and informal sector workers that remain excluded from social health insurance coverage. A 2010 Philippine Health Sector Review found that reforms in the past decades have improved overall health outcomes; however, disparities in access to quality health services and health insurance coverage remain an issue for the poor.
 
The GPOBA-funded scheme explicitly targets the poor to help address some of the barriers to their access to quality health services, with a 3-part approach: accreditation of 45 service providers in the project area to ensure improved quality of care and the capacity to meet increased demand; enrolment of about 145,000 families, identified and determined as poor by the National Household Targeting System, to ensure that the project reaches those who need it most; and a subsidized voucher scheme to bridge the gap between co-payments charged by health service providers and the amount that target project beneficiaries can afford to pay for approved services.
 
“This output-based aid scheme supports the new government’s reform agenda to achieve universal access to health care,” said Motoo Konishi, World Bank Country Director for the Philippines. “The project also makes access to quality health services affordable through the subsidized voucher component and more inclusive by explicitly targeting the poor.”
 
The project will address barriers to health service access by expanding insurance coverage of the poor and by supporting the upgrade of additional service providers in order to meet the national Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) accreditation requirements.
 
Consistent with the OBA approach, GPOBA will retain an independent verification agent to verify output delivery, including service provider upgrading, and that pre-agreed targets have been met by the project partners before subsidy payments are made. Independent verification makes aid more transparent by linking payment to the delivery of specific services or “outputs.”
 
“We are enthusiastic about using an innovative approach, as part of a joint effort with PhilHealth, to meet the needs of a population that cannot afford to pay for access to basic health services and to support the government’s commitment to reducing maternal and infant mortality,” said Virgilio Pernito, Chief Executive Officer of PSPI.
 
Globally, more than 350,000 women die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. For the Philippines, this initiative is an important step towards the goal of reducing maternal mortality rates to 52 deaths per 100,000 live births, although past experience suggests that goal may be difficult to attain.
 
This program is in direct response to the Philippine government’s commitment to pilot interventions that improve the health outcomes, particularly the maternal and reproductive health status, of poor populations.
 
==Slow growth alarms Eastern Visayas bizmen==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/breaking-news/2012/04/28/slow-growth-alarms-eastern-visayas-bizmen-218692
*Saturday, April 28, 2012
:by  (Sunnex/(Leyte Samar Daily Express))
 
 
MACROHON, Southern Leyte -- Local business chambers are concerned over the slow growth of Eastern Visayas’ gross regional development product (GRDP) and its per capita income, which is lower than its neighboring regions.
 
Robert Castañares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), said they wonder why there has been a consistent decline of GRDP growth momentum between 2004 and 2009.
 
“The National Government is actively involved in social services and infrastructure programs but not that much in economic development. That partly explained why in 2004 to 2009 our economy has not improved and poverty incidence has gone up,” Castañares told participants of the 2nd Eastern Visayas Regional Business Conference held in Kuting Reef here this week.
 
Citing latest available data from the National Government agencies, the business group disclosed that from 5.2 percent GRDP growth in 2004, it went down to 1.8 percent in 2009. The growth rate recorded in 2009 is way below than the 6.3 percent target.
 
The region’s per capita income is only P7,400 just half of Western Visayas’ P14,500 and Central Visayas’ P15,300. The National Capital Region’s per capita is P38,600.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
==1st zoo in Eastern Visayas opens in Maasin City==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1291335494267
*Friday, April 27, 2012
:by  Rebecca S. Cadavos
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 27 (PIA) -- Organized by the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) in coordination with the city government of Maasin, the Maasin City Nature and Wildlife Park or simply known as Maasin Zoo had its soft opening, April 26, Thursday, situated at Danao Forest Park, Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte, this city.  
 
The soft opening was conducted hours after the 2nd Eastern Visayas Business Conference was held at the Kuting Reef, in the municipality of Macrohon. Twelve (12) chambers of commerce and industry that attended the business meeting trouped to Maasin Zoo for the soft opening, the first throughout Eastern Visayas region.
 
The soft opening held at past three in the afternoon started with a short program, attended by different stakeholders, media practitioners, local and regional officials and visitors composed of the 12 chambers throughout Eastern Visayas coming from Palompon, Baybay, Isabel, Ormoc, Leyte, Calbayog, Samar, Catarman, Northern Samar, Guian, Burauen, and the Southern Leyte CCI headed by its President Robert Castañares. The program was hosted by Zaldy Olita from the city government.
 
A tour around Maasin zoo was made after the program, led by Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco with the Sangguniang Panglungsod members, Regional Directors from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Karina Rosa Santiago, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)Cynthia Nierras and Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Edgar Esperancilla and investors of the zoo.
 
Animals that can be seen at Maasin Zoo are two camels, two miniature horses, three tigers, one small Celebes Black Ape, two red-necked ostrich, crocodiles, snakes, and different species of birds such as the silver pheasant, victoria crown, umbrella and black palm cockatoos, Philippine eagle, among other classes of birds.
 
A grand opening of Maasin Zoo is set next month, May, while summer break is on the wane, it was learned.  
 
SLCCI President Castañares was grateful for the realization of one of the tourism hubs in Southern Leyte, saying that, “the local economy can benefit through building this major tourism hub in the province.” He was pleased with the visitors who came from other parts of region 8 for them to observe while the zoo is still under construction.
 
The 30-hectare park is located in the 500-hectare Danao Forest Reserve in the upland barangay of Malapoc Norte, 14-kilometer away from the city proper and situated 335 meters above sea level. (ldl/rgc-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)
 
==DENR-8 finalizes Biodiversity Assessment of REDD+ Pilot Area and Mt. Nacolod in SoLeyte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1291335336973
*Thursday, April 26, 2012
:by  Rebecca S. Cadavos
 
 
 
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 26 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has completed the Biodiversity Assessment of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) pilot area and at Mt. Nacolod in the province of Southern Leyte.
 
DENR 8 Regional Executive Director Rogelio T. Trinidad in a letter to PIA-Maasin said, a presentation of the assessment and a Management Planning will be conducted on May 2-3, 2012 at Kuting Reef in Macrohon, this province.
 
The activity, he said, is aimed to present the results of the biodiversity assessment and draft the management plan for Mt. Nacolod based on the practical knowledge and strategic species-habitat information gathered during the study.
 
The study was jointly undertaken by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau/New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (PAWB/NewCAPP) and Forest Management Bureau//German Development Cooperation-Deutsche Gesellschaft fluer Internationale Zusammenarbeit –Climate relevant modernization of forest policy and the REDD in the Philippines Project (FMB/GIZ REDD+ Project) through the Fauna and Flora International (FFI).  
 
The project study coordinated by DENR 8 and PENRO Southern Leyte was also participated by the local universities and representatives from the local government units.  
 
“It was a long-month ground survey that started November 2011 yet,” Director Trinidad said.
 
The two-day activity is expected to be attended by key stakeholders of the province including the mayors of municipalities within the Mt. Nacolod and chairperson of Sanggunian for Environment at the provincial and municipal levels, representatives from the academe, natural environment protectors and managers, provincial and municipal planning office, among others concerned. (ldl/rgc/PIA 8-Southern Leyte)


==DTI presents major investment projects to promote So Leyte tourism==
==East Visayas business leaders gather for trade conference==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=54507
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1301335314428
*Friday, September 16, 2011
*Wednesday 25th of April 2012
:by R.G. Cadavos
:by Marcelo M. Pedalino




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 16 (PIA) -– There were at least five (5) major tourism investment projects that were presented by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) during the Provincial Micro Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) Development Action Planning held at the Ampil Pensione here, September 15-16, 2011.
KUTING BEACH, Macrohon, Southern Leyte, April 25 (PIA) -- Leading personalities in the business sector from six provinces and eight cities in Region 8 will converge for two days - today and tomorrow - in this resort to discuss issues and concerns about tourism and trade opportunities.  
Ma. Delia M. Corsiga, Division Chief from DTI-Regional Office 8 said that the major investment in tourism industry in Southern Leyte were identified as follows: Danao Forest Park where an investor is proposing to establish a zoo, the Agas-Agas Adventure complex which includes not only the zipline but also bungee jumping ang probably the installation of cable cars, different dive sites throughout the province, the Limasawa destination package and Silago Forest canopy walk.
“Statistics show that Southern Leyte business sector mostly operates in small business enterprises, while Eastern Visayas rank 4th in terms of having number of SME operators,” Corsiga pointed out in her presentation. By investing in these projects, employment will increase and the gross domestic product contributions will also rise, she added.
The government sector will just support what business to be installed while the private sector will be the one to put up the business, she added.
Corsiga while presenting the SME Development Plan for 2011-2016 nationwide is grateful for the support and eagerness of the business sector led by Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) President Robert Castañares, who was also one of the participants, to include the different stakeholders throughout the province.
Probable challenges that maybe encountered in investing a project/business were also discussed by Corsiga such as the business environment, access to finance, access to markets, productivity and efficiency, and the like, while how to address these challenges at the local level will be validated during the workplan.
The MSME Development Plan for 2011-2016 aims to create a business environment that will center on a culture of government that will foster the establishment, development, sustainability and competitiveness of small and medium enterprises not only in Southern Leyte but throughout the country.
It also seeks to improve productivity and the delivery of competitive, standard, compliant and equipment-friendly products and services.
The two-day planning workshop is in close coordination with the German International Cooperation (GIZ).


==Barangay Kagawads urged to enrol their children in SUCs to avail of scholarships==
The gathering, officially called Second Eastern Visayas Business Conference, is hosted by the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), and some 200 participants all over the region are expected to attend, said Sandra Alcober, information officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office.  
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=54216
*Thursday, September 15, 2011
: bby Bong Pedalino


Aside from known business figures, mostly heads and members of various chambers of commerce in the region, political leaders and regional directors of government agencies involved in promoting tourism and investments are also expected to come, Alcober added.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 15 (PIA) -- Barangay officials here were challenged during the recent gathering Monday to make use of scholarship opportunities at state colleges and universities by virtue of their position as village leaders, in which up to four children were allowed to avail of this privilege.
Governor Damian Mercado will be the keynote speaker, said Alcober.  
The moment their children can pass the college admission test as required by the state schools, they will be qualified to become scholars and exempted from paying the regular school fees like tuition, according to Jani Arnaiz, a Kagawad of barangay Mantahan here who is also a Correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer (PDI) and President of the Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL).
In the weekly Media Forum program live over dyDM yesterday, Arnaiz called on his colleagues, especially those who have children due for tertiary education, to maximize the chance afforded by their being village leaders as duly discussed by National Vice President Crisanto Ramos during their Monday conference.
In Southern Leyte province, the government-funded institution of learning is the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) which has four campuses in different locations.
Monching Buyer, another local journalist who is also a Kagawad of barangay Mambajao, affirmed that many of their fellow village officials did take heed on this opportunity, adding that this was also the policy implemented by Mayor Maloney Samaco for Maasin City College (MCC), a city organized school.
In prodding his co-councilors at the barangay to ponder on the scholarship, Arnaiz put emphasis on the courses on agriculture, agricultural entrepreneurship, or short-term vocational-technical studies that are in-demand these days, especially with a certificate from the Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA).
The forum tackled the growing economic boom now experienced by the city of Maasin, a situation others feared would not be sustained in the long run. The discussion, however, took into consideration the risk these investors underwent, and that they will not be doing so without accurate conduct of a feasibility study.
Among the suggestions aired for the sustainability of the “Maasin boom” was the development in the field of agriculture, in which it was noted that many wealthy Maasinhons would rather kept their money in a bank rather than invest in agri-business, a circumstance the media practitioners dreamed of reversing.
They called on the moneyed individuals to consider putting their money in agri-business ventures like cash crops, livestock, fisheries so rural folks can be employed and have income, and also to arrest the declining trend of farmers, whose children go to other places seeking jobs rather than tilling their farms. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==AFP conducts battery of tests for Soldier Course in Maasin City, Sogod==
She said the two-day affair will also highlight a trade fair and exhibit and actual visits to the province’s prime tourist destination at the Agas-Agas zipline at Sogod.  
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=54115
*Wednesday, September 14, 2011
: by ES Gorne


The group will also witness the soft opening of the “ZooLeyte” or the Maasin Nature and Wildlife Park at Danao Forest Park in Maasin City scheduled tomorrow afternoon, April 26.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 14 (PIA) -- Over a hundred applicants mostly criminology students and ROTC cadets from Maasin City and Sogod, Southern Leyte took the first battery of tests for Candidate Soldier Course (CSC) and Officer Candidate Course (OCC) held in the province.
The conference carries the theme, “One Region. One Team: Economic Development thru Public-Private Sector Initiative.” The first-ever Eastern Visayas business meeting was held in March last year, hosted by Leyte province, Alcober further said.  
“ The said battery of tests were usually conducted in Manila and Cebu City. This is the first time ever held in the provinces, ” TSG Marcos Maquelabit, Operations Non-Commissioned Officer of 805 CDC, Reserve Command (ARESCOM) based in Maasin City said in an interview with PIA Southern Leyte.
That the Army Recruitment Center (ARC) is located in Fort Bonifacio, Manila, Maquelabit said.
Once the examinees passed the exams, it would qualify them to the CSC and OCC and eventually as an army officer, he added.
Mostly of the criminology fourth year students and ROTC cadets from the Saint Joseph College (SJC) in Maasin City took the exams in the morning and the fourth year students of Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) in Sogod, Southern Leyte later in the afternoon of the same day, he added.
While the said army reserve command were able to enlist 460 Enlisted Personnel (EP) with 16 reserve officers, with the highest rank of Major being given to Governor Damian Mercado and another Major rank to Vice Governor Miguel Maamo. Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco’s rank as Major is now on the process and the Municipal Mayors rank will be Captains, he added.
The enlisted personnel also includes barangay officials where barangay captains and councilors were ranked as I Lt. and II Lt., respectively, Maquelabit added.
He said these people are the military reserves based in the province that could be immediately pulled out in times of emergencies to include natural threats to the national security. ### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==PNRC So Leyte has 200 blood bags deposited at SOYMPH Blood Bank==
Engr. Robert Castanares, SLCCI President, in his letter of invitation to fellow members to display their products and services, said the objective of the conference is to promote regional trade and investment cooperation in the region.
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=53854
*Tuesday, September 13, 2011
: by ES Gorne


“Among the highlights of the conference is the presentation by each chamber of its respective province or city development strategy, dominant industry or products, and trade and investment opportunities,” Castanares said.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 13 (PIA) - The Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) has now in position 200 blood bags of 450 cubic centimetres which are deposited at the Salvacion Yniquez Oppus Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH) blood bank for all the needed blood purposes in the province.
He also said that the individual output of the different chambers will be consolidated into a Regional Development Framework which will be presented to the Regional Development Council. (LDL/MMP-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)
“For the first time in the history of PNRC Southern Leyte, this is the biggest collection of blood, so far.” PRNC Officer in Charge Noli Casas disclosed to PIA SoLeyte interview over the phone today.
Casas said he intend to distribute the blood collected to other public hospitals within the province, namely the Sogod District Hospital and Anahawan District Hospital, so that the people need not to travel to Maasin City just to get blood.
However, in Sogod Distrist Hospital the blood refrigerator is still undergoing repair while he need to know if the Anahawan District Hospital is licensed to stock blood in their hospital and if they have a medical technician trained for the blood banking processing yet, Casas added.
He reported that last Saturday the religious group, Dating Daan, conducted (4) blood donation activities simultaneously in Hinundayan, Sogod, Maasin City and Hilongos that resulted to the collection of 55 blood bags of 450 cc.
Casas further said that aggressive blood collection is not only intended for dengue patients needing blood but in preparation also for any disaster that might strike the province.
He said, “It should be remembered that Southern Leyte is prone to disaster and one of the best way to be prepared is to increase the level of awareness of the community in donating blood especially in times of emergencies, disasters.”
He remembered during the Guisaugon landslide disaster that there were those rescued from the disaster that were not given the needed blood due to the absence of blood donors despite the presence thousands of people in the area who refused to be taken blood inorder to save the lives of the survivors.
Casas also disclosed that another of blood donation has been scheduled by the Liga nga Barangay this coming Sep-
tember 17, 2011., however due to the present ample supply of blood, they only requires one blood donation from each of the seventy barangays in Maasin City.(PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==So Leyte solon to DOST: Demonstrate anti-dengue traps==
==DSWD-8 announces schedule of orientation and interview of its internship program==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=53703
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1211335175364
*Monday, September 12, 2011
*Tuesday 24th of April 2012
:by Bong Pedalino
:by Tuesday 24th of April 2012


