NEWS FLASH
SL wins ILHZ Grand
Prize in Phl
February 1-15, 2014
Media Center, 2nd Flr., Capitol Bldg.
Vol. I, No. 15
RGM leads filing of legal charges
The province of Southern Leyte
won Grand Prize in the Department
of Health (DOH) Search for Best
Inter-Local Health Zone (ILHZ) in
the country. It was also finalist
in Best in Sanitation, through barangay Tono, municipality of San
Francisco. Gov. Roger Mercado
attended the awarding rites held
February 12 at Traders Hotel in
Manila.
DENR personnel, others face lawsuit for
illegal cutting of trees in Silago forest
by Bong Pedalino
Governor Roger Mercado personally appeared before the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office here, Monday, to submit a complaint against several personnel
of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), who are
allegedly involved in the deliberate cutting of many decades-old trees recently in the town of Silago.
Named accused in the criminal complaint for violation of forestry laws, legal
orders, and codes were Alejandro Bautista, the OIC Community Environment
Natural Resources Officer (CENRO) of San Juan, Southern Leyte, and Ricardo
Tomol, Provincial Environment Natural Resources Officer (PENRO).
Also charged were Ernie Manabit, President of Kakugi, Incorporated, a
People’s Organization
(PO), Forest Ranger
Pablito Masing, Sergio
Manabit and other residents in Silago.
LEGAL ACTION: Provincial Prosecutor Atty. Antonino Ruiz (third
from left) pour over the 46-page complaint. Others in photo, from left
to right: Atty. Toby Aguilar, Provincial Legal Officer; Crispin Arong,
Jr., Provincial Administrator; Atty Ruiz; Gov. Roger Mercado; and
P/SSupt. Armando Bolalin, PNP Provincial Director. Behind Bolalin, not visible to camera is Mrs. Eva Abad, PENRMO.
The charge sheet, dated February 4, 2014, was signed by Eva Abad, Provincial Environment Natural Resources Management Officer (PENRMO), and Police Insp. Antonino Almine, Silago Chief
of Police, and was received by Atty. Antonino Ruiz, Provincial Prosecutor, 9:50 AM, February 10,
2014.
(to page 2)
SLSU pushes for the establishment of
rubber industry in Southern Leyte
by Erna Sy Gorne
LETTERS: Above letter is from CENRO Bautista addressed to Mayor Labrador,
informing the Mayor that a People’s Organization is out to “retrieve the duly inventoried felled/damaged trees caused by super typhoon Yolanda”. This letter is
dated December 23, 2013, but marked released “12-11-13.”
Letter below dated January 14, 2014 is from Mayor Labrador addressed
to PENRO Tomol, informing Tomol “that many natural grown trees were purposely cut and felled....”
The Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) strongly pushes for the establishment of rubber industry
in the province as it was launched among its newly identified prime agricultural commodity last February
5, 2014 and set to be presented on its second international congress come March 2014.
According to Dr. Valerio B Caba- who introduced the potentials for allocated for propagation for each
lo, Vice President for Administration the said agricultural industry to help campus.
and Finance during the launching alleviate the economic conditions
Two rubber nurseries were esand press conference for the Sec- of the marginal farmers in the prov- tablished at SLSU San Juan and Hiond International Congress for Rub- ince.”
nunangan campuses while a rubber
ber and Freshwater Prawn at SLSU
Cabalo noted that the five SLSU research center at SLSU San Juan
Sogod Board Room, “we strongly Campuses grew rubber tree planta- campus is located, he said.
support Governor Roger Mercado, tion, where 1,000 bud sticks were
He said rubber growing in the
province is suitable and adaptable
as gleaned from the successful
rubber growing of a private individual farmer, based in Catbuli-an,Hinunangan, who has grown 2,000
matured rubber trees in his 5-hectare property and reportedly earning
between P17,000.00-P20,000.00
every month for the last 10 years
already.
The rubber latex is sold at
P40.00-P50.00 per kilo, Cabalo said.
GO RUBBER -- AND FRESHWATER PRAWN: Top officials of
Cabalo further disclosed that a
SLSU face the local media in a press conference Feb. 5 to launch the rubber processing plant, though not
second international congress on freshwater prawn and rubber indus- the sophisticated one, shall be put
try slated March 5-7 at SLSU-Main Campus in Sogod. Valerio Caba- up in the province soon. As of now,
lo, VP for Administration, (4th from left) stresses a point. Rightmost, its building is on going construction
while the equipment will follow soon.
