Board member dies of heart attack

A MEMBER of Northern Samar provincial board died Monday afternoon due to a heart attack.

Lazaro Ballesta, 51, suffered from heart attack while having his lunch in a fiesta in Allen town.

Drugs, medicines procurement for public hospitals to be centralized

SUPPLY and procurement of drugs and medicines would soon be centralized for government hospitals with the Department of Budget and Management-Procurement Service (DBM-PS).

This centralization would mean medicine suppliers or pharmaceutical companies would deal directly with the government through the DBM-PS and not with doctors or hospital officials.

Guvs, mayors not mandated to hold own version of Sona

THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)-Eastern Visayas said governors and mayors are not mandated to conduct their own version of the State of the Nation Address (Sona).

DILG regional legal officer lawyer Darwin Bibar said that while the Local Government Code of 1991 is silent for governors and mayor to conduct their own Sona, they are not precluded to do similar act.

Labor office’s approach resolves 135 labor disputes

THE Department of Labor and Employment (Dole) in Eastern Visayas has resolved 135 labor dispute cases from November 2010 to June 2011 with the implementation of the Single Entry Approach (Sena).

The Sena provides speedy, impartial, inexpensive, and accessible settlement procedure of all labor issues or conflicts to prevent them from ripening into full-blown disputes.

Mayor: Palo ready as next capital town

PALO is ready to become the new provincial capital of Leyte, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla said.

“We are accepting that challenge. Palo is more than ready to become a provincial capital. In fact, Palo is already touted as the regional capital being the host to various regional and Provincial Government agencies located at the Government Center,” Mayor Petilla said in a press conference Monday.

Lawmakers give scholarship in East Visayas

FIRST district Representative Ferdinand Romualdez and 4th district Representative Lucy Torres-Gomez allotted P2 million for Technical Education and Skills Authority (Tesda) scholars under the 2011 I Care Program in Eastern Visayas.

According to Perciles O. Abarca, Tesda administrative officer, they already received a sub-allotment release order from the Department of Budget Management for the scholarship.

Leyte commends 2 social work exam topnotchers

THE Leyte Provincial Board passed a resolution of commendation and recognition for two Leyteños after topping the recently Social Work Board Examination.

The Social Work Board Exam was conducted by the Board for Social Workers on June 21 to 22 in the cities of Manila, Baguio, Cagayan de Oro, Cebu, Davao, Iloilo, Legaspi and Zamboanga.

Mayor to rehabilitate city drainage, abattoir

A CITY official said Mayor Alfred Romualdez is serious in pursuing the flood control and the rehabilitation of the city’s drainage and slaughterhouse.

City Administrator Bobby Muñoz said the pursuance of these projects is highly prioritized and deferring them will not be wise “as the cost will just continue to rise aside from the effects the delay will have on the lives of the people.”

Help for historical landmark restoration sought

THE local government unit (LGU) of Capul in Northern Samar is seeking help from the National Government and private sectors in its bid to preserve the old church and lighthouse, considered as its two historical landmarks.

Pinoy expert to speak on alternative energy resources

OVERSEAS-based Filipino inventor and bio-fuel expert Dr. Rico Cruz will be in the country in August to speak on sustainable and alternative energy resources.

Only 7 LGUs in Eastern Visayas pass DILG program

PERFORMANCE of the local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas with regard the implementation of Seal of Good Housekeeping (SGH) program has been found quite low, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) in the region said.

Millie Zabala of the LGU capacity development division of DILG, however, said this is just a partial evaluation of the performance and compliance of LGUs in the region relative to the SGH program.

Nurses urged to join Army

AN ARMY official urged medical course graduates to enlist with the Philippine Army.

Eighth Infantry Division Chief Major General Mario Chan announced, during the recent graduation exercise of the candidate soldier of class 251 at Camp Lukban, Catbalogan, Samar, two of the graduates are registered nurses.

22 political prisoners end 4-day fasting

TWENTY-TWO political prisoners from different detention cells in Eastern Visayas will end today their four-day fasting as part of their action to call President Benigno Aquino III to order their release.

Vice mayor to council: Mull loans for calamity projects

TACLOBAN City Vice Mayor Arvin Antoni appealed before the City Council to mull before authorizing the proposed P400 million worth of loans intended to finance the city’s flood control projects and disaster-preparedness programs.