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 12 (PIA) -- Representative Roger Mercado on Saturday requested the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) provincial office through its staff, Daphne Santiago, to hold video showing and actual demonstration on how the DOST’s ovicidal trap will be used in households as a preventive measure against dengue. Mercado made the request during a block-time radio program “Serbisyo Publiko” live at dyDM with host Digo Credo and Santiago as guest. He said that during the anti-dengue clean-up drive last Friday at barangay Asuncion, the second in a series which the lone Southern Leyteno lawmaker initiated, DOST was ready to show and teach people about the mosquito trap in the brief ceremonies, but since it was still past 1 pm and the Asuncion gym was open, the showing was cancelled as it cannot be clearly seen in broad daylight. This week, the DOST was urged to catch up by doing a film showing in the evening in the two barangays where the cleanliness campaign was already undertaken, at barangays Combado and Asuncion, and be with the cleaning warriors in the next rounds of the activity so by the evening of that day the video showing and actual demonstration can be made immediately, Cong. Mercado appealed. Santiago said her office is very much willing to support the advocacy of Cong. Mercado in his efforts to spare the city and province from the dengue outbreak by holding a weekly volunteer clean-up drive in the city’s central barangays for a start, spreading later on to other barangays and other towns of the province. Last Friday’s clean-up activity at barangay Asuncion saw Cong. Mercado leading the pack of provincial and city hall employees numbering over a thousand let open a stagnant water choked by blocking sands with the help of a payloader, picking thrash and debris in the beach, and sweeping the highways and every nook and corner around the barangay. This coming Friday’s next stop will be barangay Abgao, the home barangay of the Mercado’s, it was learned. Santiago, who brought a sample of the DOST-invented mosquito trap, explained that any housewife can easily operate the ovitrap, which looks like a middle-sized black glass with a cardboard stick look-alike dipped in halfway water. The water will be diluted with a packaged pellet, stirred, then placed in specific points inside or just outside the house where mosquitoes are known to converge. After one week, the eggs of the mosquitoes will be trapped in the rugged cardboard surface, unable to propagate. The water will be replaced, another pellet added, and the contraption will be used again for another one week. Asked if the concoction would not be dangerous for babies or house pets to play around, Santiago said the trap was loaded with chemical that’s why it should be placed in inaccessible areas around the house to spare it from sight of small children and animals to avoid unexpected complications. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==St. Bernard MDRRMC vies for regional Gawad Kalasag award==
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, April 24 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8 through its regional director Leticia T. Diokno issued last Monday the schedule of provincial orientation and deliberation for its applicants of the Expanded Government Internship Program (EGIP).  
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=53070
*Thursday, September 08, 2011
:by ES Gorne


For Leyte, the schedule of interview and orientation will be on April 24 and 25 in Tacloban City while in Ormoc City, it will be conducted at the Pantawid Pamilya Operations Office on April 30.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 8 (PIA) -- The St. Bernard Municipal Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC) will undergo validation being one of the nominees in the Gawad Kalasag award for its best practices particularly in forewarning the local communities in times of disaster through the maximize use of Early Warning System (EWS).
For Southern Leyte, interview and orientation will be on April 25 at the provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in Maasin.  
According to Cherelyn Lubang, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) representative during the Southern Leyte PDRRMC meeting held recently, announced that a team representing the national offices of OCD, DSWD and DILG will validate the St. Bernard MDRRMC this week.
Lubang further said that St. Bernard MDRRMC has adopted effectively the early warning system with the recent heavy rains experienced in the municipality that induced flashfloods and floodings and saved the lives of the communities and eventually arrived with zero casualty.
St. Bernard MDRRMC also has been identified by some foreign assisted non-government organizations (NGOs) such as CARE –ACCORD, among others for its effective use of early warning system which has saved lives and some properties of the victims since they were already evacuated before the any calamity strikes.
CARE ACCORD Project, a pilot project on disaster preparedness and mitigation, covers only 5 out of the 30 barangays, to address concerns at disaster hazard areas in St. Bernard, it was learned.
Gawad Kalasag promotes the Filipino inherent spirit of bayanihan, volunteerism and spontaneous cooperation in times of major problems like responding to disasters and emergencies.
Meanwhile, PDRRMC wanted to include the purchase of rubber boats in the Disaster Annual Investment Plan for next year. The local disaster council also would like to purchase and install VHF radio repeaters for Limasawa Island and Pacific Towns areas in the said disaster investment plan.### (PIA SoLeyte/esg)


==Cebuano news: So. Leyte DENR works double time to attain 2011 NGP target==
For Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 26 at the Pantawid Pamilya Provincial Operations Office in Catbalogan City.  
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=52875
*Wednesday, September 07, 2011
:by Bong Pedalino


For Eastern Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 27 at the Operations Office of the Pantawid Pamilya located near the Metrobank building in Borongan City.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 7 (PIA) -- The provincial office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is working double time to reach its target of reforesting 1,800 hectares of timberland areas in the province this year, according to Ricardo Tomol, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO).
For Biliran, interview and orientation will be done also on April 27 at the Provincial Capitol building in Naval, and for Northern Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 30 at the Cluster Office of the Pantawid Pamilya in Catarman.  
In a casual chat with the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) on the sidelines of a meeting held at Rep. Roger Mercado’s office Monday, PENRO Tomol said his office will be doing a double time in coordination with various government agencies as they are expected to cover all bases for the remaining months of the year.
In July, Cong. Mercado led the launching of the National Greening Program (NGP) in the province, during which the sites to be planted, also called NGP sites, were duly identified, with the challenge that these areas should be planted based on the timeline specified under the nationwide reforestation program.
Last month, the DENR coverage under CENRO-Maasin were able to plant 20 hectares of the NGP site at barangay Lonoy with the help of high school students, while at CENRO-San Juan, some 4o hectares were already accomplished.
CENRO refers to Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, a subdivision of the provincial DENR, with CENRO-Maasin comprising the areas from Maasin to Sogod, while CENRO-San Juan comprising the rest of the towns in the pacific and Panaon island, including Libagon.
For the NGP, CENRO-Maasin was assigned 800 hectares, and CENRO-San Juan, 1,000 hectares, Tomol said.
He told the heads of offices present during the meeting at Congressman’s office that he will soon provide them with their respective schedules for the NGP-led tree-planting activity, as it was already understood that under NGP every employee was committed to plant ten trees per year until 2016.
For the two CENROs, the strategy now would be to plant more than 300 hundred hectares per month until December to accomplish the goal of 1,800 hectares, Tomol said.
Aside from closely coordinating with the Department of Education (DepEd), Tomol said he will also go around to the various local government units in the province and the different People’s Organizations to step up the pace.
The NGP will go on until 2016, with an expected increase in hectare coverage every year, it was learned. The national target was to plant 1.5 billion tree and fruit-tree seedlings in 1.5 million hectares.
Whereas the reforestation programs in the past 25 years covered only some 200 hectares, the NGP, in a matter of six years raised it almost a thousand times, Tomol intimated.
The other difference is that while past reforestation programs relied only on human monitoring, the NGP uses satellite technology in tracking planted sites, so everything has to be feed into the computer, the internet, Tomol added. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==“Takbo Laban sa Krimen” highlights Crime Prevention Week in Maasin City==
DSWD-8 is hiring 7,634 workers regionwide, specifically in-school youth/students, out-of-school youth, college graduates/vocational course graduates who are unemployed, aged 18 to 30 years old.  
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=52786
*Tuesday, September 06, 2011
:by R.G. Cadavos


Those who will qualify will have a hands-on experience in working with the DSWD, either in centers, institutions, field offices, or at the communities where they come from to assist in the implementation of the agency’s programs and projects such as Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Supplemental Feeding, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Cash For Work, and Day Care Service.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte Sep 6 (PIA) -- As the nation celebrates National Crime Prevention Week, September 1-7, 2011, a fun run dubbed as “Takbo Laban sa Krimen” is one of the highlights of the week-long activity.
Application forms are now available at the DSWD-8 office website, at the regional office at Tacloban City, and at the Pantawid Pamilya provincial/city/municipal operations office. (ldl/PIA-8/DSWD-8)
In a report sent by PSupt. Hector F. Enage to Philippine Information Agency (PIA)-Maasin, the fun run to be conducted this afternoon at 3:00 will be participated by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) family such as the Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), the Philippine National Police (PNP), and oither uniformed personnel and identified non-government organizations.
The “Takbo Laban saKrimen” is closely coordinated by the city government led by Mayor Maloney Samaco, the source informed.
Earlier, the city ploice force participated in the blood letting activity organized by the PIA-Maasin staff last Friday, Sept. 2, which was also one of their activities lined-up for the nationwide celebration of crime prevention.
Other activities prepared were the Crime Prevention Symposium held last 3rd of September that tackled topics like Rules of the Community in Criminal Justice System with CInsp. Euterio Ortiz of BJMP as the speaker and Crime Prevention discussed by PSupt. Enage.
On September 4, the police authorities conducted a barangay visitation at Barangays Tawid and San Agustin, while September 5 was the destruction of handmade gas guns conducted in front of the city hall grounds and was followed by a motorcade around the city.
The city PNP and the Southern Leyte Provincial Police Office will be also guesting at the” Action Center” Kapihan aired at Maasin Cable TV at Senior Citizens building here hosted by PIA Infocen Manager Erna Sy Gorne and Bong Pedalino.
And to culminate the week-long celebration, a program will be held at the Maasin Police Station in the morning of September 7 with DILG City Local Government Operations Officer Elsa Tingcoy as the guest speaker. (rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)


==8 barangays in Saint Bernard conduct simultaneous disaster drills==
==Brontispa infestation gradually decreasing in SoLeyte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=52444
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281335155799
*Monday, September 05, 2011
*Monday 23rd of April 2012
:by Bong Pedalino
:by y Erna S. Gorne




SAINT BERNARD, Southern Leyte, Sept. 5 (PIA) -- Residents in eight (8) calamity-prone villages in this municipality on Saturday held simultaneous community drills on various disaster scenarios to test the capacity of the people for quick response during bad weather, and to practice efficient coordination among disaster bodies in the barangays concerned, the Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (BDRRMC) along with their town counterpart, the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (MDRRMC).
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 23 (PIA) -– Coconut farmers from municipalities affected by the brontispa have reported positive results in the treatment of this infestation.  
Barangays Nueva Esperanza, Ayahag, and Sug-angon, which are located along the foot of Mount Kan-abag like the ill-fated Guinsaugon (in fact, next to Sug-angon is the buried Guinsaugon) were given a landslide scenario with selected victims on fatalities and injuries, while the five other barangays -- Tambis 1, Tambis 2, Himbangan, Panian, and San Isidro -- were given flooding situations being high-risk flood areas, along with injured and dead victims as well.
The activity, the third in a row since 2008, was organized and fully backed-up by a non-government organization that focused its advocacies on empowering localities that are vulnerable to disasters, in cooperation with the municipal and barangay local government units.
The first two drills were held under ACCORD, or “Strengthening Assets and Capacities of Communities and Local Governments for Resilience to Disasters”, while the one on Saturday was under ASCEND, for “Advancing Safer Communities and Environments against Disasters.”
According to its literature, ASCEND is a community-based disaster preparedness and mitigation project with activities in eleven (11) municipalities implemented in Jomalig (Quezon), Marinduque, Rapu-rapu (Albay), Calabanga (Camarines Sur), Maragusan (Compostela Valley), and in Saint Bernard.
ASCEND was funded by the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil Protection department (ECHO) for 2010-2011.
A hand-held radio communication between the MDRRMC base and the eight Punong Barangays set the mood of the drill that began past eight in the morning until past lunch time.
As soon as the “message” of bad weather following three days of incessant rains was heard on the two-way radio, the Punong Barangays called all the committees of the BDRRMC to mobilize their respective committees and prepare for a pre-empted evacuation to avert a tragedy, which was already “ongoing”.
The “batingaw” was pounded, first in slow pounding, to alert people for a possible evacuation and another, much faster pounding was made later to signal that people go to designated pick-up points immediately.
An exchange of calls between the village leaders and the MDRRMC base made possible the arrival of dump trucks to ferry people to the evacuation sites, Police personnel for crowd control, ambulances and rescue personnel from the Saint Bernard Emergency Rescue Unite (SBERO) to carry the “wounded” and the “dead” victims.
At the relocation site, several scenarios had to be attended, like a complaining evacuee who wanted to transfer to another room, trouble inside the evacuation center, and another set of “wounded” and “dead” at the relocation site.
Overall, the conduct of the drills was successful, even as during the assessment after lunch, there were some deficiencies noted, such as cranking communication system for lack of charged batteries, duplication of orders among the BDRRMC committee heads, and a lot of laughing participants as the activity itself was no laughing matter.
The second community drill held last October 3, 2009 was more real as it was raining the whole day due to a low pressure area, while last Saturday it was sunny.
Among the observers were residents of neighboring barangays and from Silago, including Marichu Tan of the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD), and the local media.


==First blood-letting at PIA-So. Leyte nets 12 bags==
According to Carmelita Maturan, coconut development officer of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Provincial Office, the remedy they have employed may have proven to be effective since latest accounts of farmers suggest that the dessicated coconut leaves affected by the insect are progressively being replaced by regular green and healthy leaves.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=52405
*Sunday, September 04, 2011
:by Bong Pedalino


However, treatment is not a hundred percent.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Sept. 4 (PIA) -- At the end of the day, the provincial chapter of the Red Cross here went home with 12 bags of fresh blood donated by donors in a blood-letting activity held at the provincial office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) Friday, this city.
“The fight against Brontispa will always be existent. Hence, continued upkeep and maintenance of the coconuts should be exercised,” Maturan said.  
The activity represented a 50% increase from the expected donors of eight individuals.
Among those who gave blood were three employees from the neighboring office of City Agriculture, five Policemen from the City Police Station, a walk-in student from Maasin City College (MCC), an employee from the city local government unit, Angie Book, correspondent of the local weekly Southern Leyte Times (SLT) and this writer.
The city’s Police elements were informed on the spot, yet P/Supt. Hector Enage, the city’s police chief, responded immediately, sending his men and documenting the process as part of their celebration of Crime Prevention Week, it was learned.
The blood-letting began 9 in the morning and ended at 3 in the afternoon.
Actually, more than ten other prospective donors who were willing to donate blood were also denied for various reasons by the attending medical officers of the Red Cross. Some had high blood, asthma, and recent tooth extractions.
The successful conduct of the activity was attended and supervised by Dr. Nadine Sy of the Salvacion Oppus Yniguez Memorial Provincial Hospital, along with her two nurses.
Infocen Manager Gorne said the next round of the same event Friday next week will be held at the spacious function hall of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), although this has yet to be coordinated with District Engineer Carlos Veloso. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==Feature: PIA-So. Leyte office becomes 'blood-letting clinic==
Some of the control measures that PCA recommends are the mechanical control which involves cutting and burning, spraying insecticides, and utilizing biologically controlled parasitoids.
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=52066
*Friday, September 02, 2011
:by Bong Pedalino