Jason Calva of the Congressman’s office also attended the prescon.
Vol. I, No.14
DOH deploys 108 new nurses
ESTORYAHI!
by Erna Sy Gorne
Willie Justimbaste
The Department of Health (DOH) -8
deploys 108 new nurses to augment
the much needed technical health services in 21 rural and city health units in
the province.
According to OIC Letecia Tan, Provincial DOH Officer, " the deployment of 108
new nurses to 18 rural and 3 city health
units which started last January will stay
in the next two years to assist in the technical health services down at the barangays in close coordination with the local
health units."
Through the Nurses Deployment Program (NDP), an initiative of the Aquino
administration, each rural and city health
units were deployed from two to seven
nurses depending on the size of population in every municipality to be served,
Tan said.
The NDP nurses will undertake activities more on technical assistance on
health services, advocacy on the different
frontline programs of the health department, monitoring of community healths in
the locality, focus also on disease surveillance and support other health programs
implemented by the local health units, she
noted.
Another priority activity will be focused
also on maternal child care especially
among the pregnant women and infants,
which are very crucial to the Millenium
Development Goals (MDG) commitments.
Tan also said an aggressive information campaign will be carried out on
HIV AIDS health which poses as another
emerging health problem that hàs to be
understood by the community.
War against illegal drugs
Panaon PNP undergo random drug test
by Rebecca Cadavos
The Philippine National Police (PNP) –Southern
Leyte Police Provincial Office
through the leadership of Acting Provincial Director PSSup.
Armando f. Bolalin conducted
random drug testing among
police personnel, Police Community Relations Chief PSupt.
Reynaldo Plecerda informed.
Plecerda said that the activity was held following the directive of PD Bolalin directing
to conduct a joint inspection
and random drug testing for
all PNP personnel assigned in
Panaon Island-municipalities
police stations such as Liloan,
San Francisco, San Ricardo and
Pintuyan.
“A total of 68 PNP personnel
were assigned in the local police
stations in the said areas,” Plecerda quoted. These include 4 Police
Commissioned Officers and 64
Non-Police Commissioned Officers.
However, three (3) PNP personnel were absent during the
inspection and failed to submit for drug test despite of the
scheduled activity and directive.
Nevertheless, these three (3)
PNP personnel will face administrative sanction to be undertaken
by this Office, Plecerda added.
During the inspection, PNP
personnel of said municipalities
underwent
mandatory drug
testing undertaken by PSI Randy Dagatan and PInsp. Charles
Rubie Villagen,
Forensic
Chemist of the Southern Leyte
Crime Laboratory Office.
The PNP directive is to
strengthen the SLPPO’s campaign against illegal drugs. “It
is not limited to the arrest of
drug pushers and users, but it
also involved in cleansing its
organization to make sure it is
drug-free and its personnel are
not using illegal drugs,” Plecerda reported.
NSO joins Civil Registration Month
by Rebecca Cadavos
The National Statistics Office (NSO)- Southern Leyte Provincial Office joins the whole
nation in celebrating the Civil Registration Month celebrated every February of the year
carrying it’s theme, “Ikaw at Ako Tungo sa Wastong Pagrerehistro.”
The month-long celebration is in coordination with the Southern Leyte Municipal Civil
Registrars Association (SOLEMCRA), Statistical Coordination Officer-I Jenny F. Ang reported.
The Civil Registration Month will serve as a reminder to all citizens to register vital events
correctly and accurately to avoid committing clerical errors, Ang stated. “Erroneous civil registration documents will further delay the availment of primary social services and privileges like
education, health, insurance benefits, among others,” she added.
The month-long activity will initiate activities such as putting up of streamers in different
municipalities throughout the province, conduct of mass weddings, information campaign,
mobile registration and the conduct of civil Registration Quiz in identified schools.
“The highlight of the celebration will be the seminar on Marriage Laws and Procedures and
the Civil Registration to be held on February 18-21, 2014 at Our Lady of the Assumption Parish
Center in Maasin City,” Ang informed further.
