Southern Leyte Province News November 2011

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So. Leyte grants livelihood assistance to 18 People’s Organizations

by. Bong Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 15 (PIA) -- The provincial government has granted nearly 1 million pesos in livelihood assistance to 18 People’s Organizations (POs), a move designed to help every group’s members while they acted as accredited stewards to protect and preserve the environment in their respective localities. The POs, spread province-wide at an average of one per local government unit, were comprised mostly of marginal upland dwellers and have existing community-based forest management agreements with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), it was learned. The Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) disclosed that out of the 18 POs, only about four or five have yet to receive their assistance. The provincial government’s intervention was intended to augment the PO members’ income as they will be expected to be productive in a profitable venture, while at the same time seeing to it that the natural habitat in their surrounding can be maintained. Last week, Emely Labata, a forester at PENRMO, spoke on the topic Climate Change Adaptation in Forestry during a three-day training for personnel of local disaster bodies in various municipalities and this city. Among the salient point she discussed centered on diversification of local economies and livelihoods through non-wood products, among others. She said the local government has tapped the 18 POs for the management of forest resources, including proper utilization of products derived from the forests. She reported that the provincial government has already released the P 50,000.00 cash assistance to almost all the POs to finance their livelihood project proposals in agri-business.(PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)






PNP-SoLeyte nabs drug suspect

by. R.G. Cadavos


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 14 (PIA) -- The Southern Leyte Police Provincial Office nabbed another drug suspect in a buy-bust operation conducted Thursday at Barangay Mambajao, this city. In a report sent by Police Community Relations Chief Abdulmajid Jaji to the Philippine Information Agency-Maasin said the “PNP personnel of Maasin Police Station under the supervision of PSUPT Hector F. Enage, Maasin City Chief of Police together with the Southern Leyte Criminal Investigation and Detection Team (SLCIDT) personnel, conducted a buy bust operation at Brgy Mambajao, Maasin City,” which resulted to the arrest of one Angelito Grullo Cadavero alias Lito, 26 years old, single, laborer and a resident of Brgy Mantahan, Maasin City. Confiscated from the suspect’s possession, control and custody were the following items: five (5) pieces small transparent plastic cellophane containing suspected methamphetamine hydrochloride locally known as shabu; two (2) pieces small transparent plastic cellophane containing suspected residue of shabu ; five (5) pieces aluminum foil ; two (2) pieces lighter ; two (2) pieces five hundred peso bill (PHP 500.00) used as marked money ; one (1) box matches labeled “Fuego” ; and black ballpen. The conduct of inventory and photograph of evidences was witnessed by a media reporter and Brgy Kagawad of Brgy Maria Clara, Maasin City and a representative from the Department of Justice, Jaji reported. The suspected shabu and aluminum foils will be submitted for laboratory test with Southern Leyte Crime Laboratory at the Provincial Capitol Compound, Asuncion, this city through the Philippine Drugs Enforcement Agency 8 (PDEA8), Candahug, Palo, Leyte while cases for violation of section 5,11 and 12 of article 11, R.A 9165 are now being prepared. He further disclosed that during the command conference with the PNP-Southern Leyte Police Provincial Personnel led by Officer-in-Charge PSSupt. Allan Cuevillas, it was agreed to strictly implement all the directives from the higher headquarters in its combat against any form of illegal activities. (rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)






DTI – So Leyte to inspect Christmas lights next week

by. ES Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, November 13 (PIA8) -- The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Southern Leyte Provincial Office will conduct a close monitoring of Christmas lights next week, Trade and Industry Specialist II Rowena Garde disclosed to PIA SoLeyte in a phone interview. As early as September, DTI already warned the local establishments to not sell faulty Christmas lights. Garde said the local establishments were already given a list of brands of safe Christmas lights with Import Commodity Clearance (ICC) marks. The department declared that only those Christmas lights produced from January 2009 up to the present production are allowed to be sold in the market, she added. She also said that in the ICC marks, the last two digits indicates the year of production of said commodity, such as 09, 10 and 11. There are also ICC marks that bears the full year of production that can be easily recognized by the buyer.(PIA SoLeyte/esg)