Currently, there are nine municipalities in Southern Leyte that are threatened by Brontispa: Maasin, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Sogod, Liloan, and Hinunangan.
The Department of Agriculture is leading the Brontispa fight and is constantly supplying chemicals and fertilizers to local farmers. The PCA are also closely monitoring the condition of our province’s coconut farms to ensure substantial recovery from the insect attacks. (ldl/esg/Yevgeny Duarte, Student Intern/PIA8 SoLeyte)
==S. Leyte urged to conserve forests and biodiversity==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281334825444
*Friday 20th of April 2012
:by (ldl/Ms.Y Duarte, student OJT/PIA8-Southern Leyte)
SOUTHERN LEYTE, April 20 (PIA) -- With the discovery of the new species of frogs in Southern Leyte, Gordon Ignacio, senior adviser of the biodiversity assessment project, urges Governor Damian Mercado and local government units to conserve the forest and the biodiversity of the province.
According to Ignacio, the rich and unique bio-diversity wildlife is “Southern Leyte’s pride,” for this reason, it must be well-preserved and protected.
The joint project of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German government organization, Southern Leyte provincial government, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yielded numerous significant results.
Aside from the new amphibians, the Mount Nacolod assessment also recorded 229 flora species, 31 of which are found only in the Philippines. The survey team recorded 212 vertebrates. These included 112 birds, 36 mammals, and 64 amphibians and reptiles. Flora and Fauna International, a British-based group, said most of these animals are endangered.
Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss, principal advisor for GIZ's forest policy, said the revelation of new species in Southern Leyte underscored the need to protect the forests of the Philippines, a key biodiversity center in the global map. At present, about 80% of the country's forests are degraded.
“By destroying forests, we are also destroying habitats. Who knows what's out there?” he said.
Liss also noted that new species could benefit the community greatly. To start, these species may help in developing new substances, medicines, and materials.
As stated by GIZ’s press release, “support from the government and greater involvement of LGUs are expected to ensure the success of protection and rehabilitation of natural forests and conservation of biodiversity.”
The said institution, together with DENR, plan to continue its field sampling in Mt. Nacolod, a mountain peak near Silago, as well as other areas of the province including the municipalities Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus, and Malitbog.
==Frog species, size of a thumb, found in Southern Leyte forest==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1301334736913
*Thursday 19th of April 2012
:by  Marcelo M. Pedalino
SOUTHERN LEYTE, April 19 (PIA) -- This province has carved a new impression as a haven for a rich bio-diversity wildlife in the wake of reports broadcast on nationwide television and online news outlets that two new species of frogs were discovered in the forests off the pacific area.
According to reports, the newly-found frogs species were a mottled brown frog with red eyes and a broad yellow stripe running down its back, and a yellow green frog the size not much bigger than a man’s thumb.
The finds were announced by personnel of the British-based Fauna and Flora International in a forum held at the National Museum, it was learned.
Reports said the new species, which have been labeled as endangered and on the brink of extinction and were yet to be named, were found at the Nacolod mountain range in the pacific area of Southern Leyte province.
This area has been part of a conservation-oriented undertaking initiated by the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in addition to an initiative of a German government organization GIZ, the Reducing Emission on Degradation and Deforestation Plus (REDD Plus) project.
The brown frog specimens measured 1.7 -- 2.2 inches, while the yellow-green ones were 0.8 -- 1.1 inches, an online report said.
The Philippines has been listed by US-based Conservation International as one among 17 countries that hold most of Earth’s plant and animals, but at the same time a bio-diversity hotspot due to massive kaingin and illegal logging operations on what was once heavily-forested areas.
The DENR, through its wildlife protection department, reported that aside from the frogs, 36 new plants and animal species were discovered in the country over the past ten years. (ldl/mmp-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)
==2 new frog species discovered in Leyte ==
*Source: http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=798078&publicationSubCategoryId=68
*April 18, 2012 12:00 AM
:by  Rhodina Villanueva
MANILA, Philippines - Two new species of frogs and 229 recorded flora species were discovered in Southern Leyte late last year.
Mundita Lim, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (DENR-PAWB), said the frogs belong to the genus Platymantis.
“These species inhabit the montane and mossy forests of the Nacolod Mountain Range in Southern Leyte province,” she said. “Both species differ markedly from other known species of Philippine Platymantis frogs by their body size, coloration patterns, and advertisement calls. The two species are allied to two different species groups, the Platymantis guentheri group and Platymantis hazelae group.”
Lim said this is the first time that a Platymantis species belonging to the hazelae group has been discovered in Mindanao faunal region, to which the island of Leyte belongs.
“Herpetologists from the Philippines and the United States are now working on the formal taxonomic description of the species,” she said.
Lim said the month-long ground surveys in Southern Leyte – covering the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus and Malitbog – also recorded a total of 229 floral species (31 of which are unique to the Philippines) and 212 terrestrial vertebrates species comprising 112 species of birds (41 species are unique to Philippines; 11 of which are threatened to extinction), 36 species of mammals (17 species are unique to the Philippines) and 64 species of amphibians and reptiles (more than half of which are found only in the Philippines).
“It is anticipated that a significant number of species will be recorded from Southern Leyte with continued field sampling, especially if the surveys are conducted during the drier months of the year and if a wide range of habitat and elevation zones, from lowland Dipterocarp to mossy forests, are sampled in detail,” she said.
Lim said the assessment indicated the general preference of Southern Leyte’s fauna to forest and riverine environments.
“The information generated now provides a baseline that can be used to predict impacts of habitat change on species and to design measures to protect forest biodiversity. For local government units in Southern Leyte, the findings provide the scientific basis in designing appropriate management systems and monitoring protocols useful in protecting forest ecosystems, establishing local forest and
biodiversity areas as well as to steer the rehabilitation of forests towards an efficient and more ecologically sound path,” she said.
Lim said the assessment will spur forest protection and rehabilitation efforts under the Philippine National Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)-Plus Strategy as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan, and the National Greening Program.
Lim said the discovery of the new species on the fragmented forests of Mt. Nacolod intensifies the potential of REDD-Plus for effective protection and rehabilitation of natural forests and conservation of biodiversity, while benefiting local communities.
Greater involvement of LGUs in conserving the biodiversity of Nacolod is expected, she added.
The study was aimed at generating species inventories and practical information on key species-habitat associations as sound bases for forest and biodiversity management planning, Lim said.
Joining the PAWB in conducting the biodiversity assessments last November 2011 were the Fauna & Flora International, the National Museum of the Philippines, and DENR Eastern Visayas.
==Reef restoration set in Southern Leyte==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2012/04/17/reef-restoration-set-southern-leyte-216718
*Tuesday, April 17, 2012
:by  (Leyte Samar Daily Express)
PALO, Leyte – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) will push through a one-year pilot technology demonstration on coral reef restoration in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.
The coastal area situated within the Sogod Bay will get a P5-million budget out of the recently approved P35.35 million funding for nine coral reef rehabilitation projects nationwide.
DOST Regional Director Edgardo Esperancilla said they signed an agreement with SLSU based in Sogod town, which will be their partner in undertaking pilot technology demonstration.
“We prioritize the one hectare in Padre Burgos because it is where depleted coral reefs can be found. There are also nearby resort owners who are willing to sustain the project. The undertaking is to show how the private sector can implement coral reef reforestation,” Esperancilla said.
The project aims to promote science-based coral reef management practices through public-private sector partnership, establish technology pilot demonstration sites for coral nurseries to produce 30,000 coral nubbins, and establish one hectare of reef in Padre Burgos.
The science department is eyeing to complete the project on March 14, 2013.
“To make sure that corals will grow, we need the help of the private sector to maintain this, especially that damaging starfish are infesting the area,” he said.
Population outbreak of damaging crown-of-thorns starfish was spotted in 74 hectares of coral reefs in Southern Leyte with a population density of up to 420 pieces per square meter, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.
Of the 74 hectares infested, 60 hectares are in the municipality of Padre Burgos, nine hectares in Maasin City and five hectares in Macrohon town.
Crown-of-thorns starfish climbs over the corals, releases digestive enzymes to break down its food, and then absorbs the coral polyp, leaving only coral skeleton.
Other than the toxic starfish, the DOST believed that coral reefs in Southern Leyte are damaged by a variety of human activities such as household sewage, industrial wastage and agricultural chemicals from land that are washed off to the sea.
Dangerous fishing methods such as blast and dynamite fishing also contributed to coral reef destruction.
Coral reef reforestation will also be implemented in provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Zambales, Batangas, Masbate, Aklan, Bohol, and Tawi-Tawi.
==Environmental office bares municipalities with highest collection of deadly starfish==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1291334544532
*Monday 16th of April 2012
:by  Rebecca S. Cadavos
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Apr 16 (PIA) -- The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) has been continuously extracting the crown-of-thorns starfish throughout Southern Leyte since it reportedly increased in number, particularly in the waters of Sogod Bay and in Maasin City.
In a mitigation report by Coastal Fisheries Resources and Management Office Provincial Head Eva Abad the municipality with the highest COTS extracted was Padre Burgos with 80,145, followed by Maasin City that extracted around 34,000 and in Limasawa with 25,461 by the end of March 2012.
Abad added that other municipalities which conducted COTS extraction include Macrohon with 3,000 deadly starfish collected; Tomas Oppus – 2,192; Malitbog – 23,565; Lilioan – 1,056; San Francisco – 1,143; Pintuyan – 1,054; Hinundayan – 356; Hinunangan – 863; Bontoc – 18; Libagon – 10; and Sogod with only one reported.
Crown-of-thorns starfish are locally known of dap-marine invertebrates that feed on corals which are marine sanctuaries and kills corals.
In the mitigation report, Abad informed that there were municipalities in the province not included in the COTS outbreak such as San Ricardo, St. Bernard, San Juan, and Anahawan.
The total crown-of-thorns starfish extracted as of April 2012 numbered 170,165 pieces, initiated by the provincial government with the assistance of volunteers throughout the province, Abad disclosed. “This does not include the different Dive Shop Divers collection,” she said.
The local government units concerned has been coordinating with different agencies including non-government organizations to assist in the COTS outbreak and how to mitigate its existence, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), the GIZ, Provincial and Maasin City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, among other concerned agencies.
“We are proposing the production of IEC materials such as pamphlets and posters for public awareness which is now designed by PENRMO staff,” Abad said while other activities are properly coordinated with the other agencies. (ldl/rgc-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)
==11 Eastern Visayas LGUs yet to comply with policy on disclosure==
*Source: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/177299/11-eastern-visayas-lgus-yet-to-comply-with-policy-on-disclosure
*10:08 pm | Sunday, April 15th, 2012
:by  Joey Gabieta
Inquirer Visayas
TACLOBAN CITY—Only 11 of the over 140 local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas have yet to comply with the national government’s policy on full disclosure of financial transactions, according to a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) official.
Pedro Noval Jr., DILG Eastern Visayas director, said the 11 LGUs were only missing one or two documents mandated to be posted under the full disclosure policy being implemented by the department.
These LGUs were Pintuyan in Southern Leyte; Lapinig in Northern Samar; and the towns of Almagro, Gandara, Hinabangan, Jiabong, Matuginao, Motiong, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan and Zumarraga, all in Samar province.
Eastern Visayas has about 149 LGUs constituting provinces, cities and municipalities. This means that 138 LGUs across the region have fully complied with the policy.
The full disclosure policy program requires LGUs to post several documents, including their budgets and finances, and bids and public offerings in government websites, newspapers of general circulation and in other conspicuous and appropriate places.
Full disclosure
Based on the provisions of Republic Act No. 10147, or the General Appropriations Act of 2011, adherence to the full disclosure policy is now compulsory.
Local governments without a website should also post the required information on the website of the DILG regional office concerned on www.dilg.gov.ph, the website of the DILG central office.
Noval cited the document on items to bid as the most common instrument that the 11 LGUs have not yet posted so they could not be considered as having complied with the full disclosure policy.
He said that based on their explanations, the LGUs said they lacked the time to prepare the said document.
“But I expect within this month that all the 11 LGUs will be able to fully comply with the full disclosure policy,” said Noval who has been monitoring the LGUs’ compliance.
He added that the failure of the LGUs to observe the full disclosure policy could mean the filing of administrative charges.
“(Officials) should be held accountable and responsible with their actions to the people they serve,” Noval said.
Earlier this year, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the DILG field offices to send “show cause” orders to the executives of the LGUs concerned to explain or face sanctions for noncompliance with the provisions of the 2011 General Appropriations Act.
The full disclosure of financial transactions aims to minimize, if not totally, eradicate corruption and misuse of public funds.
==Military vows to keep Visayas insurgent-free==
*Source: http://www.bworldonline.com/content.php?section=Nation&title=Military-vows-to-keep-Visayas-insurgent-free&id=49937
*April 13, 2012 07:25:50 PM
:by Sarwell Q. Meniano
LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE -- A military official vowed to block rebels’ efforts to retake insurgent-free Visayas provinces as they shift their thrust to implementation of development projects from counter-insurgency efforts.
Col. John S. Bonafos, commander of 802nd brigade of the Philippine Army based in Camp Downes, Ormoc City, said they are stepping up efforts to coordinate with local government units and other government agencies in undertaking development projects. "We will continue our support operations particularly in the development aspects needed by people. After we have attained peace, we will move to development phase like construction of classrooms, road repair and road widening," Mr. Bonafos told BusinessWorld.
The brigade covers the insurgent-free provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran. It is the only Philippine Army headquarters in the entire country with all covered areas officially declared as rebel-cleared.
Among the five provinces, Biliran was the first to gain the insurgent-free status as jointly declared by the army and local government unit in December 2008. Cebu and Bohol were declared free of rebel activities in March 2010 while Southern Leyte and Leyte attained the same status in September 2011 and December 2011, respectively.
"The situation of these Visayas provinces exemplifies that we can attain the insurgent-free status through multi-stakeholders participation," Mr. Bonafos said.
For insurgent-free areas, the military turned over the lead role in maintaining the internal security to its local executives and police.
A province is categorized as insurgency-free when the threat posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is successfully downgraded into a mere law and order problem.
==PRC-8 inks MOA with SoLeyte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1291334126830
*Thursday 12th of April 2012
:by Rebecca S. Cadavos
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 12 (PIA) -- The Office of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)-8 through its Regional Director German Palayab signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Southern Leyte Governor Damian G. Mercado to bring their services closer to Southern Leyteños.
The MOA signing was held at the governor’s office here this morning, April 11.
“Both parties need to gain strength and joint benefits from its creative cooperation and collaboration towards extending frontline services such as 'one-stop shop' to be set up by the local government unit in order to serve the public more efficiently," the MOA stated.
Director Palayab disclosed that the office will open as soon as the assigned staff from the local government will be trained. “An office staff will be trained for two days,” the director said, referring to one of the counterparts of the provincial government, an office staff in addition to the office space, among other supports to PRC.
PRC’s service commitment to the said agreement would bring services closer to the constituents of Southern Leyte by extending its window services at the provincial capitol, and conducting “PRC on wheels” whenever requested in order to renew PRC professional IDs, issuance of certifications, authentications, and accept applications for PRC licensure examinations.
The source added that PRC will also conduct briefings on PRC services and Licensure Examinations upon request from the provincial government, manage the day-to-day operations of the PRC Service Kiosk at the local level, among other service commitments.
On the other hand, the provincial government likewise will extend assistance to PRC, such as to cooperate with the PRC desk officer to ensure that only qualified and licensed professionals are employed at positions in the municipalities that require such qualifications, cooperate with the PRC for the protection of the public by raising awareness among professionals in government service.
The MOA signing was witnessed by Vice Governor Mike Maamo, Sangguniang Panlalwigan Member Romeo Gomez, Provincial Administrator Crispin Arong, Jr., College of Maasin President Miguel Udtohan, and media personnel from Southern Leyte Balita and PIA-Maasin. (LDL/RGC-PIA 8 Southern Leyte)
==Fathers help in breastfeeding babies==
*Source: http://www.sunstar.com.ph/tacloban/local-news/2012/04/11/fathers-help-breastfeeding-babies-215741
*Wednesday, April 11, 2012
:by (Leyte Samar Daily Express)
LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte – Mothers in this island town are not left alone in ensuring that children are well-nourished with fathers equipped with knowledge on good nutrition and proper breastfeeding.
The “Tatay Ko, Kaagapay sa Kalusogan Ko” campaign was launched three years ago by the local government, which regularly gathers all fathers in the island and orients them on their role to improve or maintain the nutritional status of children.
Jesrel Tiongco, a community health team member, said while men in other places usually make jokes on breastfeeding-related topics, fathers here are taking the support role seriously.
“We gather in barangay health center every quarter and discuss how fathers can support lactating women. We ensure exclusive breastfeeding during first six months of life. We also learn the proper position of breastfeeding so that we can help our wives,” said Tiongco, a father of a three-year-old child.
Remegilda Salomon, municipal nutrition action officer, said during a gathering with fathers, local nutrition workers gave updates on good nutrition and responsible parenthood aside from breastfeeding promotion.
“As practiced in Limasawa, the mother and the father jointly monitor the nutritional status of their children,” Salomon said.
In 2010, almost all the men in the municipality together with all municipal and barangay officials had undergone the training on Infant and Young Child Feeding and the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon.
In most areas in the region, these advocacies are centered on health and nutrition workers and mothers.
In this town, stores don’t sell infant formula since all mothers are exclusively feeding their babies with breast milk from birth to six months and provide nutritious complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding up to two years.
Limasawa’s performance in terms of breastfeeding is remarkable compared to the national figure, Salomon said.
The 7th National Nutrition Survey revealed that among infants 0-5 months old, only 36 out of every 100 were exclusively breastfed; only 37 of every 100 were breastfed at the same time given a complementary food and as many as 27 out of every 100 infants were given other milk and other foods.
Breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life is deemed crucial since it cuts the risk of chronic diseases and leads to overall better development.
==P90-M Leyte-Mindanao power link unveiled==
*Source: http://www.tribuneonline.org/business/20120410bus8.html
*04/10/2012
:by tribuneonline.org
The government will be conducting the Leyte-Mindanao interconnection project study that would establish an integrated grid and allow reserve electricity generation capacity to be shared by the three regional grids — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.
The study, which is estimated to cost P90 million, will be undertaken by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) for a period of one year and another year for assessment.
Energy Undersecretary Josephine Patricia Asirit said for the first time, the Aquino administration will implement the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao interconnection grid to assure power stability in the country.
At present, Asirit said only the Luzon and Visayas — through the Leyte grid — have interconnectivity. It will only be in this administration that the entire Philippine grid would be interconnected.
She cited the current power situation in some parts of Mindanao where it experienced regular brownouts.
With the Leyte-Mindanao interconnection in place, Asirit said, the Luzon grid which has 200 MW excess and the Visayas which can also export another 200 MW, power shortage in Mindanao can easily be resolved.
The Leyte-Mindanao interconnection project was aimed at addressing the power shortage not only in Mindanao but the entire country as well.
It includes the installation of about 455-kilometer overhead line and 23-km submarine cable with a maximum depth of around 1,000 meters below sea level.
The interconnection project was originally designed for 250-kilovolt high-voltage density cable bipolar link with a total transfer capacity of 500 MW to 800 MW.
It will start from the existing Ormoc Converter Station in Leyte and terminates at Kirahon Converter station in Northcentral Mindanao via Southern Leyte and Northeastern Mindanao.
The Leyte-Mindanao interconnection is part of the long-term solution to resolve power shortage in the region.
==DA-EU Program Benefits 40,000 Households==
*Source: http://www.mb.com.ph/articles/356600/daeu-program-benefits-40000-households
*April 9, 2012, 4:39pm
:by PHOEBE JEN INDINO
SILAGO, Southern Leyte– A food security program sponsored by the European Union, Germany-based Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) has benefited over 40,000 poor households in Eastern Visayas.
The program, named Enhancement of Food Security in the Visayas (EFOS), which was implemented by the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zummenarbeit (GIZ), and which ended early this year, was designed to sustainably increase food security, and agricultural, fisheries and forestry productivity in the region, with special focus on Eastern Visayas.
GIZ operates in more than 130 countries worldwide with most of its work commissioned by the BMZ
EFOS was comprised of four project components, namely, natural resources governance, infrastructure through cash-for-work, productivity and production enhancement, and crop insurance.
EFOS Senior Adviser Alex Tabada said the program’s cash-for-work covered over 12,000 households in 24 towns, earning some P35 million in wages.
That particular program component paved way for the creation of 62-kilometers of farm-to-market roads and 40 kilometers of upland foot trails including 11.4 kilometers of communal irrigation canals supporting some 933 hectares of ricelands.
==Communities extract 170,000 Crown Of Thorns Starfish in Limasawa, Padre Burgos and Maasin City==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281333674402
*Friday 6th of April 2012
:by Erna S. Gorne
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 6 (PIA) -- The bane of corals are finally being decimated. At least 170,000 Crown Of Thorns Starfish (COTS), locally known of dap-marine invertebrates that feed on corals which are marine sanctuaries, and also kill corals, were extracted particularly in Limasawa, Padre Burgos, and Maasin City, all of Southern Leyte in less than 10 days.
“We have found extreme population of COTS particularly in the municipalities of Limasawa and Padre Burgos and the city of Maasin where we estimated the presence of over a thousand COTS in one hectare compared to 12 COTS in normal condition, “ according to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) – Coastal Fisheries Resource Management Office (CFRMO) Chief Eva Abad.
She said that in less than 10 days of synchronized extraction of COTS in the mentioned three different areas, an estimated 170,000 of COTS were partially gathered by the communities including the owners of foreign-operated dive shops in the locality particularly in Padre Burgos.
Abad said the initial estimates of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Provincial Office reported last March 22 that in one 500 square-meter area of corals alone, there were an estimated of over a thousand COTS.
However, BFAR Provincial Office is now undertaking an actual underwater assessment of the presence of COTS to 500 square meters of corals and to determine the extent of the damaged coral areas had done in the province, she said.
She added that there will be more joint lined up activities by the local government units and by the GIZ, a German organization in order to prevent this impending coastal disaster in the province.
In Maasin City alone, the local government unit–initiated extraction got a total of 23,000 COTS collected March 27, 2012, she added.
She noted that extraction of COTS most of the times were stalled due to the lack of funds in order to mobilize the community to join in the extraction along their barangays. (ldl/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)
==Over a thousand slots await “summer jobbers” in So. Leyte==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1301333436103
*Wednesday 4th of April 2012
:by  Marcelo M. Pedalino
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Apr. 4 (PIA) -- The Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) project of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) provincial office here just got even more special this summer time, as more qualified youths will be gainfully employed.
In a list of 2012 SPES pledged by DOLE, some 1,031 posts are up for grabs, mainly through the labor agency’s partner institutions that include local government units (LGUs), a public school, and one national government office - the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).
Mario Tictic of DOLE-So. Leyte said that for this year, their office was given an allocation of 1,500 students for SPES placement, also popularly known as summer job, so there are still some 400 more slots to be filled, this time in cooperation with private schools which already signified their intention to join.
DOLE and their respective listed partners are presently finalizing the papers of students who had applied for this summer’s SPES, which will start on May 7 for a 20-day employment period, while educational institutions in the private sector like Saint Joseph College (SJC) and the College of Maasin (CM) will start in June, Tictic said.
The provincial government tops the list with 338 students up for hiring, followed by the city government at 150, and Malitbog LGU with 110, then Sogod LGU at 100. Malitbog has the distinction of hiring similar students for years in a row, even as it accepts new SPES applicants, 80 students for this summer.
The public school which participated in this program is the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU)-Bontoc Campus.
Other LGUs with SPES placements this year are Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Tomas Oppus, Libagon, Saint Bernard, Anahawan, Hinundayan, Silago, and Liloan.
Most summer jobbers have a daily rate of P 150 per day, except for SLSU-Bontoc at P 133 per day, Maasin City at P 180 per day, and DPWH at P 250 per day. Salaries, however, will be shared between DOLE and the sponsoring LGU/agency, with DOLE paying 40 percent of the rate, and the LGUs, 60 percent.
Based on the list, DOLE had set aside a budget of P 1,338,662.40 for 1,031 SPES, while the combined counterpart of all the LGUs was P 2,007,993.60.
Last year, there were only a little over 400 SPES slots reserved by DOLE for Southern Leyte.
The Special Program for Employment of Students is mandated under Republic Act No. 9547 which aims to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by providing income or augment their income through encouraging their employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations. The SPES is open to all qualified high school, college or vocational students or drop-outs and interested employers. (GTT/MMP-PIA8, Southern Leyte)
==2 OWWA scholars garner Cum Laude recognitions==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?menu=2&webregion=R08&article=1281333375130
*Tuesday 3rd of April 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne
MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 3 (PIA) -- Together with 44 other honor students, two Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) scholars graduated Cum Laude during the Commencement Exercises of the Leyte Normal University on March 26 in Tacloban City.
“We take pride in the achievements of our scholars. This makes evident that the financial assistance extended to them as qualified beneficiaries of our OFW (overseas Filipino workers) clients is not put to waste,” says OWWA- RWO8 OIC-Director II Ma. Evangelina V. Filamor in a press release.
Filamor said after four years of struggle for academic excellence was worth the long wait for Ritzee Operio and Mark Geraldo when they graduated Cum Laude among 1,059 graduates.
The graduates are OWWA scholars under the OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFW-DSP) whereby an eligible dependent of an active OFW with a basic monthly salary of $400 and below receives financial assistance of P10,000 per semester, she said.
She further said Geraldo, with a grade of 1.55, and Operio, with 1.65, outstandingly earned a double degree in Bachelor of Science in Secondary and Elementary Education major in English. While in search for a private school to practice their profession, they plan to review for the September Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).
“OWWA is part of our success and we are very much thankful for the assistance they have extended to us,” says Geraldo in an interview, Filamor quoted.
Another OWWA scholar grabbed first honor award in the Commencement Exercises of the Sto. Nino SPED Center, Tacloban City on March 31 - Danna Mheliza Mae D. Budano garnered 93.8 percent, topping the entire second grade level of the said school, Filamor further reported.
The achiever is an OWWA scholar under the education component of Education and Livelihood Assistance Program whereby an eligible dependent of deceased OFW who was an active OWWA member at the time of death receives financial scholarship grant until completion of a tertiary degree, Filamor said. (LDL/ESG-PIA 8, SoLeyte)
==NSO to Visayans: Pls cooperate in the Consumer Expectations Survey in Region 8==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1141333335999
*Monday 2nd of April 2012
:by  Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, April 2 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office in Eastern Visayas under the leadership of Director Raul Dones called on the public to cooperate in the conduct of the April 2012 Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) in selected provinces in Eastern Visayas namely, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, and Eastern Samar.
Director Dones enjoined all sample household to actively support and cooperate in the said activity which will start on April 2 to 16. Likewise, the support and assistance of the local government units are solicited in order to ensure the success of this undertaking, the NSO Director said.
Dones said that just like any other surveys undertaken by NSO, the data that will be gathered shall be held strictly confidential and shall not be divulged to any person except to authorize NSO personnel. The data will not be used for taxation, investigation, or enforcement purposes.
Dones said that the Consumer Expectations Survey is actually conducted in selected provinces nationwide except except in Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).
The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) contracted the NSO to conduct CES in order to collect comprehensive information on the business conditions of the country in the household sector, Director Dones informed.
The NSO’s responsibility is to undertake the data collection and encoding of the questionnaires while BSP’s responsibility is the generation of tables and analysis of the results, the NSO Director added.
The CES is a household-based survey on the consumers’ assessment of their financial situation, the economic condition of the country and the overall performance of the government. This is a complementary survey to BSP’s Business Expectations Survey (BES).
The survey is administered on a sample basis at the household level drawn through a stratified multi-stage random sampling. The survey has a total sample of about 5,000 households nationwide. The total sample in Region VIII is 308 households.
The conduct of CES aims to provide a quick and regular assessment of the financial condition of consumers and economic condition of the country at present and in the near future, from the consumers’ own viewpoints; to generate forecasts in the direction of the country’s economic activity based on consumers’ outlook in the next 12 months; and to provide quick and regular assessment of consumers’ outlook in terms of their income and expenditures. (EOPT - PIA 8)
==DSWD 8 releases cash grant to 2,550 "Pantawid Pamilya" beneficiaries in Maasin City==
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/news/index.php?article=1281333165771
*Sunday 1st of April 2012
:by  Erna S. Gorne