Participants of the 4-day seminar are different solemnizing officers, mayors, judges, barangay
secretaries, among other stakeholders in the province.
Ang disclosed that the training-workshop will inculcate the importance of civil registration
and enrich the potentials of the participants’ knowledge in making them more competent in the
performance of their duties to better serve the general public, she said.
Page 2
LESSON LEARNED
EXPERIENCE GAINED
Another Trojan Horse to watch in this
wood year is the Mindanao conflict that has
protracted over the centuries. Like before, there
has always been prior agreements that exploded after a flitting period of artificial calm and
sham peace. Who can trust tribal mentality of
divergent groups professing religious fervor and
ideology far from reality and even inconsistent
with the faith and practice? No group wants to
part with turfs, power, and guns.
The government has a long experience
of Trojan horses in Mindanao ployed by selfstyled leaders for the funds of it without compunction for millions of lives, properties and the
displaced. Sometimes, we sense a well-scripted
scheme to benefit the few at the expense of the
public coffers, the reason for the never-ending
chaos caused by the better bigger liars of mice
and men!
But personally my peeve of the year was
typhoon Basyang that deceptively came in less
deadlier than superpower Yolanda, packing
winds almost a fourth of the latter, yet the former devastated Maasin by river or stream surge
overflowing the river banks and wrecking havoc
on light houses, household livestock and properties like appliances, furniture, kitchenware, linens beds and mattresses, computers, shoes, children’s shoes, clothes and school usage, anything
and everything in its wake on a virtual whirlpool
of animate and inanimate beings in Noah’s flood.
Thank God, there was almost zero human casualty. But the damage per domicile appeared irreparable. Again, let’s hope help won’t be far away
especially for those who lost their homes. There’s
no room for blame or recrimination. We have to
move on indelibly imprinted in our minds the
unforgettable lessons learned and imbedded in
our hearts the painful experience gained.
RGM leads... (from page 1)
It consisted of 46 pages of assorted documents and
supporting papers, including annexes, pictures, and
copies of specific laws, issuances that were alleged as
having been transgressed, such as “Section 68 of the
Revised Forestry Code, P.D. No. 389 and P.D. No. 705
in relation to DENR Administrative Order No. 200078 dated November 7, 2000.”
“The circumstances of time, place and manner of
committing the crime are clearly spelled out in the affidavit-complaint hereto attached to form an integral
part hereof,” the complaint stated.
In submitting the complaint, Gov. Mercado shared
to Prosecutor Ruiz his high expectation the case can
proceed and progress based on its merits and not be
hounded by technicalities.
He was accompanied to the Prosecutor’s office by
P/Supt. Armando Bolalin, PNP Provincial Director,
PENRMO Abad, Provincial Administrator Crispin
Arong, Jr., and Atty. Toby Aguilar, Provincial Attorney.
In an interview with PIA on what will happen next
after the filing, Atty. Aguilar said the Prosecutor will
summon all the accused to answer the charges.
February 1-15, 2014
Vol. I, No.14
NEWS ROUND-UP
TREE PLANTING
Southern Leyte LGU led by Gov. Roger Mercado embarked its second monthly
tree planting February 7 Friday at brgy.
Kanangkaan, Sogod. Some 25 provincial
employees together with the municipal and
barangay officials planted 500 tree seedlings
of bamboo, jackfruit, lansones and native
tree species along the river banks, PENRMO Dr. Eva Abad disclosed. (esg)
MOA SIGNED
The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources inked a memorandum of
agreement (MOA) with Gov. Roger Mercado for the release of P18 million livelihood assistance as rehabilitation support
to typhoon Yolanda fisherfolks victims in
the province. It shall be used for start-up
aqua-culture projects such as freshwater fish pond, brackish water and marine
aquaculture food production, PENRMO
Dr. Eva Abad said. (esg)
ILHZ AWARDEE
The Pacific Interlocal Health Zone was
awarded by Department of Health central
office as an Interlocal Health Zone with
Best Health Practices, PHO-I Dr. Noel Lumen informed. They received P400,000.00
during the awarding ceremony in Manila
February 12. The PILHZ is composed of
the municipalities of St. Bernard, Anahawan, San Juan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan
and Silago. Gov. Mercado attended the
awarding rites. (rgc)
February 1-15, 2014
LOVE SONGS FOR LOVE MONTH: The Maasinhon Trio (above) of
Licinio Lolo, Bonifacio Salubre and Andrew Sanchez thrilled the viewers of
MCTV program Action Center with their singing prowess, their very first
appearance coincidentally timed with the Valentine’s special episode.