EV nominates SoLeyte, Biliran to national Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Awards 2011

by. PIA Press Release


TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, November 12 (PIA) -– With Southern Leyte and Biliran as top rice producing provinces in Eastern Visayas, they are the region's nominees to the search for Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers Awards 2011. Southern Leyte and Biliran were chosen because they achieved a 152 percent rice sufficiency index, said Department of Agriculture Region 8 information chief Francis Rosaroso. He added that Southern Leyte is the Region’s top hybrid rice producer, due to the Provincial Government's program “Plant Now Pay Later” that allows farmers to avail of seeds and other inputs loan, payable after harvest. The Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers award is open to all provinces, municipalities/cities, irrigators’ association and agricultural extension workers, Rosaroso said. There are four categories for the Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers’ Awards: the Top 10 Outstanding Provinces, which will receive P4 million each; Top 50 Outstanding Municipalities/Cities, which will receive P1 million each; Top 10 Outstanding Irrigators’ Associations, which will receive P1 million each. The awards will be in form of projects, which should help increase the productivity of the rice production industry in the locality. The Top 500 Outstanding Agricultural Extension Workers will each receive P20,000 cash. The Agri-Pinoy Rice Achievers’ Awards aims to encourage the full participation of LGUs involved in rice production and to recognize the highly performing provinces, municipalities and cities, Irrigators’ Associations, and agricultural extension workers as important stakeholders in the national food self-sufficiency program. The main criteria for the selection are yield increment, production data on rice for 2006-2010, budget allocation for rice production, provincial Rice Self Sufficiency Program (RSSP) road map and profile of the IAs (Irrigators Associations). The awarding of winners will be in January of 2012, Rosaroso said. (PIA 8)






Prov’l gov’t launches Southern Leyte Champion of the Seas 2012

by. ES Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 11 (PIA) -- The provincial government of Southern Leyte recently launched the search for the Southern Leyte Champion of Seas in 2012 to boost its food security in the province. That the Champion of the Seas 2012 competition will be competed among the Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Management Council (FARMCs) and MPAs in the different municipalities of the province and the City of Maasin according to Agricultural Technologist Rein Lagumbay of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office – Coastal and Forest Resource Management (PENRMO-CFRM). The provincial government recently awarded 22 out of 48 Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) at P10,000.00 cash incentive for those who were able to submit management plans respectively, she said. Lagumbay said the provincial government has already integrated in the Annual Investment Plan (AIP) for this year the annual incentives for all the MPAs established in the province to come up with management plans. Last June, the first batch of 26 MPAs with management plans were already awarded with P10,000.00 each for this year, Lagumbay added. During the celebration of the Fish Conservation Week last October 2011, the provincial government initiated separate fora with the Southern Leyte Greenbelt Mangroove recipients and MPAs stakeholders on October 18 and 19, respectively, Lagumbay added.(PIA SoLeyte/esg)






DILG-SoLeyte to LGUs: Launch TXT PPUR 2861 during Friday’s flag retreat

by. R.G. Cadavos


SOUTHERN LEYTE, Nov. 10 (PIA) –- Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Jesse M. Robredo through DILG-Southern Leyte Provincial Office directed all governors, mayors and barangay chairmen nationwide to conduct and attend their flag retreat on Friday, November 11 and rally their constituents to vote – via text message PPUR 2861 or via the Internet – for the Puerto Princesa Underground River in the worldwide search for the New 7 Wonders of Nature. The directive quoted Secretary Robredo saying that the call to the country’s local chief executives a day before the final voting comes to an end on November 11 (Friday at 7:00 pm) which is part of a “last-ditch” effort by all government agencies concerned for all Filipinos to support the PPUR campaign. “I have directed all local chief executives to conduct and attend their flag retreat on Friday and rally and remind their constituents about their patriotism and what the country could get in return in terms of tourism and related revenues by voting for the PPUR campaign,” DILG Provincial Official quoted Robredo. It was explained further that by joining the flag retreat ceremonies constitutes a patriotic act for all Filipinos, this is the same as participating in the PPUR campaign, while urging barangay chairmen, mayors and governors that during the flag retreat this Friday, “they should ask and request their constituents to get their cellphones and text to vote for PPU,.” The source said. It was learned that PPUR has made it to the top 10 New 7 Wonders of the World finalists in a recent update on the ongoing worldwide voting, the DILG chief said the Filipinos should not just be contented with the PPUR landing at number 7 among the finalists. Aside from sending SMS message by typing PPUR and sending it to 2861, the public and all concerned government officials and employees can vote via the Internet by logging on to www.new7wonders.com. Apart from the PPUR, other nominees that made it to the top 10 include, the Dead Sea (Israel/Jordan/Palestine), Grand Canyon(United States), Great Barrier Reef (Australia/Papua New Guinea), Halong Bay (Vietnam), Jeita Grotto (Lebanon), Jeju Island (South Korea), Komodo Island (Indonesia), Sundarbans (Bangladesh/India), and Vesuvius (Italy). (rgc/PIA-SoLeyte)