The Southern Leyte office of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) was transformed into a channel for blood donors to shed a fraction of the life-giving liquid so that others may live.
On short notice, what was normally a routine office appearance was altered to become an eerie sight of three lined cots for the blood-letting process, the tables and chairs neatly arranged to resemble a functional albeit improvised medical facility.
In a little while, as doctors and nurses from the Salvacion Oppus Yniguez Memorial Provincial Hospital (SOYMPH), along with volunteers from the local Red Cross arrive, the smell of alcohol together with the presence of other paraphernalia such as the one for measuring blood pressure, the office has transformed into PIA Clinic, at least for today.
The activity was in line with the instruction from PIA Director-General Jose Fabia for the field offices to coordinate in their respective localities with the media, private groups, non-government organizations, health personnel, and local government units to conduct a simultaneous blood-letting every Friday until the need persists, so the collected blood be given to areas in other parts of the country that are still lingering from the dengue outbreak.
On deck at the “PIA-So. Leyte Clinic” today to lay down in the prepared cots are at least eight volunteer blood donors whom Infocen Manager Erna Gorne approached to share their precious blood, including employees from the City Social Welfare and Development Office (CSWDO) and the Office of the City Agriculture Services (OCAS), PIA’s neighbor offices.
Jani Arnaiz, President of the local media group Associated Media of Southern Leyte (AMSL) who is also a correspondent of the Philippine Daily Inquirer, had indicated also to give blood -- his very first attempt if ever this try would materialize.
Marichu Tan, the lone personnel of the Office of Civil Defense here, also listed her name in the donors’ list.(PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)


==Southern Leyte media to join PIA in blood letting activities==
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=51852
*Thursday, September 01, 2011
:by R.G. Cadavos


MAASIN City, Southern Leyte, Apr. 1 (PIA) -- A total of 2,550 household beneficiaries here received their conditional cash grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte Sep 1 (PIA) – The Associated Media of Southern Leyte will join the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) in the blood letting activities to help dengue-stricken areas throughout the country to prevent the spread of virus.
Together with the two bank tellers from the Land Bank of the Philippines – Maasin Branch and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Office, the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries on Friday started to claim their conditional cash grants for the months of November 2011 – February 2012 at the maximum of P 1,400 per month for every beneficiary.  
In a media forum aired regularly at radio station DyDM every Wednesday, media practitioners who faciliated the radio program such as the PIA, DyDM reporters, among other private correspondents here committed to join the blood donation activities as directed by PIA Director General Atty. Jose Fabia through Region 8 Director Olive P. Tiu .
The AMSL has been regularly supporting in every program the PIA initiated.
During the forum, Southern Leyte Provincial Information Center Manager Erna Gorne disclosed in a phone patch interview that “ PIA is asking your support and hopeful that the media will also be one of the donors of the voluntary blood donation.”
The PIA is now coordinating with the Philippine National Red Cross- Southern Leyte Chapter to facilitate the blood letting activity, “we are suggesting to the PNRC that it will be held at the PIA Office at Barangay Combado here,” she added.
On the other hand, one of the hosts, Ramon Buyser of DyDM, a Kagawad of Barangay Mambajao disclosed that “Barangay officials here initiated already the blood donation every 4 months, held at the barangay hall and conducted by the Red Cross,” adding that “the activity started last year yet, he added.
The blood letting activity was in response to a memorandum from Atty. Fabia “to conduct a voluntary blood donation day as dengue cases in many parts of the country is increasing.”
The bloodletting activity in Eastern Visayas started last August 26, Friday at the PIA 8 Regional Office in coordination with the AGIO-8, KBP Eastern Visayas, REAL and the Philippine National Red Cross Leyte Chapter to mobilize people in the blood letting activity. (rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)


==700 Maasin seniors get medical, dental services thru LIDEF mission==
Instead of only two months, Maasin City beneficiaries are entitled to receive four – months worth of cash grant as decided by the DSWD Central Office, to fully utilize the previous year's Pantawid Pamilya funds throughout the region.  
*Source: http://pia.gov.ph/?m=1&t=1&id=51547
*Tuesday, August 30, 2011
:by ES Gorne


DSWD Region 8 Director Letecia T. Diokno admonished the beneficiaries to handle the financial assistance properly and reminded them that the money is not for the parents but for the education and health care of the children and the expectant mothers.


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Aug. 30 (PIA) -- About 700 senior citizens in Maasin City got medical and dental services as the Office of the Senior Citizens Association (OSCA) thru the initiatives of Senior Citizens Federation President Willie J. Justimbaste in close coordination with the Limasawa Development Foundation (LIDEF) and Congressman Roger Mercado conducted a medical and dental mission today.
She cautioned them to comply with the conditions set by the program since if they lack in fulfilling the requirements they will be cut off in receiving the said monthly cash grant.  
The aging citizens needing medical and dental services swelled into 700 warm bodies as the organizers prepared for only 500 indigent senior citizens, Engr. Esperanza Samaco, LIDEF President disclosed to PIA Southern Leyte in an interview this morning.
City Social Wefare and Development Officer Fe Sta Cruz noted that only 500 indigent senior citizens were listed for their preparations but it was found out that there are those barangays who were not able to submit their lists to CSWDO earlier.
Most of those who went to the mission were suffering from cough, hyper tension, needing vitamins, problems with eye sight, diabetes, among others, while a number of the senior citizens were have their decaying teeth extracted, Engr. Samaco said.
Samaco further said the foundation were preparing for the medicines both for medical and dental needs to include the honoraria of the medical doctors, dentists, nurses and dental aides who assisted during the conduct of the mission, preparations for the snacks and meals to include the senior citizens availing the services.
Meanwhile, Congressman Mercado who turned to 60 years old today received his senior citizen’s card and purchase slips from the OSCA officers and witnessed by the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations in Maasin City and the CSWDO Fe Sta. Cruz.
Later in the afternoon, Congressman Mercado also gave a birthday offering for the indigent children aging from four to seven years old exclusively from Barangay Abgao, his resident barangay, it was learned.### (PIA Southern Leyte/ esg)


=='Sunken' roads in So. Leyte are the effects of 12 daily tremors - DPWH==
She further urged the parents to work hard instead of waiting for the monthly conditional cash grant as this serves only to supplement their needs for their children to pursue education and health of the children and pregnant mothers.  
*Source: http://www.pia.gov.ph/?m=7&r=r08&id=51498
*Monday August 29, 2011, 2:45pm
:by Bong Pedalino


Diokno challenged the beneficiaries that as a 4Ps family, they should become model of a peaceful family with children going to school, healthy children and mothers, among other being socially developed family with the additional income of P15,000 every year for five years from now. (EOPT/ESG, PIA8 SoLeyte)




MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Aug 29 (PIA) -- Citing a study done by a geologist, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) District Engineer Carlos Veloso disclosed that certain sections of the national highway in this province are always damaged due to a dozen daily movements of the ground.
==[[Southern Leyte Archived News]]==
In an interaction with local media Tuesday, Veloso, head of the Southern Leyte Engineering District (SLED), identified these perennially destructed sections as the one along Bato, Leyte, to Bontoc road and the other at barangay Hindag-an, Saint Bernard.
The older news reports are kept [[Southern Leyte Archived News|here]]
A technical explanation of these seemingly “sunk” sections was the presence of underground water that over time eventually loosened the soil coupled with the everyday dose of the natural earth-shaking move which is not strong enough to be noticed.
The damaged road sections also fell along the fault line that traverses the province, Veloso said.
Assistant District Engineer Manolo Rojas said they had installed gabions in these areas, saying this kind of structure was permeable, or allows the passage of water through piles of stones hitched with tie wires.
Meanwhile, another problematic road portion which is the steep saddle road in Pintuyan, will be re-engineered to cut across a mountainside to lower its elevation.
Veloso said his office has already complied with the program of works for an initial budget of P 50 Million asked by the DPWH Central office for a 700-meter alternate road to divert the saddle, adding that the instruction was the result of a resolution submitted by the provincial government to Malacanang.
Several motorists suffered accidents in the past while negotiating this uphill, winding road, and its imminent change in design is timely considering that a new Ferry terminal in Benit, San Ricardo, was already in operation.
Both Veloso and Rojas were optimistic the development of the much lower saddle road will be made part of the regular budget of the agency, saying that DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson’s timetable was that all primary roads would be paved by 2013. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)

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Dietary supplement is a product that contains vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids, enzymes, and/or other ingredients intended to supplement the diet. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has special labeling requirements for dietary supplements and treats them as foods, not drugs.