Regular mainstays Ruby Grace Mercado (above, right) and Shane
Karyll Lutero (right) added color to the occasion with their angelic songs.
WE MEAN WHAT WE SAY: Gov.
Mercado seems to be conveying that
thought when he submitted the complaint to Fiscal Atty. Ruiz. Atty. Aguilar and P/SSupt. Bolalin reinforce the
message.
SILAGO SB CONDEMNATION:
The local council of Silago expresses in a
resolution (below) the “illegal cutting of
natural grown trees” in the town’s forest.
Page 3
Vol. I, No.14
KISAW SA HUNTA PROBINSYAL
Lindog ni Bokal Bebi Almario
Mobalik pagsulat sa sunod issue.
SLSU goes beyond instruction to
actual income-generating projects
The lone state university in this province has taken the lead in
engaging the farming community surrounding its five campuses to
venture into lucrative freshwater prawn culture and rubber tree plantation, at the same time holding activities to attract investors.
Gloria Markines Reyes, President of the Southern Leyte Sate Universtiy (SLSU), recalled a field trip they had in Mindanao in 2008, in
which State Universities and Colleges (SUCs) they visited there had
long been into income-generating projects for their schools.
What caught her group’s attention was the propagation of rubber
tree seedlings raised by the SUCs and sold to entrepreneur-farmers,
others were cultivated by the schools themselves, Reyes said during
the Action Center Kapihan sa PIA cable TV program Wednesday held
at the provincial capitol.
With market demand for rubber products always high, SLSU lost
no time. Right there and then they bought quality seedlings, set up
own nursery, sent faculties for training to learn the trade and tricks on
the technicalities and the technology.
Five years later, SLSU -- and Southern Leyte province for that
matter -- is now known as the rubber capital of Eastern Visayas, where
other provinces like Biliran and Norhtern Samar, among others, came
here for ocular, learning visits, and buy rubber tree seedling at the
Hinunangan campus, Reyes said, as she reminisced the humble beginnings of it all in a field trip sponsored by then Congressman, now Gov.
Roger Mercado.
As to the freshwater prawn culture, this has been going on in
Bontoc SLSU campus and was enhanced for the country and the rest
of the world to notice through the first international freshwater prawn
congress in January last year.
Next month, the second freshwater prawn congress will be held
March 6-7 at the SLSU campus, this time with the introduction of the
rubber industry as a very viable plantation for the province’s hectares
upon hectares of unused lots, and for investors from within the country and abroad to be moved by this huge potential.
The second international freshwater prawn congress and rubber
tree investors forum will also be among the highlights of SLSU’s tenth
anniversary celebration, with the theme a “decade of excellence.”
Reyes urged Southern Leytenos, the small farmers, and landowners of idle lands to try going into rubber tree plantation which can
be intercropped under existing coconut trees, and freshwater prawn
culture for areas with abundant sources of water, saying this will surely
propel the people out of poverty and be part of the country’s steady
economic growth.
“You can still plant all the traditional crops in your farms, but
please consider seriously rubber-tree planting and freshwater prawn
culture to increase your income,” Reyes appealed, sounding more like
an agriculture secretary than an SLSU President, a practical technocrat than an academe expert.
MGA KAWANI SA PAGSO MIHAGIT SA MGA MAG-UUMA
Dili kini hagit sa bisan onsang torneo sa pagpaugnat sa kusog, kon dili
hagit kini ngadto sa mag-uuma nga padaghanon nila ang mga ani sa ilang
kabasakan, ilabina nga adunay mga iregasyon nga gihimo ang atong goberno
probinsyal.
Mao kini ang gipamahayag ni Engr. Feliciano Malaki, Jr. ug Provincial
Agriculturist Marina E. Gador, sa dihang gitugyan ngadto sa mga mag-uuma
ang irrigation project, nga gigastohan sa lalawigan ug dili moubos sa lima ka
milyon ka pesos.
Ang tulo ka mga irigasyon nga nahimutang sa Brgy. Kawayan, lungsod
sa Bontoc, Brgy. Caligangan sa Liloan, ug sa Brgy. Lambonao sa Malitbog.