DSWD-8 to hire additional workers for 4Ps expansion in Southern Leyte

by. ES Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 9 (PIA) -- The Department of Social Welfare and Development- 8 (DSWD-8) is now conducting a two-day orientation and examination of the applicants who will attend the implementation of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) expansion in the province. According to DSWD-8 staff Daisy Polistico, who is also the 4Ps Regional Point Person, there is the need for the government agency to hire more workers who will attend to the 4Ps expansion of the program to seven more municipalities in the Southern Leyte. Polistico said to effectively manage the anti-poverty program of the Aquino administration in the province, the regional office will need less than ten social welfare assistants and 12 municipal links more workforce. Earlier this year only four municipalities in the province, namely, Pintuyan, St. Bernard, Bontoc and Tomas Oppus were the 4Ps beneficiaries , Polistico added. The additional seven more municipalities with the potential indigent families to benefit from the 4Ps will be as follows: Maasin City – 2,725; Libagon - 898, Lilo-an – 1,236, Limasawa - 416, Malitbog – 1,127, San Francisco - 700 and San Ricardo -629, she disclosed further. It was further learned that DSWD -8 has been considering to increase the number of beneficiaries in the municipalities of Bontoc and Pintuyan, who were earlier benefited from the 4Ps this year. The government’s 4Ps program provides up to a maximum of P1,400 per family beneficiary per month and this includes P500 for the health/nutritional need of the family and a P300 educational assistance for every (14 years old and below) school children of the family for a maximum of three children.(PIA SoLeyte/esg)






So. Leyte Chamber of Commerce adds Limasawa as the fifth tourism hub

by. Bong Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 8 (PIA) -- The Limasawa historical landmark has been added to the man-made tourist attractions in the “tourism dream” crafted by the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI), a visionary framework that was integrated in the development agenda of the various local government units. SLCCI President Engr. Robert Castanares announced the inclusion of the cultural and heritage icon in a gathering of hotels, resorts, and restaurant owners organized by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) Friday and Candy’s function hall, where he spoke about the development directions of the tourism industry in the province. In his detailed presentation, Castanares discussed a comprehensive analysis of the economic situation in the province, in which the best way to circulate money was to lure tourists through the identified five tourism hubs that would position the province as the “playground of Eastern Visayas” by the year 2013. The first hub will be a theme park at Danao Forest Park in this city, wherein some 30 hectares was already approved by the city government to be developed into a zoo, to be called “ZooLeyte”, the target date for opening will be in April, 2012, Castanares revealed. The second hub, which was already operational since April 15 this year, was the popular Agas-Agas Zipline destination in Sogod, and Castanares said in a month or two, other features will be added like the off-road adventures, bungee jump, and cable car. The third hub will be the Silago canopy walk, or a stroll through high trees, the walk ending in a scenic waterfalls, and development of this project was still in progress. The fourth was the Napantao Dive Site in San Francisco, said to be among the top five dive destinations in Asia, and this will be enhanced further to cater to the expected surge of diving enthusiasts. The fifth hub was the Limasawa historical landmark, an ambitious project that would put up a 100-meter high cross in the island, equipped with elevator to reach the top portion where businesses like coffee shop and others can be enjoyed. Last year, when the tourism framework was presented to the local media, only the four hubs were highlighted. Castanares said the prime concern for the Limasawa project was the ground texture of the island if it can support such a huge infrastructure. The provincial “tourism dream” attempts to capture some 200,000 visitors starting this year until the end of 2013, Castanares also said. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)





DOLE 8 forms So. Leyte tourism industrial peace council

by. Bong Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 7 (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) on Friday held a forum with owners of resorts, hotels, and restaurants here and elsewhere in the province held at Candy’s Function hall this city. The day-long activity discussed issues involving the key players of the tourism industry, leading to the formation of a tripartite industrial peace council on this particular sector. DOLE provincial field Officer Fe Norma Valuis said that throughout the entire region, the labor agency succeeded in forming tripartite industrial peace councils on three major groups, such as the power sector, the manufacturing sector, and the third in the series to be organized were the operators of hotels, restaurants and resorts, and tourism-related ventures (HRT). In his inspirational message, DOLE Regional Director Atty. Forter Puguon, emphasized that among the thrusts of his office was to strengthen labor relations between management of private business, the workers, and the government, or the development of a tripartite dialogue to resolve conflicts and promote peace. The DOLE “helps businesses by caring for workers,” Puguon said, adding that it would be costly for management to keep on hiring and training new personnel every now and then. Attending the event, aside from owners or representatives of known hotels, restaurants, and resorts, were Engr. Robert Castanares of Kuting Reef Resort, who was also the President of the Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SLCCI); and Nacional Mercado, President of the Southern Leyte Association of Hotels, Restaurants, Resorts, and Bars (SLAHRRB). Also present from the DOLE family were Bernardita Velarde, Planning Officer, DOLE RO8, Marites Vinas, provincial head of the Northern Leyte field office, and Florencio Aguilos, Board Secretary of the Regional Tripartite Wages and Productivity Board (RTWPB). Other offices comprising the government sector included the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI), Technical Education Skills Development Authority (TESDA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), and the Provincial Tourism Office. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)