Manufacturers and distributors of dietary supplements and dietary ingredients are prohibited from marketing products that are adulterated or misbranded. That means that these firms are responsible for evaluating the safety and labeling of their products before marketing to ensure that they meet all the requirements of DSHEA and FDA regulations.

Wars of ancient history were about possessions, territory, power, control, family, betrayal, lover's quarrel, politics and sometimes religion.

But we are in the Modern era and supposedly more educated and enlightened .

Think about this. Don't just brush off these questions.

  • Why is RELIGION still involved in WARS? Isn't religion supposed to be about PEACE?
  • Ask yourself; What religion always campaign to have its religious laws be accepted as government laws, always involved in wars and consistently causing WARS, yet insists that it's a religion of peace?

WHY??

There are only two kinds of people who teach tolerance:
  1. The Bullies. They want you to tolerate them so they can continue to maliciously deprive you. Do not believe these bullies teaching tolerance, saying that it’s the path to prevent hatred and prejudice.
  2. The victims who are waiting for the right moment to retaliate. They can’t win yet, so they tolerate.

Electric coop conducts info drive in SoLeyte

by (LDL/ESG-PIA8 SoLeyte)


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 12 (PIA) -- The Southern Leyte Electric Cooperative (SOLECO) schedules series of information drives throughout the province as their commitment to the provincial government to increase the level of awareness of the stakeholders on the power situation of the province.

Professor Wally del Mundo of the University of the Philippines National Engineering Center and SOLECO officer-in-charge Arce B. Salazar will assist the information drive entitled “Power 101.”

Earlier the SOLECO management has committed to the provincial government to disseminate information to the general consumers and the local government sector on the developments that affect the operations and directions of electric Distribution Utilities (DUs) particularly among the electric cooperatives, Salazar said.

The local electric cooperative aims to increase the awareness of the electricity stakeholders especially business and government heads, barangay officials and community leaders on the power situation of the province, he said.

The first information campaign shall be conducted at SOLECO Multi-purpose Building in Maasin City then it will be followed at Southern Leyte State University (SLSU)- Sogod Campus in Sogod, Southern Leyte on the second day, he added.

He further said the speaker for the subject has the layman’s grasp on its intricacies that can be understood even by those who are new to the subject.






Green Southern Leyte

by Vicky Arnaiz


MACROHON, Southern Leyte – “”We were surprised to find a patch of pristine forests in Mt. Nacolod, Southern Leyte. We found an amazingly impressive flora and faura. The rich forests we saw did not match the map of a denuded forest, shown to us before we explored Southern Leyte,” said Ronald Altamarino, leader of the Biodiversity Assessment Team from the Flora and Fauna, International (FFI).

Altamarino said during the presentation of the Biodiversity Assessment and REDD Plus/Mt. Nacolod, Southern Leyte, Pilot NewCAPP at this town last May 2 and 3. FFI along with partners the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), NewCAPP among others.

Turn -over of mini biodiversity exhibit (L-R) Dalton Durban of GIZ, Engr. Aileen Basilan, DENR Regional Executive Director Rogelio Trinidad, So. Leyte Vice Governor Miguel Maamo, Dr. Bernd Markus Liss of GIZ.

The comprehensive ground assessment has found 2 new frog species under the genus Playmantis group. The new discovery brings so much pride to the province and the country. Southern Leyte lone district Representative Roger Mercado, who squeezed in to attend this activity in his very hectic

schedule, said that efforts of the local officials and its people have not gone to waste.

Dr. Eugenia Bautista, chief technology transfer division ecosystems research and development service-DENR asks questions during the presentation of biodiversity assessment.

“We have been planting trees since 1987 and encouraged our people to do the same. Our People’s Organization (PO) YESIDA is said to be the best PO in the region under the Community Forest Management Program. Not to brag, I have my own tree farm and bird sanctuary in Maasin City which you are free to visit. Southern Leyte is one of the two provinces in the country that supports the total log ban. Every weekend when I am back in the province after session in Congress,

I see to it that tree planting is part of my activity. We want our people to be sufficient in food through the richness of our forests and our marine resources. Indeed the hard work, solidarity, discipline displayed by Southern Leytenos is worth emulating,” said Mercado.

PENRO So. Leyte Ricardo Tomol

A very excited Mercado continued, “I will author the passage in Congress for the declaration of the Mt. Nacolod and its mountain range that spans 14,000 hectares as a protected area under the National Integrated Protected Areas or NIPAS. For now I will lobby that

President Aquino will issue an executive order declaring Mt. Nacolod as a protected area.” Southern Leyte Vice Governor Miguel Maamo, who represented Governor Damian Mercado, said that they will pass a resolution in the sangguniang bayan for the protection of Mt. Nacolod. Indeed last May 7, in its regular session, the board members of Southern Leyte made an unprecedented mass move to declare Mt. Nacolod as a protected area.

DENR regional information chief Purificacion Daloos; Mary Jane Honor Du, PENRO staff, So. Leyte; Rep. Roger Mercado; Marita Cesneros, NewCAPP and Marissa Solite, DENR-PAWC ZMS

A multi-sectoral group submitted management plans for the

protection and sustainability of its forests. As one scientist said, “who knows there might still be interesting finds in Mt. Nacolod especially flora that can be used in the medical field? Indeed, Southern Leyte is doubly-blessed- they have the rich forests and rich marine resources. Padayon Southern Leyte! Love, Laugh and Live!

Om Shanti!

DOLE-So. Leyte disburses P 2.6M for projects of self-employed individuals

by Marcelo M. Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 10 (PIA) -- The provincial field office of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here has set aside over P 2.6 million worth of livelihood projects intended for individual small-scale businesses in the so-called informal sector.

The amount was already moving in various stages of implementation as coursed through DOLE’s accredited co-partner (ACP) consisting of five municipalities and one city, involving 251 individual beneficiaries, said Fe Norma Valuis, DOLE provincial field officer.

During the cable TV program “Action Center” yesterday morning, Valuis identified DOLE’s LGU partners as the City of Maasin which garnered almost half of the total fund assistance, barangay Sta. Crus of Macrohon, and the towns of Saint Bernard, Pintuyan, Silago, and Libagon.

Valuis said she had recently talked with Mayor Roberto Loquinte of Anahawan who also wanted to avail of DOLE’s support to fund a tourism-related project in the municipality - the Mainit Spring.

All the rest of the 18 municipal local government units will eventually be reached by DOLE’s livelihood assistance where there are individual workers who are self-employed, Valuis added.

For the city of Maasin, the amount of P 642,729 will be for the livelihood formation of 63 informal sector workers, while another P612,049.00 was also due for release to 48 small scale fishing project of marginal fisherfolks, Valuis said.

These assistance, scheduled to be turned over yesterday, were not yet given since Mayor Maloney Samaco was still in Lingayen, Pangasinan, attending the Palarong Pambansa, she added.

DOLE and the barangay LGU signed yesterday a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) at Supercha Foodhauz, this city another assistance for 15 ambulant vendors of barangay Sta. Cruz, Macrohon, for their fish and food vending worth P 224,996.

Meanwhile, some 39 displaced workers from Saint Bernard will soon become beneficiaries of entrepreneurial funds worth P334,016, and another amount of P 413,432 is now in the pipeline for 46 unemployed or underemployed sectoral workers in the town of Pintuyan.

Among the funds already given to LGU partners were those at Silago for the high-value vegetable production project of 26 individuals who are members of the Puntana Women Nature’s Club Association worth P 261,340 and another P 179,600 for 14 women from Libagon for their Negosyo sa Kariton (Nego-Kart) project.

Accredited co-partner LGUs shared 20 percent of the funds as equity not necessarily in cash but other non-cash equivalent like training, capacity-building, or equipment, while DOLE provided the needed materials and in some cases cash as capital, Valuis said.

The assistance has always been in the nature of a grant, and the beneficiaries' sole obligation is to see to it that their businesses flourish and develop further, Valuis added. (PIA8, Southern Leyte)

Maasin City delegates off to Palarong Pambansa in Pangasinan

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 9 (PIA) -- At least 30 sports delegates from Maasin City was sent off Thursday to participate in the Palarong Pambansa 2012 held at Lingayen, Pangasinan, as part of the Eastern Visayas regional delegation.

“Maasin City in Action” program host Zaldy Olita reported via phone patch this morning from Pangasinan that Maasin City delegates include the athletes, coaches and trainers from different sports such as badminton, swimming, arnis, boxing, softball, among other games that gave Maasin City athletes medals during the Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) competition held early this year hosted by Maasin City.

Olita, Maasin City Sports Council staff, who went with the delegates said that the games begun Sunday, May 6, “but the opening of the competition formally opened Monday, May 7 when President Benigno S. Aquino delivered his address to the athletes, coaches and officials including the game spectators at the Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center as the main venue of the Palaro, in Lingayen, Pangasinan.

He said that the opening ceremonies was preceded by the parade of athletes from the Pangasinan provincial capitol grounds to Narciso Ramos Sports and Civic Center (NRSCC) that was completed in time for the opening program at 10:00 a.m.

Olita disclosed that Maasin City delegation was supported by City Mayor Maloney Samaco, who went with the delegation, some Sangguniang Panglungsod members, Department of Education Maasin City Division, among others.

With the week-long game competition, the city government is hopeful the Maasin City athletes will bring home medals. Maasin City allocated cash incentives to the medalists, it was learned. (LDL/RGC-PIA8 Southern Leyte)

DOLE holds orientation for livelihood program recipients in Southern Leyte

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 8 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Southern Leyte is holding a two-day values orientation to the recipients of the Starter Kit livelihood program for the small economic entrepreneurs in the locality on May 7 and 8.

“Before the release of the financial assistance to the 63 informal workers for the second batch of the Starter Kit livelihood program, they all need to undergo a Social Preparation Training and Entrepreneurship Appreciation (SPTEA) course with the employment agency provincial staff,” DOLE Provincial Office senior staff Mario Tictic disclosed.

He also stated the program’s objective of providing a sustainable source of income for the family is to see a fully operational entrepreneurial undertaking that would make a change in the lives of the beneficiaries.

Tictic said the livelihood assistance will be received by the recipients in form of materials needed for each of the project proposals submitted such as carpentry tools, sewing machines, food, among others, to ensure that the proceeds of the financial assistance will really be bought readily as their startup capital.

“The financial assistance varies from P10,000 to P14,000 depending on the need of each recipient in their project proposals ,” he said.

Among the project proposals include peanut butter-making, ice cream production, barbecue vending, carpentry works, manicure and pedicure, tailoring and sewing, he said.

The DOLE Provincial Office partnered with the city government of Maasin in the mentioned program to increase productivity among the small economic entrepreneurs in the locality, he added. (PIA8 SoLeyte)

Forest exhibit, roadshow open in Southern Leyte

by pia.gov.ph


TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, May 7 (PIA) -- An exhibit and roadshow about the Philippine forests are set to open in Southern Leyte. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Forest Management Bureau, German Development Cooperation-Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH, CoDe REDD Philippines and the provincial government of Southern Leyte will be opening the Color it REDD-Plus Roadshow and “The Philippine Forests: Before and What Now?” exhibits on May 8 to 9 at Maasin City Gymnasium, Southern Leyte. Dr. Bernd Markus Liss of GIZ said that REDD-Plus or Reducing Emission from Deforestation and Forest Degradation with conservation of forest carbon stocks, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks is a measure being under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change that contributes in the stabilization of greenhouse gases (GHGs) in the atmosphere. In the Philippines, from April 2009 to July 2010, multi-sectoral and multi-level workshops were carried out to know more about REDD and REDD-Plus in aid of drafting the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy (PNRPS) for 2010 to 2020. In April of 2010, the PNRPS Components were considered in the National Framework Strategy on Climate Change (NFSCC) under section 8.5 of the Key Result Areas on Mitigation. On the same month, DENR has been designated as the operational arm of REDD-Plus implementation through Executive Order 881 of the President. Given these, the PNRPS was presented to the DENR Executive Committee that approved the Strategy on August 9, 2010 and transmitted the same to the Climate Change Commission on August 27, 2010. Liss said REDD-Plus is at its early stage in the Philippines and the exhibit offers a visual presentation of this approach. The Philippines has elaborated a National REDD-plus Strategy that was endorsed by DENR and is now a key element of the National Climate Change Action Plan approved by the Climate Change Commission chaired by the President in November 2011. The Climate-relevant Modernization of Forest Policy and Piloting of REDD Project implemented by DENR and GIZ at national level, with pilot activities in Southern Leyte is the featured REDD-Plus Project in the exhibit. It focuses on avoiding further deterioration of forests and emissions of greenhouse gases while generating benefits such as biodiversity conservation, improvement of local livelihoods and enhancement of ecosystem services through the development of improved forest policies and specific incentives for forest protection and rehabilitation. The newly discovered frog species in Mt. Nacolod is supported by GIZ and is part of the Biodiversity Resource Assessment done for five municipalities of the GIZ-REDD Plus sites in Southern Leyte covering the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus and Malitbog. The information generated, now provides a baseline that can be used to predict impacts of habitat change on species and to design measures to protect forest biodiversity. For local government units in Southern Leyte, the findings provide the scientific basis in designing appropriate management systems and monitoring protocols useful in protecting forest ecosystems, establishing local forest and biodiversity areas as well as to steer the rehabilitation of forests towards an efficient and more ecologically sound path. For the national Government, it will spur forest protection and rehabilitation efforts under the Philippine National REDD-Plus Strategy as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan (NCCAPP), and the National Greening Program. On the other hand, the Forest Exhibit captures current actions of local communities in forest conservation and protection in Leyte Island, done through a competition among journalists last year. Media representatives from Manila Bulletin, Philippine Daily Inquirer, GMA News Online and Business Mirror were among those who participated in the competition. The exhibit depicts how the country is beginning to adjust national forest policies to the necessities of climate protection and to test approaches for REDD-Plus. The exhibit, Liss said, is an opportune time to bring together the medium of film, graphics and photography to communicate historic images of the nation’s massive forest loss and depict current initiatives to achieve sustainable forest management. This means working towards improving the environment and people’s conditions by protecting, replanting and sustainably managing the forests. Fishbowl Discussion, Debate, and REDD-Plus Hour will be carried out to discuss forestry, highlight the role of community forestry as a central ingredient to the implementation of REDD-Plus, emphasize that tenure over the land is a must for REDD-Plus implementation, and orient participants on basic concepts in relation to REDD-Plus as well as on the PNRPS. A cultural night will also be held on May 8 evening at Maasin City Gymnasium featuring local artists, and prominent national artists Cookie Chua, Bayang Barrios and Lolita Carbon at 8pm. The event is a compelling visual presentation and interactive dialogue to discuss REDD-Plus and its on-going implementation in the Philippines. REDD-Plus is an approach that embodies actions of empowered forest managers and support groups to manage forestlands in a sustainable and equitable manner while working towards improved forest policies with regard to climate change, forest protection and rehabilitation. The DENR-GIZ REDD Project is part of the International Climate Initiative (ICI) of the German Government. The German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) supports this initiative on the basis of a decision adopted by the German Bundestag. (PIA8 with GIZ)

Bureau seeks to establish Mt. Nacolod as a conservation area

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 5 (PIA) -- The Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau/New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (PAWB/New CAPP) seeks to establish an inter-local government unit alliance to establish Mt. Nacolod as a conservation area.

"A study has been undertaken jointly by the PAWB/New CAPP and Forest Management Bureau/German Development Cooperation-Duetsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit, through the Fauna and Flora International in coordination with DENR Region 8 and PENRO So Leyte for one-month-long ground survey for a biodiversity assessment in key biodiversity area in Southern Leyte,” said DENR-8 Regional Executive Director Rogelio Trinidad, during the Presentation of the Results of the Biodiversity Assessment of REDD+ Pilot Area/Mt Nacolod in Southern Leyte and Management Planning Workshop, last May 2 and 3 at Kuting Reef, Macrohon, Southern Leyte.

He said that the identified key biodiversity area in Southern Leyte covers six municipalities, namely Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin City, Tomas Oppus, and Malitbog.