Adunay gilapdon nga miabot ug 84 ka ektarya nga mga kabasakan ang
maserbisyohan sa maong patubig, ug do-ulan sa usa ka gatos ka mga pamilya, ang nahimong benepisyari niini.
Midasig usab ang atong Gobernador nga si Gob. Roger G. Mercado,
ngadto sa mga mag-uuma, nga kinahanglan magkahiusa ang tanan sa pagtrabaho aron maangkon ug maani nato ang katingosbawan ilabina sa natad sa
pagpang-uma, aron mapadaghan nato pag-ayo ang pagkaon.
MGA GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS SA
LALAWIGAN GIPASALAMATAN
Dili na bag-o sa kasaysayan sa atong lalawigan ang mga maayong
buhat sa atong mga political leaders, ilabina sa pagdumala sa mga Mercado
Brothers (MB) kini maoy gipamatod-an sa mga yanong mga mag-uuma sa
dihang nagpa-abot kini sa ilang kinasing-kasing nga pasalamat ngadto sa mga
kadagkoan sa atong probinsya pinaagi sa pag-angkon nila ug irigasyon alang
sa ilang kabasakan.
Si Ginoong Roque Montahes, taga Brgy. Cawayanan sa Bontoc, miingon nga solod sa "bayente" ka tuig kapin niyang pagtikad sa iyang basak,
karon pa lamang kini makaangkon ug permanente nga tubig. Sa laing bahin
sa lungsod sa Lilo-an, nagpasalamat usab ug dako si La Mayora Shirly Chiong
ngadto kang Gob. Roger Mercadi ug mga kauban nga gitagaan ug budget ang
Caligangan Irrigation Project nga dugay nang gidamgo sa mga mag-uuma.
Sa lungsod sa Malitbog dako ug pasalamat osab ang ilang gipa-abot
ngadto sa mga Provincial Officials nga nahatagan ug pagtagad ang ilang "ponduhanan ug tubig" nga sa dugay na kaayong mga katuigan gikatogan lang sa
mga milabayng pang-goberno ug wala hatagi ug pagtagad.
Gawas sa patubig, nanghatag usab ang "PAGSO" ug mga binhi sa lubi,
para sa re-planting program sa panggoberno probinsyal sa atong lalawigan.
MAMUHI KITA UG TILAPIA, APIL ANG UWANG
Sa laing bahin si municipal councilor Adriano Idjao sa Bontoc, mihagit
usab sa mga mag-uuma nga nakaangkon ug tubig pinaagi sa irigasyon, nga
dili lang unta sa pagtanom ug humay ang hatagan ug konsentrasyon, kon dili
eapil na usab sa ilang talamdan ang pagbuhi ug maeparis sa lutong humay
kon "pinaro". Ang pag-atiman sa mga "tilapia ug owang" maoy makadogang
ug kita sa pagpang-oma.
Iyang giingon nga ang iyang basak nga may gilapdon nga 750 sq.meters, mikita ug 60 tawsan sa upat ka buwan, pagbuhi sa uwang ug tilapia. gipakaon kini niya sa matang sa organiko nga pagkaon sama sa lobi, tahop sa humay ug mais, tangkong ug lomot, dinhi nakadaginot siya ug salapi ug nahimo
niya nga savings...
PROBINSYAL KAPITOL MAKAANGKON UG AWARD
Dako ang kalipay nga gibati ni Gob.Roger G. Mercado sa dihang nadawat niini ang mensahe gikan mismo ni D.I.L.G. sekretari Mar Roxas.
Ang maong mensahi naggaingon nga "ang buhatan sa D.I.L.G.nalipay
ug mahimong "katambayayong sa Panggoberno Probensyal sa So. Leyte aron
palapdan ug mapalambo pa ang pagserbisyo niini ngadto sa katawhan. gumikan sa inyong pagkogi, ang inyong Probensya sa So.Leyte, usa sa makadawat
niining 2013 Seal Of Good Housekeeping (SGH) ang naasoy nga sulat pahibalo gipermahan mismo ni D.I.L.G. Sekretari Mar Roxas. Nadawat kini niadtong
Jan.23,2014.
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February 1-15, 2014