New crime lab in So Leyte opens amid high expectations

by. Bong Pedalino


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Nov. 4 (PIA) -- Leading forensic experts of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the local officials, on Thursday graced the opening and blessing rites of the Provincial Crime Laboratory Office (PCLO), located at the back of the capitol compound, this city. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was led by Gov. Damian Mercado and City Mayor Maloney Samaco, and they were assisted by PCSupt. Lorlie Nilo Arroyo, Director of the Crime Laboratory, and PSupt. Rea Villavicencio, Chief of the Regional Crime Laboratory, Region 8 Office. Also attending the event were PSupt. Allan Cuevillas, the new PNP Provincial Director, and PSupt. Pepito Pacada, formerly the PNP Provincial Director now serving as the Regional Chief of Staff. Pacada was representing PCSupt. Arnold Revilla, the Regional PNP Director. Other guests were officials from the municipality of Sogod, and some heads of national and provincial offices. Incidentally, PCLO, the new crime lab, which is also called the Scene of Crime Operatives (SOCO) operations center, was blessed by a Priest with surname Soco, in the person of Rev. Margarito Soco. PSInsp. Randie Dagatan, a native of Dulag, Leyte, who will head the SLPCLO as its Provincial Chief, stressed in his welcome remarks that forensic investigation is indispensable in attaining justice and having a speedy solution using science to crimes committed. He said the provincial crime lab was the second facility established under the leadership of her regional boss, PSupt. Villavicencio, who assumed the post for just one year and six months. The first one was put up in Northern Samar, it was learned. Mayor Samaco, in his message, cited the crime lab as a long cherished dream that was finally realized, adding that it will be a great help in maintaining the city’s image as the most peaceful place. Gov. Mercado, likewise, hailed the new outfit as a step forward for the solution of drug-related cases, which he said were dismissed on a mere technicality as the evidence brought to the regional lab for examination oftentimes will not be confirmed. “With this crime lab, babawi tayo. This is a big breakthrough in our campaign against criminality,” Gov. Mercado pointed out, expressing in a nutshell the overall sentiment of the community matched with the generally high expectations of the newly opened lab that must be results-driven. He pledged to provide support for the lab’s maintenance, sharing the burden with the city government, even as he emphasized his commitment that “those less in law are always my priority.” For her response, PCSupt. Arroyo said the SOCO unit will surely deliver the expected services through the lab. “I assure this will help investigators solve crimes,” said Arroyo. (PIA-Southern Leyte/bong)

SoLeyte PhilCAT sets to assess anti-TB campaign progress in the province

by. ES Gorne


MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, November 3 (PIA) -- The Philippine Coalition Against Tuberculosis (PhilCAT) in close coordination with the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC), who jointly implemented the Public – Private Mix DOTS (PPMD) in the province, calls on the stakeholders to a consultative meeting to assess anti - TB campaign progress in the province. “Tuberculosis remains a major problem in the province,” Provincial Health Officer II Jose Lito Trumata, who is also the Provincial Coordinating Committee (PCC) Chairman disclosed in a letter to PIA SoLeyte. This year, PhilCAT and Global Fund to Fight Aids, Tuberculosis and Malaria (GFATM) earlier launched together with the PCC the implementation of the global fight against tuberculosis (TB) down in the province, Trumata said. He said the strategy calls for the private and public sector campaign for a joint effort in the combat against TB. PCC has set a consultative meeting with the stakeholders on November 8, 2011 at Kuting Reef Resort and Spa in Macrohon to assess how far the PhilCAT- Province Coordinating Committee have gone in the implementation of Public-Private Mix DOTS in the province and to formulate plans/strategies for its sustainability. The following stakeholders signed up a memorandum of agreement with PhilCAT- PCC: Philippine Dental Association- Southern Leyte, Southern Leyte Pharmacist Association, Department of Education, FOBI, Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and the Provincial Population Office, which will also include the Southern Leyte Medical Society, Department of Health representatives of Southern Leyte, Municipal Health Officers of Southern Leyte, Southern Leyte League of Mayors, Southern Leyte League of Councilors, and the Philippine Nurses Association-Southern Leyte Chapter. According to Trumata the scheduled consultative meeting is an important step in the public-private partnership towards the fight against TB to reach our national vision: “TB Free Philippines.”(PIA SoLeyte/esg)

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