The study that spanned slightly over one month, from November to December 15, 2011, recorded a total of 229 flora species in 65 families, with 31 Philippine endemics, 10 International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN)-critically endangered species, which are mostly Dipterocarp species, and 20 IUCN-vulnerable species. It was also learned that terrestrial vertebrates accounted in the survey totaled to 212 species (birds: 112 species, mammals: 36 species, herpetofauna: 64 species).

Likewise, there are a total of 69 species of terrestrial amphibian and reptiles recorded across the four localities, and of these 69 species, 25 species are frogs belonging to the seven families; 23 species lizards belonging to five families; 20 species of snakes and one specie of terrestrial turtle.

"The PAWB/New CAPP, with funding support from Global Environment Facility, the United Nations Development Programme, aims to expand and strengthen the terrestrial PA system in the Philippines by developing new conservation models," Trinidad disclosed.

The group aimed to capacitate their partners for effective management of the system supported by improved systemic and institutional capacities.

The study also identified threats to biodiversity, which include widespread illegal collection of wildlife, conflicting land tenurial issues improper wildlife collection (e.g. bat collection in caves in Maasin City).

"However, these threats can be addressed by having proper land use classification with strict implementation of policy and reforms that strengthens sustainable conservation initiatives through increased capacitation of stakeholders," he added. (PIA8 SoLeyte)

Southern Leyte solon cites impt programs as economic boosters

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 4 (PIA) -- Important programs of the national government such as Tourism, Environment and Agriculture (TEA), are important components to help boost economy not only here in the province but throughout the country said Southern Leyte Lone District Congressman Roger G. Mercado.

In Southern Leyte, Mercado cited the Panan-awan airport, in Barangay Panan-awan, the Roro Port of Barangay Guadalupe and the on-going port rehabilitation, all in Maasin City as the sites that can help tourism industry in the province.

“If the airport in Panan-awan will be completed, this will hasten the incoming and outgoing of tourists and visitors coming from other places that will visit not only in Maasin City but the province as well, which can automatically improve economic activities,” the solon disclosed in a press conference held at Kinamot Sa Abgao, May 3.

The length of the runway of the Maasin airport is still lacking with only 1.2 kilometers, supposedly the needed runway is 2.0 km, the Congressman said. “An initial funding of P4.5 million had already been released for the extension of the runway, but it was not implemented yet," he added.

Meanwhile, the Roll-on Roll-off (Ro-Ro) port in Barangay Guadalupe, if pushed through, can also promote economic activities and the P20 million rehabilitation of Maasin City Port which is now on-going through the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA).

The other two economic boosters he mentioned were the environment and agriculture programs of the government. “We need to encourage the people to obey local ordinances and laws of the government,” Hon. Mercado said referring to the anti-smoking campaign, traffic rules, illegal activities, to include illegal logging, illegal drugs, illegal fishing, among others that can affect not only one’s health but the environment as well.

The solon also urged everyone with the help of the media to disseminate the problems concerning the bunchy top virus that affect the abaca industry, brontispa for the coconut industry, and the crown-of-thorns starfish that is now affecting the coral reefs around the province. Through information dissemination, everyone will be aware of the situation, the congressman noted.

“In order to achieve the targets and goals at our end, using our own resources, we need the support of everyone and the media people as one of the forefronts,” Cong. Mercado revealed at the press conference attended by the local reporters, to include Leyte Samar Daily Express correspondent Vicky Arnaiz, Maasin City Senior Citizens Federation President Willy Justimbaste, among others. (EOPT/RSC-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)

Sack yields dead girl

by Zaida delos Reyes-Palanca


AUTHORITIES have launched a manhunt for a 27-year-old man tagged in the rape and killing of a 9-year-old girl whose body was found inside a sack dumped at the back of the victims house in Pastrana, Southern, Leyte.

Town police commander Insp. Romeo Abano identified the suspect as Allan Pulga, 27, neighbor of the victim Mary Joy Paboyo, of Barangay Cabauhan.

Abano said autopsy result showed the victim, who was reported missing on April 29, was positively molested and her head was bashed with a hard object that caused her death.

Police said Pulga had no records of mental illness or drug addiction. His family said he may be under the influence of liquor when he committed the crime.

DSWD-8 to hire 800 young workers in Southern Leyte

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, May 2 (PIA) - - The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Regional Office 8 is set to screen today the applicants for the 832 summer job young workers coming from Southern Leyte to join the nationwide Expanded Government Internship (EGIP).

According to Edna Dator of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office (PSWDO) EGIP team will meticulously select 112 qualified youths out of 700 young applicants in Maasin City alone; the rest of the EGIP slots will be filled by 40 selected youths from each of the 18 municipalities in the province.

Right now, the said team is still screening the final list of summer job youth workers, who will participate in the internship program of government, she added.

The hired applicants will work for 52 days in the community where they come from in 4Ps, Social Pension for the Indigent Elderly, Supplemental Feeding, Cash for Work and Day Care Services earning P252 per day, she said.

Most of the applicants are aged 18 to 30 years old, many are in school, a number are out-of-school youths, several have degrees and technical-vocational courses, Dator added. (PIA 8, SoLeyte)

CENRO-Maasin partners with 11 POs to protect 5,410 ha. upland areas

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 30 (PIA) -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Maasin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Southern Leyte Provincial Office is now undertaking the development of 5,410 hectares of upland areas under the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFMP) in close coordination with the local peoples’ organizations.

CENRO-Maasin, which covers eight municipalities out of the 18 municipalities and one city of Maasin in the province, reported that the CBFMP is a regular program of the environment department to carry out the reforestation in timberland areas in the mountains and mangrove areas, CENRO-Maasin Senior Staff Edil Alcarde disclosed.

He said, “Thru the social forestry program, the upland dwellers have become partners in the protection of the remaining forest.”

The following upland areas and respective people’s organizations and their area coverages includes: 1) Maasin Farmers Marketing and Credit Org. (MAFAMCO) in Ibarra, Maasin City with 181 has; 2) Young Innovator for Social & Environmental Development Association, Inc. (YISEDA) in Maasin City with 549 has; 3) Kapunongan Mag-uuma sa Sto. Nino (KAMAS) in Macrohon with 182 has; 4) Malico Farmers Resources Management and Conservation Organization (MAFARMCO) in Macrohon with 102 has; 5) Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) in Malitbog with 563 has; 6) Tomas Oppus-Malitbog Farmers Association, Inc. (TOMFA) in Tomas Oppus with 71 has; 7) Tomas Oppus Forest Developers Association, Inc. (TOFDA) in Tomas Oppus with 325 has; 8) Anahao Movement for Productive Community organization (AMPCO) in Bontoc with 451 has; 9) Kahupi-an Upland Farmers Association, Inc. (KUFA) in Sogod with 2,169 has; 10) Aktibong Grupo sa Mag-uuma Alang sa Libagunong Abot (AGILA) in Libagon with 675 has; 11) Barangay Danao Farmers Association (BADAFA) in Macrohon with 244 has; 12) Bogo Women’s Association (BWA) in Maasin City with 50 has thru the Congressional Fund of Rep. Roger G. Mercado.

The overall CBFMP workers availing of the said social forestry program totaled to at least 410 beneficiaries, he added.

He further disclosed that before the implementation of the social forestry program, reforestation was very limited in terms of survival since laborers burned the forest so that they will be hired again.

With this program, the beneficiaries will be able to harvest the trees as if they were their own and harvest mature trees, he added. (EPT/ESG-PIA8, SoLeyte)

CENRO-Maasin partners with 11 POs to protect 5,410 ha. upland areas

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 30 (PIA) -- The Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) – Maasin of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Southern Leyte Provincial Office is now undertaking the development of 5,410 hectares of upland areas under the Community-Based Forest Management Program (CBFMP) in close coordination with the local peoples’ organizations.

CENRO-Maasin, which covers eight municipalities out of the 18 municipalities and one city of Maasin in the province, reported that the CBFMP is a regular program of the environment department to carry out the reforestation in timberland areas in the mountains and mangrove areas, CENRO-Maasin Senior Staff Edil Alcarde disclosed.

He said, “Thru the social forestry program, the upland dwellers have become partners in the protection of the remaining forest.”

The following upland areas and respective people’s organizations and their area coverages includes: 1) Maasin Farmers Marketing and Credit Org. (MAFAMCO) in Ibarra, Maasin City with 181 has; 2) Young Innovator for Social & Environmental Development Association, Inc. (YISEDA) in Maasin City with 549 has; 3) Kapunongan Mag-uuma sa Sto. Nino (KAMAS) in Macrohon with 182 has; 4) Malico Farmers Resources Management and Conservation Organization (MAFARMCO) in Macrohon with 102 has; 5) Malitbog Upland Developers for Sustainable Association (MUDSA) in Malitbog with 563 has; 6) Tomas Oppus-Malitbog Farmers Association, Inc. (TOMFA) in Tomas Oppus with 71 has; 7) Tomas Oppus Forest Developers Association, Inc. (TOFDA) in Tomas Oppus with 325 has; 8) Anahao Movement for Productive Community organization (AMPCO) in Bontoc with 451 has; 9) Kahupi-an Upland Farmers Association, Inc. (KUFA) in Sogod with 2,169 has; 10) Aktibong Grupo sa Mag-uuma Alang sa Libagunong Abot (AGILA) in Libagon with 675 has; 11) Barangay Danao Farmers Association (BADAFA) in Macrohon with 244 has; 12) Bogo Women’s Association (BWA) in Maasin City with 50 has thru the Congressional Fund of Rep. Roger G. Mercado.

The overall CBFMP workers availing of the said social forestry program totaled to at least 410 beneficiaries, he added.

He further disclosed that before the implementation of the social forestry program, reforestation was very limited in terms of survival since laborers burned the forest so that they will be hired again.

With this program, the beneficiaries will be able to harvest the trees as if they were their own and harvest mature trees, he added. (EPT/ESG-PIA8, SoLeyte)

Affordable health services for 700,000 Filipinos

by RANDOM JOTTINGS


LOW income families living in the provinces of Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, Northern Samar and Eastern Samar in the Eastern Visayas region will soon have increased access to affordable maternal health services, thanks to the World Bank which – acting as administrator for the Global Partnership on Output-Based Aid (GPOBA) – has approved a grant of US$3.6 million towards the project.

The project will be implemented over a 4-year period by Population Services Pilipinas Incorporated (PSPI) supported by Marie Stopes International Australia (MSIA), established providers of maternal and child health care in the Philippines since 1990. About 145,000 poor families (an estimated 700,000 individuals) are expected to benefit through subsidized access to services including birth delivery and pre- and post-natal care.

The National Health Insurance Program (NHIP) has a mandate to provide universal health insurance coverage to all Filipinos and a solution is needed for the large numbers of indigent and informal sector workers that remain excluded from social health insurance coverage. A 2010 Philippine Health Sector Review found that reforms in the past decades have improved overall health outcomes; however, disparities in access to quality health services and health insurance coverage remain an issue for the poor.

The GPOBA-funded scheme explicitly targets the poor to help address some of the barriers to their access to quality health services, with a 3-part approach: accreditation of 45 service providers in the project area to ensure improved quality of care and the capacity to meet increased demand; enrolment of about 145,000 families, identified and determined as poor by the National Household Targeting System, to ensure that the project reaches those who need it most; and a subsidized voucher scheme to bridge the gap between co-payments charged by health service providers and the amount that target project beneficiaries can afford to pay for approved services.

“This output-based aid scheme supports the new government’s reform agenda to achieve universal access to health care,” said Motoo Konishi, World Bank Country Director for the Philippines. “The project also makes access to quality health services affordable through the subsidized voucher component and more inclusive by explicitly targeting the poor.”

The project will address barriers to health service access by expanding insurance coverage of the poor and by supporting the upgrade of additional service providers in order to meet the national Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) accreditation requirements.

Consistent with the OBA approach, GPOBA will retain an independent verification agent to verify output delivery, including service provider upgrading, and that pre-agreed targets have been met by the project partners before subsidy payments are made. Independent verification makes aid more transparent by linking payment to the delivery of specific services or “outputs.”

“We are enthusiastic about using an innovative approach, as part of a joint effort with PhilHealth, to meet the needs of a population that cannot afford to pay for access to basic health services and to support the government’s commitment to reducing maternal and infant mortality,” said Virgilio Pernito, Chief Executive Officer of PSPI.

Globally, more than 350,000 women die each year due to pregnancy or childbirth-related complications. For the Philippines, this initiative is an important step towards the goal of reducing maternal mortality rates to 52 deaths per 100,000 live births, although past experience suggests that goal may be difficult to attain.

This program is in direct response to the Philippine government’s commitment to pilot interventions that improve the health outcomes, particularly the maternal and reproductive health status, of poor populations.

Slow growth alarms Eastern Visayas bizmen

by (Sunnex/(Leyte Samar Daily Express))


MACROHON, Southern Leyte -- Local business chambers are concerned over the slow growth of Eastern Visayas’ gross regional development product (GRDP) and its per capita income, which is lower than its neighboring regions.

Robert Castañares, president of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), said they wonder why there has been a consistent decline of GRDP growth momentum between 2004 and 2009.

“The National Government is actively involved in social services and infrastructure programs but not that much in economic development. That partly explained why in 2004 to 2009 our economy has not improved and poverty incidence has gone up,” Castañares told participants of the 2nd Eastern Visayas Regional Business Conference held in Kuting Reef here this week.

Citing latest available data from the National Government agencies, the business group disclosed that from 5.2 percent GRDP growth in 2004, it went down to 1.8 percent in 2009. The growth rate recorded in 2009 is way below than the 6.3 percent target.

The region’s per capita income is only P7,400 just half of Western Visayas’ P14,500 and Central Visayas’ P15,300. The National Capital Region’s per capita is P38,600.






1st zoo in Eastern Visayas opens in Maasin City

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 27 (PIA) -- Organized by the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI) in coordination with the city government of Maasin, the Maasin City Nature and Wildlife Park or simply known as Maasin Zoo had its soft opening, April 26, Thursday, situated at Danao Forest Park, Sitio Danao, Malapoc Norte, this city.

The soft opening was conducted hours after the 2nd Eastern Visayas Business Conference was held at the Kuting Reef, in the municipality of Macrohon. Twelve (12) chambers of commerce and industry that attended the business meeting trouped to Maasin Zoo for the soft opening, the first throughout Eastern Visayas region.

The soft opening held at past three in the afternoon started with a short program, attended by different stakeholders, media practitioners, local and regional officials and visitors composed of the 12 chambers throughout Eastern Visayas coming from Palompon, Baybay, Isabel, Ormoc, Leyte, Calbayog, Samar, Catarman, Northern Samar, Guian, Burauen, and the Southern Leyte CCI headed by its President Robert Castañares. The program was hosted by Zaldy Olita from the city government.

A tour around Maasin zoo was made after the program, led by Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco with the Sangguniang Panglungsod members, Regional Directors from the Department of Tourism (DOT), Karina Rosa Santiago, Department of Trade and Industry (DTI)Cynthia Nierras and Department of Science and Technology’s (DOST) Edgar Esperancilla and investors of the zoo.

Animals that can be seen at Maasin Zoo are two camels, two miniature horses, three tigers, one small Celebes Black Ape, two red-necked ostrich, crocodiles, snakes, and different species of birds such as the silver pheasant, victoria crown, umbrella and black palm cockatoos, Philippine eagle, among other classes of birds.

A grand opening of Maasin Zoo is set next month, May, while summer break is on the wane, it was learned.

SLCCI President Castañares was grateful for the realization of one of the tourism hubs in Southern Leyte, saying that, “the local economy can benefit through building this major tourism hub in the province.” He was pleased with the visitors who came from other parts of region 8 for them to observe while the zoo is still under construction.

The 30-hectare park is located in the 500-hectare Danao Forest Reserve in the upland barangay of Malapoc Norte, 14-kilometer away from the city proper and situated 335 meters above sea level. (ldl/rgc-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)

DENR-8 finalizes Biodiversity Assessment of REDD+ Pilot Area and Mt. Nacolod in SoLeyte

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 26 (PIA) -- The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has completed the Biodiversity Assessment of Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and forest Degradation (REDD) pilot area and at Mt. Nacolod in the province of Southern Leyte.

DENR 8 Regional Executive Director Rogelio T. Trinidad in a letter to PIA-Maasin said, a presentation of the assessment and a Management Planning will be conducted on May 2-3, 2012 at Kuting Reef in Macrohon, this province.

The activity, he said, is aimed to present the results of the biodiversity assessment and draft the management plan for Mt. Nacolod based on the practical knowledge and strategic species-habitat information gathered during the study.

The study was jointly undertaken by Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau/New Conservation Areas in the Philippines Project (PAWB/NewCAPP) and Forest Management Bureau//German Development Cooperation-Deutsche Gesellschaft fluer Internationale Zusammenarbeit –Climate relevant modernization of forest policy and the REDD in the Philippines Project (FMB/GIZ REDD+ Project) through the Fauna and Flora International (FFI).

The project study coordinated by DENR 8 and PENRO Southern Leyte was also participated by the local universities and representatives from the local government units.

“It was a long-month ground survey that started November 2011 yet,” Director Trinidad said.

The two-day activity is expected to be attended by key stakeholders of the province including the mayors of municipalities within the Mt. Nacolod and chairperson of Sanggunian for Environment at the provincial and municipal levels, representatives from the academe, natural environment protectors and managers, provincial and municipal planning office, among others concerned. (ldl/rgc/PIA 8-Southern Leyte)

East Visayas business leaders gather for trade conference

by Marcelo M. Pedalino


KUTING BEACH, Macrohon, Southern Leyte, April 25 (PIA) -- Leading personalities in the business sector from six provinces and eight cities in Region 8 will converge for two days - today and tomorrow - in this resort to discuss issues and concerns about tourism and trade opportunities.

The gathering, officially called Second Eastern Visayas Business Conference, is hosted by the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), and some 200 participants all over the region are expected to attend, said Sandra Alcober, information officer of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) provincial office.

Aside from known business figures, mostly heads and members of various chambers of commerce in the region, political leaders and regional directors of government agencies involved in promoting tourism and investments are also expected to come, Alcober added.

Governor Damian Mercado will be the keynote speaker, said Alcober.

She said the two-day affair will also highlight a trade fair and exhibit and actual visits to the province’s prime tourist destination at the Agas-Agas zipline at Sogod.

The group will also witness the soft opening of the “ZooLeyte” or the Maasin Nature and Wildlife Park at Danao Forest Park in Maasin City scheduled tomorrow afternoon, April 26.

The conference carries the theme, “One Region. One Team: Economic Development thru Public-Private Sector Initiative.” The first-ever Eastern Visayas business meeting was held in March last year, hosted by Leyte province, Alcober further said.

Engr. Robert Castanares, SLCCI President, in his letter of invitation to fellow members to display their products and services, said the objective of the conference is to promote regional trade and investment cooperation in the region.

“Among the highlights of the conference is the presentation by each chamber of its respective province or city development strategy, dominant industry or products, and trade and investment opportunities,” Castanares said.

He also said that the individual output of the different chambers will be consolidated into a Regional Development Framework which will be presented to the Regional Development Council. (LDL/MMP-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)

DSWD-8 announces schedule of orientation and interview of its internship program

by Tuesday 24th of April 2012


TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, April 24 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8 through its regional director Leticia T. Diokno issued last Monday the schedule of provincial orientation and deliberation for its applicants of the Expanded Government Internship Program (EGIP).

For Leyte, the schedule of interview and orientation will be on April 24 and 25 in Tacloban City while in Ormoc City, it will be conducted at the Pantawid Pamilya Operations Office on April 30.

For Southern Leyte, interview and orientation will be on April 25 at the provincial Social Welfare and Development Office in Maasin.

For Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 26 at the Pantawid Pamilya Provincial Operations Office in Catbalogan City.

For Eastern Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 27 at the Operations Office of the Pantawid Pamilya located near the Metrobank building in Borongan City.

For Biliran, interview and orientation will be done also on April 27 at the Provincial Capitol building in Naval, and for Northern Samar, interview and orientation will be on April 30 at the Cluster Office of the Pantawid Pamilya in Catarman.

DSWD-8 is hiring 7,634 workers regionwide, specifically in-school youth/students, out-of-school youth, college graduates/vocational course graduates who are unemployed, aged 18 to 30 years old.

Those who will qualify will have a hands-on experience in working with the DSWD, either in centers, institutions, field offices, or at the communities where they come from to assist in the implementation of the agency’s programs and projects such as Social Pension for Indigent Senior Citizens, Supplemental Feeding, Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, Cash For Work, and Day Care Service.

Application forms are now available at the DSWD-8 office website, at the regional office at Tacloban City, and at the Pantawid Pamilya provincial/city/municipal operations office. (ldl/PIA-8/DSWD-8)

Brontispa infestation gradually decreasing in SoLeyte

by y Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 23 (PIA) -– Coconut farmers from municipalities affected by the brontispa have reported positive results in the treatment of this infestation.

According to Carmelita Maturan, coconut development officer of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) Provincial Office, the remedy they have employed may have proven to be effective since latest accounts of farmers suggest that the dessicated coconut leaves affected by the insect are progressively being replaced by regular green and healthy leaves.

However, treatment is not a hundred percent.

“The fight against Brontispa will always be existent. Hence, continued upkeep and maintenance of the coconuts should be exercised,” Maturan said.

Some of the control measures that PCA recommends are the mechanical control which involves cutting and burning, spraying insecticides, and utilizing biologically controlled parasitoids.

Currently, there are nine municipalities in Southern Leyte that are threatened by Brontispa: Maasin, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Bontoc, Sogod, Liloan, and Hinunangan.

The Department of Agriculture is leading the Brontispa fight and is constantly supplying chemicals and fertilizers to local farmers. The PCA are also closely monitoring the condition of our province’s coconut farms to ensure substantial recovery from the insect attacks. (ldl/esg/Yevgeny Duarte, Student Intern/PIA8 SoLeyte)






S. Leyte urged to conserve forests and biodiversity

by (ldl/Ms.Y Duarte, student OJT/PIA8-Southern Leyte)


SOUTHERN LEYTE, April 20 (PIA) -- With the discovery of the new species of frogs in Southern Leyte, Gordon Ignacio, senior adviser of the biodiversity assessment project, urges Governor Damian Mercado and local government units to conserve the forest and the biodiversity of the province.

According to Ignacio, the rich and unique bio-diversity wildlife is “Southern Leyte’s pride,” for this reason, it must be well-preserved and protected.

The joint project of Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), a German government organization, Southern Leyte provincial government, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yielded numerous significant results.

Aside from the new amphibians, the Mount Nacolod assessment also recorded 229 flora species, 31 of which are found only in the Philippines. The survey team recorded 212 vertebrates. These included 112 birds, 36 mammals, and 64 amphibians and reptiles. Flora and Fauna International, a British-based group, said most of these animals are endangered.

Dr. Bernd-Markus Liss, principal advisor for GIZ's forest policy, said the revelation of new species in Southern Leyte underscored the need to protect the forests of the Philippines, a key biodiversity center in the global map. At present, about 80% of the country's forests are degraded.

“By destroying forests, we are also destroying habitats. Who knows what's out there?” he said.

Liss also noted that new species could benefit the community greatly. To start, these species may help in developing new substances, medicines, and materials.

As stated by GIZ’s press release, “support from the government and greater involvement of LGUs are expected to ensure the success of protection and rehabilitation of natural forests and conservation of biodiversity.”

The said institution, together with DENR, plan to continue its field sampling in Mt. Nacolod, a mountain peak near Silago, as well as other areas of the province including the municipalities Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus, and Malitbog.

Frog species, size of a thumb, found in Southern Leyte forest

by Marcelo M. Pedalino


SOUTHERN LEYTE, April 19 (PIA) -- This province has carved a new impression as a haven for a rich bio-diversity wildlife in the wake of reports broadcast on nationwide television and online news outlets that two new species of frogs were discovered in the forests off the pacific area.

According to reports, the newly-found frogs species were a mottled brown frog with red eyes and a broad yellow stripe running down its back, and a yellow green frog the size not much bigger than a man’s thumb.

The finds were announced by personnel of the British-based Fauna and Flora International in a forum held at the National Museum, it was learned.

Reports said the new species, which have been labeled as endangered and on the brink of extinction and were yet to be named, were found at the Nacolod mountain range in the pacific area of Southern Leyte province.

This area has been part of a conservation-oriented undertaking initiated by the central office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), in addition to an initiative of a German government organization GIZ, the Reducing Emission on Degradation and Deforestation Plus (REDD Plus) project.

The brown frog specimens measured 1.7 -- 2.2 inches, while the yellow-green ones were 0.8 -- 1.1 inches, an online report said.

The Philippines has been listed by US-based Conservation International as one among 17 countries that hold most of Earth’s plant and animals, but at the same time a bio-diversity hotspot due to massive kaingin and illegal logging operations on what was once heavily-forested areas.

The DENR, through its wildlife protection department, reported that aside from the frogs, 36 new plants and animal species were discovered in the country over the past ten years. (ldl/mmp-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)

2 new frog species discovered in Leyte

by Rhodina Villanueva


MANILA, Philippines - Two new species of frogs and 229 recorded flora species were discovered in Southern Leyte late last year.

Mundita Lim, head of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau (DENR-PAWB), said the frogs belong to the genus Platymantis.

“These species inhabit the montane and mossy forests of the Nacolod Mountain Range in Southern Leyte province,” she said. “Both species differ markedly from other known species of Philippine Platymantis frogs by their body size, coloration patterns, and advertisement calls. The two species are allied to two different species groups, the Platymantis guentheri group and Platymantis hazelae group.”

Lim said this is the first time that a Platymantis species belonging to the hazelae group has been discovered in Mindanao faunal region, to which the island of Leyte belongs.

“Herpetologists from the Philippines and the United States are now working on the formal taxonomic description of the species,” she said.

Lim said the month-long ground surveys in Southern Leyte – covering the municipalities of Silago, Hinunangan, Sogod, Maasin, Tomas Oppus and Malitbog – also recorded a total of 229 floral species (31 of which are unique to the Philippines) and 212 terrestrial vertebrates species comprising 112 species of birds (41 species are unique to Philippines; 11 of which are threatened to extinction), 36 species of mammals (17 species are unique to the Philippines) and 64 species of amphibians and reptiles (more than half of which are found only in the Philippines).

“It is anticipated that a significant number of species will be recorded from Southern Leyte with continued field sampling, especially if the surveys are conducted during the drier months of the year and if a wide range of habitat and elevation zones, from lowland Dipterocarp to mossy forests, are sampled in detail,” she said.

Lim said the assessment indicated the general preference of Southern Leyte’s fauna to forest and riverine environments.

“The information generated now provides a baseline that can be used to predict impacts of habitat change on species and to design measures to protect forest biodiversity. For local government units in Southern Leyte, the findings provide the scientific basis in designing appropriate management systems and monitoring protocols useful in protecting forest ecosystems, establishing local forest and

biodiversity areas as well as to steer the rehabilitation of forests towards an efficient and more ecologically sound path,” she said.

Lim said the assessment will spur forest protection and rehabilitation efforts under the Philippine National Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD)-Plus Strategy as part of the National Climate Change Action Plan, and the National Greening Program.

Lim said the discovery of the new species on the fragmented forests of Mt. Nacolod intensifies the potential of REDD-Plus for effective protection and rehabilitation of natural forests and conservation of biodiversity, while benefiting local communities.

Greater involvement of LGUs in conserving the biodiversity of Nacolod is expected, she added.

The study was aimed at generating species inventories and practical information on key species-habitat associations as sound bases for forest and biodiversity management planning, Lim said.

Joining the PAWB in conducting the biodiversity assessments last November 2011 were the Fauna & Flora International, the National Museum of the Philippines, and DENR Eastern Visayas.






Reef restoration set in Southern Leyte

by (Leyte Samar Daily Express)


PALO, Leyte – The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) and Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) will push through a one-year pilot technology demonstration on coral reef restoration in Padre Burgos, Southern Leyte.

The coastal area situated within the Sogod Bay will get a P5-million budget out of the recently approved P35.35 million funding for nine coral reef rehabilitation projects nationwide.

DOST Regional Director Edgardo Esperancilla said they signed an agreement with SLSU based in Sogod town, which will be their partner in undertaking pilot technology demonstration.

“We prioritize the one hectare in Padre Burgos because it is where depleted coral reefs can be found. There are also nearby resort owners who are willing to sustain the project. The undertaking is to show how the private sector can implement coral reef reforestation,” Esperancilla said.

The project aims to promote science-based coral reef management practices through public-private sector partnership, establish technology pilot demonstration sites for coral nurseries to produce 30,000 coral nubbins, and establish one hectare of reef in Padre Burgos.

The science department is eyeing to complete the project on March 14, 2013.

“To make sure that corals will grow, we need the help of the private sector to maintain this, especially that damaging starfish are infesting the area,” he said.

Population outbreak of damaging crown-of-thorns starfish was spotted in 74 hectares of coral reefs in Southern Leyte with a population density of up to 420 pieces per square meter, according to the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources.

Of the 74 hectares infested, 60 hectares are in the municipality of Padre Burgos, nine hectares in Maasin City and five hectares in Macrohon town.

Crown-of-thorns starfish climbs over the corals, releases digestive enzymes to break down its food, and then absorbs the coral polyp, leaving only coral skeleton.

Other than the toxic starfish, the DOST believed that coral reefs in Southern Leyte are damaged by a variety of human activities such as household sewage, industrial wastage and agricultural chemicals from land that are washed off to the sea.

Dangerous fishing methods such as blast and dynamite fishing also contributed to coral reef destruction.

Coral reef reforestation will also be implemented in provinces of Aurora, Bataan, Zambales, Batangas, Masbate, Aklan, Bohol, and Tawi-Tawi.






Environmental office bares municipalities with highest collection of deadly starfish

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Apr 16 (PIA) -- The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) has been continuously extracting the crown-of-thorns starfish throughout Southern Leyte since it reportedly increased in number, particularly in the waters of Sogod Bay and in Maasin City.

In a mitigation report by Coastal Fisheries Resources and Management Office Provincial Head Eva Abad the municipality with the highest COTS extracted was Padre Burgos with 80,145, followed by Maasin City that extracted around 34,000 and in Limasawa with 25,461 by the end of March 2012.

Abad added that other municipalities which conducted COTS extraction include Macrohon with 3,000 deadly starfish collected; Tomas Oppus – 2,192; Malitbog – 23,565; Lilioan – 1,056; San Francisco – 1,143; Pintuyan – 1,054; Hinundayan – 356; Hinunangan – 863; Bontoc – 18; Libagon – 10; and Sogod with only one reported.

Crown-of-thorns starfish are locally known of dap-marine invertebrates that feed on corals which are marine sanctuaries and kills corals.

In the mitigation report, Abad informed that there were municipalities in the province not included in the COTS outbreak such as San Ricardo, St. Bernard, San Juan, and Anahawan.

The total crown-of-thorns starfish extracted as of April 2012 numbered 170,165 pieces, initiated by the provincial government with the assistance of volunteers throughout the province, Abad disclosed. “This does not include the different Dive Shop Divers collection,” she said.

The local government units concerned has been coordinating with different agencies including non-government organizations to assist in the COTS outbreak and how to mitigate its existence, such as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), the GIZ, Provincial and Maasin City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office, among other concerned agencies.

“We are proposing the production of IEC materials such as pamphlets and posters for public awareness which is now designed by PENRMO staff,” Abad said while other activities are properly coordinated with the other agencies. (ldl/rgc-PIA 8, Southern Leyte)

11 Eastern Visayas LGUs yet to comply with policy on disclosure

by Joey Gabieta

Inquirer Visayas


TACLOBAN CITY—Only 11 of the over 140 local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas have yet to comply with the national government’s policy on full disclosure of financial transactions, according to a Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) official. Pedro Noval Jr., DILG Eastern Visayas director, said the 11 LGUs were only missing one or two documents mandated to be posted under the full disclosure policy being implemented by the department. These LGUs were Pintuyan in Southern Leyte; Lapinig in Northern Samar; and the towns of Almagro, Gandara, Hinabangan, Jiabong, Matuginao, Motiong, Tagapul-an, Tarangnan and Zumarraga, all in Samar province. Eastern Visayas has about 149 LGUs constituting provinces, cities and municipalities. This means that 138 LGUs across the region have fully complied with the policy. The full disclosure policy program requires LGUs to post several documents, including their budgets and finances, and bids and public offerings in government websites, newspapers of general circulation and in other conspicuous and appropriate places. Full disclosure Based on the provisions of Republic Act No. 10147, or the General Appropriations Act of 2011, adherence to the full disclosure policy is now compulsory. Local governments without a website should also post the required information on the website of the DILG regional office concerned on www.dilg.gov.ph, the website of the DILG central office. Noval cited the document on items to bid as the most common instrument that the 11 LGUs have not yet posted so they could not be considered as having complied with the full disclosure policy. He said that based on their explanations, the LGUs said they lacked the time to prepare the said document. “But I expect within this month that all the 11 LGUs will be able to fully comply with the full disclosure policy,” said Noval who has been monitoring the LGUs’ compliance. He added that the failure of the LGUs to observe the full disclosure policy could mean the filing of administrative charges. “(Officials) should be held accountable and responsible with their actions to the people they serve,” Noval said. Earlier this year, DILG Secretary Jesse Robredo ordered the DILG field offices to send “show cause” orders to the executives of the LGUs concerned to explain or face sanctions for noncompliance with the provisions of the 2011 General Appropriations Act. The full disclosure of financial transactions aims to minimize, if not totally, eradicate corruption and misuse of public funds.

Military vows to keep Visayas insurgent-free

by Sarwell Q. Meniano


LIMASAWA, SOUTHERN LEYTE -- A military official vowed to block rebels’ efforts to retake insurgent-free Visayas provinces as they shift their thrust to implementation of development projects from counter-insurgency efforts. Col. John S. Bonafos, commander of 802nd brigade of the Philippine Army based in Camp Downes, Ormoc City, said they are stepping up efforts to coordinate with local government units and other government agencies in undertaking development projects. "We will continue our support operations particularly in the development aspects needed by people. After we have attained peace, we will move to development phase like construction of classrooms, road repair and road widening," Mr. Bonafos told BusinessWorld.

The brigade covers the insurgent-free provinces of Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Southern Leyte, and Biliran. It is the only Philippine Army headquarters in the entire country with all covered areas officially declared as rebel-cleared.

Among the five provinces, Biliran was the first to gain the insurgent-free status as jointly declared by the army and local government unit in December 2008. Cebu and Bohol were declared free of rebel activities in March 2010 while Southern Leyte and Leyte attained the same status in September 2011 and December 2011, respectively.

"The situation of these Visayas provinces exemplifies that we can attain the insurgent-free status through multi-stakeholders participation," Mr. Bonafos said.

For insurgent-free areas, the military turned over the lead role in maintaining the internal security to its local executives and police.

A province is categorized as insurgency-free when the threat posed by the Communist Party of the Philippines - New People’s Army (CPP-NPA) is successfully downgraded into a mere law and order problem.

PRC-8 inks MOA with SoLeyte

by Rebecca S. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 12 (PIA) -- The Office of the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC)-8 through its Regional Director German Palayab signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with Southern Leyte Governor Damian G. Mercado to bring their services closer to Southern Leyteños.

The MOA signing was held at the governor’s office here this morning, April 11.

“Both parties need to gain strength and joint benefits from its creative cooperation and collaboration towards extending frontline services such as 'one-stop shop' to be set up by the local government unit in order to serve the public more efficiently," the MOA stated.

Director Palayab disclosed that the office will open as soon as the assigned staff from the local government will be trained. “An office staff will be trained for two days,” the director said, referring to one of the counterparts of the provincial government, an office staff in addition to the office space, among other supports to PRC.

PRC’s service commitment to the said agreement would bring services closer to the constituents of Southern Leyte by extending its window services at the provincial capitol, and conducting “PRC on wheels” whenever requested in order to renew PRC professional IDs, issuance of certifications, authentications, and accept applications for PRC licensure examinations.

The source added that PRC will also conduct briefings on PRC services and Licensure Examinations upon request from the provincial government, manage the day-to-day operations of the PRC Service Kiosk at the local level, among other service commitments.

On the other hand, the provincial government likewise will extend assistance to PRC, such as to cooperate with the PRC desk officer to ensure that only qualified and licensed professionals are employed at positions in the municipalities that require such qualifications, cooperate with the PRC for the protection of the public by raising awareness among professionals in government service.

The MOA signing was witnessed by Vice Governor Mike Maamo, Sangguniang Panlalwigan Member Romeo Gomez, Provincial Administrator Crispin Arong, Jr., College of Maasin President Miguel Udtohan, and media personnel from Southern Leyte Balita and PIA-Maasin. (LDL/RGC-PIA 8 Southern Leyte)

Fathers help in breastfeeding babies

by (Leyte Samar Daily Express)


LIMASAWA, Southern Leyte – Mothers in this island town are not left alone in ensuring that children are well-nourished with fathers equipped with knowledge on good nutrition and proper breastfeeding.

The “Tatay Ko, Kaagapay sa Kalusogan Ko” campaign was launched three years ago by the local government, which regularly gathers all fathers in the island and orients them on their role to improve or maintain the nutritional status of children.

Jesrel Tiongco, a community health team member, said while men in other places usually make jokes on breastfeeding-related topics, fathers here are taking the support role seriously.

“We gather in barangay health center every quarter and discuss how fathers can support lactating women. We ensure exclusive breastfeeding during first six months of life. We also learn the proper position of breastfeeding so that we can help our wives,” said Tiongco, a father of a three-year-old child.

Remegilda Salomon, municipal nutrition action officer, said during a gathering with fathers, local nutrition workers gave updates on good nutrition and responsible parenthood aside from breastfeeding promotion.

“As practiced in Limasawa, the mother and the father jointly monitor the nutritional status of their children,” Salomon said.

In 2010, almost all the men in the municipality together with all municipal and barangay officials had undergone the training on Infant and Young Child Feeding and the Pabasa sa Nutrisyon.

In most areas in the region, these advocacies are centered on health and nutrition workers and mothers.

In this town, stores don’t sell infant formula since all mothers are exclusively feeding their babies with breast milk from birth to six months and provide nutritious complementary foods while continuing breastfeeding up to two years.

Limasawa’s performance in terms of breastfeeding is remarkable compared to the national figure, Salomon said.

The 7th National Nutrition Survey revealed that among infants 0-5 months old, only 36 out of every 100 were exclusively breastfed; only 37 of every 100 were breastfed at the same time given a complementary food and as many as 27 out of every 100 infants were given other milk and other foods.

Breastfeeding during the first six months of a child’s life is deemed crucial since it cuts the risk of chronic diseases and leads to overall better development.

P90-M Leyte-Mindanao power link unveiled

by tribuneonline.org


The government will be conducting the Leyte-Mindanao interconnection project study that would establish an integrated grid and allow reserve electricity generation capacity to be shared by the three regional grids — Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao.

The study, which is estimated to cost P90 million, will be undertaken by the National Grid Corp. of the Philippines (NGCP) for a period of one year and another year for assessment.

Energy Undersecretary Josephine Patricia Asirit said for the first time, the Aquino administration will implement the Luzon-Visayas-Mindanao interconnection grid to assure power stability in the country.

At present, Asirit said only the Luzon and Visayas — through the Leyte grid — have interconnectivity. It will only be in this administration that the entire Philippine grid would be interconnected.

She cited the current power situation in some parts of Mindanao where it experienced regular brownouts.

With the Leyte-Mindanao interconnection in place, Asirit said, the Luzon grid which has 200 MW excess and the Visayas which can also export another 200 MW, power shortage in Mindanao can easily be resolved.

The Leyte-Mindanao interconnection project was aimed at addressing the power shortage not only in Mindanao but the entire country as well.

It includes the installation of about 455-kilometer overhead line and 23-km submarine cable with a maximum depth of around 1,000 meters below sea level.

The interconnection project was originally designed for 250-kilovolt high-voltage density cable bipolar link with a total transfer capacity of 500 MW to 800 MW.

It will start from the existing Ormoc Converter Station in Leyte and terminates at Kirahon Converter station in Northcentral Mindanao via Southern Leyte and Northeastern Mindanao.

The Leyte-Mindanao interconnection is part of the long-term solution to resolve power shortage in the region.

DA-EU Program Benefits 40,000 Households

by PHOEBE JEN INDINO


SILAGO, Southern Leyte– A food security program sponsored by the European Union, Germany-based Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and the Department of Agriculture (DA) has benefited over 40,000 poor households in Eastern Visayas.

The program, named Enhancement of Food Security in the Visayas (EFOS), which was implemented by the Deutsche Gessellschaft fur Internationale Zummenarbeit (GIZ), and which ended early this year, was designed to sustainably increase food security, and agricultural, fisheries and forestry productivity in the region, with special focus on Eastern Visayas.

GIZ operates in more than 130 countries worldwide with most of its work commissioned by the BMZ

EFOS was comprised of four project components, namely, natural resources governance, infrastructure through cash-for-work, productivity and production enhancement, and crop insurance.

EFOS Senior Adviser Alex Tabada said the program’s cash-for-work covered over 12,000 households in 24 towns, earning some P35 million in wages.

That particular program component paved way for the creation of 62-kilometers of farm-to-market roads and 40 kilometers of upland foot trails including 11.4 kilometers of communal irrigation canals supporting some 933 hectares of ricelands.

Communities extract 170,000 Crown Of Thorns Starfish in Limasawa, Padre Burgos and Maasin City

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 6 (PIA) -- The bane of corals are finally being decimated. At least 170,000 Crown Of Thorns Starfish (COTS), locally known of dap-marine invertebrates that feed on corals which are marine sanctuaries, and also kill corals, were extracted particularly in Limasawa, Padre Burgos, and Maasin City, all of Southern Leyte in less than 10 days.

“We have found extreme population of COTS particularly in the municipalities of Limasawa and Padre Burgos and the city of Maasin where we estimated the presence of over a thousand COTS in one hectare compared to 12 COTS in normal condition, “ according to Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) – Coastal Fisheries Resource Management Office (CFRMO) Chief Eva Abad.

She said that in less than 10 days of synchronized extraction of COTS in the mentioned three different areas, an estimated 170,000 of COTS were partially gathered by the communities including the owners of foreign-operated dive shops in the locality particularly in Padre Burgos.

Abad said the initial estimates of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) Provincial Office reported last March 22 that in one 500 square-meter area of corals alone, there were an estimated of over a thousand COTS.

However, BFAR Provincial Office is now undertaking an actual underwater assessment of the presence of COTS to 500 square meters of corals and to determine the extent of the damaged coral areas had done in the province, she said.

She added that there will be more joint lined up activities by the local government units and by the GIZ, a German organization in order to prevent this impending coastal disaster in the province.

In Maasin City alone, the local government unit–initiated extraction got a total of 23,000 COTS collected March 27, 2012, she added.

She noted that extraction of COTS most of the times were stalled due to the lack of funds in order to mobilize the community to join in the extraction along their barangays. (ldl/esg/PIA8 SoLeyte)

Over a thousand slots await “summer jobbers” in So. Leyte

by Marcelo M. Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Apr. 4 (PIA) -- The Special Program for Employment of Students (SPES) project of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) provincial office here just got even more special this summer time, as more qualified youths will be gainfully employed.

In a list of 2012 SPES pledged by DOLE, some 1,031 posts are up for grabs, mainly through the labor agency’s partner institutions that include local government units (LGUs), a public school, and one national government office - the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Mario Tictic of DOLE-So. Leyte said that for this year, their office was given an allocation of 1,500 students for SPES placement, also popularly known as summer job, so there are still some 400 more slots to be filled, this time in cooperation with private schools which already signified their intention to join.

DOLE and their respective listed partners are presently finalizing the papers of students who had applied for this summer’s SPES, which will start on May 7 for a 20-day employment period, while educational institutions in the private sector like Saint Joseph College (SJC) and the College of Maasin (CM) will start in June, Tictic said.

The provincial government tops the list with 338 students up for hiring, followed by the city government at 150, and Malitbog LGU with 110, then Sogod LGU at 100. Malitbog has the distinction of hiring similar students for years in a row, even as it accepts new SPES applicants, 80 students for this summer.

The public school which participated in this program is the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU)-Bontoc Campus.

Other LGUs with SPES placements this year are Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Tomas Oppus, Libagon, Saint Bernard, Anahawan, Hinundayan, Silago, and Liloan.

Most summer jobbers have a daily rate of P 150 per day, except for SLSU-Bontoc at P 133 per day, Maasin City at P 180 per day, and DPWH at P 250 per day. Salaries, however, will be shared between DOLE and the sponsoring LGU/agency, with DOLE paying 40 percent of the rate, and the LGUs, 60 percent.

Based on the list, DOLE had set aside a budget of P 1,338,662.40 for 1,031 SPES, while the combined counterpart of all the LGUs was P 2,007,993.60.

Last year, there were only a little over 400 SPES slots reserved by DOLE for Southern Leyte.

The Special Program for Employment of Students is mandated under Republic Act No. 9547 which aims to help poor but deserving students pursue their education by providing income or augment their income through encouraging their employment during summer and/or Christmas vacations. The SPES is open to all qualified high school, college or vocational students or drop-outs and interested employers. (GTT/MMP-PIA8, Southern Leyte)

2 OWWA scholars garner Cum Laude recognitions

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 3 (PIA) -- Together with 44 other honor students, two Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA) scholars graduated Cum Laude during the Commencement Exercises of the Leyte Normal University on March 26 in Tacloban City.

“We take pride in the achievements of our scholars. This makes evident that the financial assistance extended to them as qualified beneficiaries of our OFW (overseas Filipino workers) clients is not put to waste,” says OWWA- RWO8 OIC-Director II Ma. Evangelina V. Filamor in a press release.

Filamor said after four years of struggle for academic excellence was worth the long wait for Ritzee Operio and Mark Geraldo when they graduated Cum Laude among 1,059 graduates.

The graduates are OWWA scholars under the OFW Dependents Scholarship Program (OFW-DSP) whereby an eligible dependent of an active OFW with a basic monthly salary of $400 and below receives financial assistance of P10,000 per semester, she said.

She further said Geraldo, with a grade of 1.55, and Operio, with 1.65, outstandingly earned a double degree in Bachelor of Science in Secondary and Elementary Education major in English. While in search for a private school to practice their profession, they plan to review for the September Licensure Examination for Teachers (LET).

“OWWA is part of our success and we are very much thankful for the assistance they have extended to us,” says Geraldo in an interview, Filamor quoted.

Another OWWA scholar grabbed first honor award in the Commencement Exercises of the Sto. Nino SPED Center, Tacloban City on March 31 - Danna Mheliza Mae D. Budano garnered 93.8 percent, topping the entire second grade level of the said school, Filamor further reported.

The achiever is an OWWA scholar under the education component of Education and Livelihood Assistance Program whereby an eligible dependent of deceased OFW who was an active OWWA member at the time of death receives financial scholarship grant until completion of a tertiary degree, Filamor said. (LDL/ESG-PIA 8, SoLeyte)

NSO to Visayans: Pls cooperate in the Consumer Expectations Survey in Region 8

by Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu


TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, April 2 (PIA) -- The National Statistics Office in Eastern Visayas under the leadership of Director Raul Dones called on the public to cooperate in the conduct of the April 2012 Consumer Expectations Survey (CES) in selected provinces in Eastern Visayas namely, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Samar, and Eastern Samar.

Director Dones enjoined all sample household to actively support and cooperate in the said activity which will start on April 2 to 16. Likewise, the support and assistance of the local government units are solicited in order to ensure the success of this undertaking, the NSO Director said.

Dones said that just like any other surveys undertaken by NSO, the data that will be gathered shall be held strictly confidential and shall not be divulged to any person except to authorize NSO personnel. The data will not be used for taxation, investigation, or enforcement purposes.

Dones said that the Consumer Expectations Survey is actually conducted in selected provinces nationwide except except in Autonomous Region for Muslim Mindanao (ARMM).

The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) contracted the NSO to conduct CES in order to collect comprehensive information on the business conditions of the country in the household sector, Director Dones informed.

The NSO’s responsibility is to undertake the data collection and encoding of the questionnaires while BSP’s responsibility is the generation of tables and analysis of the results, the NSO Director added.

The CES is a household-based survey on the consumers’ assessment of their financial situation, the economic condition of the country and the overall performance of the government. This is a complementary survey to BSP’s Business Expectations Survey (BES).

The survey is administered on a sample basis at the household level drawn through a stratified multi-stage random sampling. The survey has a total sample of about 5,000 households nationwide. The total sample in Region VIII is 308 households.

The conduct of CES aims to provide a quick and regular assessment of the financial condition of consumers and economic condition of the country at present and in the near future, from the consumers’ own viewpoints; to generate forecasts in the direction of the country’s economic activity based on consumers’ outlook in the next 12 months; and to provide quick and regular assessment of consumers’ outlook in terms of their income and expenditures. (EOPT - PIA 8)

DSWD 8 releases cash grant to 2,550 "Pantawid Pamilya" beneficiaries in Maasin City

by Erna S. Gorne


MAASIN City, Southern Leyte, Apr. 1 (PIA) -- A total of 2,550 household beneficiaries here received their conditional cash grant under the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program.

Together with the two bank tellers from the Land Bank of the Philippines – Maasin Branch and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Office, the Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries on Friday started to claim their conditional cash grants for the months of November 2011 – February 2012 at the maximum of P 1,400 per month for every beneficiary.

Instead of only two months, Maasin City beneficiaries are entitled to receive four – months worth of cash grant as decided by the DSWD Central Office, to fully utilize the previous year's Pantawid Pamilya funds throughout the region.

DSWD Region 8 Director Letecia T. Diokno admonished the beneficiaries to handle the financial assistance properly and reminded them that the money is not for the parents but for the education and health care of the children and the expectant mothers.

She cautioned them to comply with the conditions set by the program since if they lack in fulfilling the requirements they will be cut off in receiving the said monthly cash grant.

She further urged the parents to work hard instead of waiting for the monthly conditional cash grant as this serves only to supplement their needs for their children to pursue education and health of the children and pregnant mothers.

Diokno challenged the beneficiaries that as a 4Ps family, they should become model of a peaceful family with children going to school, healthy children and mothers, among other being socially developed family with the additional income of P15,000 every year for five years from now. (EOPT/ESG, PIA8 SoLeyte)


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