Military deplores rebel attack

THE military condemned Saturday the attack staged by communist rebels last Wednesday in Paranas, Samar that claimed the life of a soldier and wounded six others.

Lieutenant Colonel Niceforo Diaz Jr., commanding officer of the Army's Civil Military Operations Battalion based in Catbalogan City, branded the rebels' armed offensive as "treacherous" and "terrorist" acts.

Firm belies mining in Manicani Island

NICKEL Asia Corporation (NAC) belied anew claims by some residents of Manicani Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, that the company has started mining in the island.

Ronald Asignacion, NAC community relations officer, said what they are implementing since last year until now is still part of the company's "care and maintenance program" and no full mining operation has been done.

Board member opposes project's financing scheme

LEYTE second district Board Member Anlie Apostol said besides the Provincial Government, the National Government could help intervene the possible passing on to electric consumers the cost of the feasibility study of the P24-billion Leyte-Mindanao power interconnection project.

"We can ask somebody from the National Government or even the municipal mayors in the province to sign against the possible cost that the consumers would shoulder," Apostol, who heads the committee on energy of the Provincial Board, said.

Soldier killed, 6 wounded in Samar ambush

MEMBERS of the New People’s Army (NPA) ambushed a military convoy heading to its detachment last Wednesday night in Paranas, Samar, killing one and leaving six others wounded.

Mayor not against police director

CARIGARA Mayor Trinidad Apostol said she has nothing against Philippine National Police (PNP) Director Arnold Revilla, reason why she did not sign the petition of the mayors to remove the police official from his post.

Apostol said she read the petition against Revilla and that there is no reason for her to sign the petition.

Mayors back full disclosure policy

PALO, Leyte – Eastern Visayas local chief executives endorsed the full public disclosure policy of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) in their support to the present administration’s fight against corruption.

Hundreds of elected officials in the region signed a covenant last week with the DILG to implement the anti-red tape policy that requires the local government units (LGUs) to fully disclose to the public the budget expenditures and other official reports.

Provincial Board to councils: Check ordinances first

MUNICIPAL legislative councils in Leyte were reminded to check first their local ordinances before submitting it to the Provincial Board for approval after it found another inconsistent municipal ordinance not signed by the municipal mayor.

Leyte 5th district Board Member and Majority Floor Leader Carlo Loreto said Ordinance No. 16-2011 of the municipal council of San Isidro was returned to its council of origin after found to inconsistent.

Local governments urged to preserve environment

A CONSULTANCY firm tasked to assist the drafting of the Samar Island Tourism Master Development Plan called on local officials to focus on "conserving and preserving" the environment and build support infrastructure facilities for the island to attain its tourism potential.

Berkman International project manager Elizabeth Espino said major tourist spots in the three Samar provinces are natural-made, which will pave the way for the island to become the country's major destination in the future.

Insurgency in Eastern Visayas to be neutralized by 2013

A TOP official of the Philippine Army in Eastern Visayas said the insurgency problem in the region could be neutralized by 2013.

Colonel Victor Espeneli, deputy commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division (ID), said the insurgency problem will be solved not only through military operations but also by opening up roads and bridges in towns where the armed group New People's Army (NPA) still exists.

Support for disaster preparedness program sought

THE Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) in Eastern Visayas is soliciting public participation on disaster preparedness, as the country marks the National Disaster Consciousness Month.

Mayor refuses Ombud's suspension order

THE Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG)–Eastern Visayas issued an appeal to a mayor in Eastern Samar after refusal to step down from office despite a preventive suspension from the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas.

Guv: Research and development to address unemployment

NAVAL, Biliran – Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla said there is a need to focus on research and development (R&D) in the localities to respond to global job demands.

The governor, who was keynote speaker in the recent International Conference-Symposium on Research and Development Trends for Global Competitiveness held at the Naval State University, said that research and development would be beneficial to local government units in addressing unemployment and the employability of the graduates.

Unauthorized mobile phone sellers penalized

THE National Telecommunications Commission in Eastern Visayas penalized mobile phone dealers or retailers operating without business permits.

LGUs urged to create disaster management office

LOCAL government units (LGUs) were reminded to establish the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO) before the term of chief executives expires in 2013.

Enrollment in Eastern Visayas drops

ENROLLMENT both in the elementary and high school levels in Eastern Visayas for this school year has declined due to economic and peace and order problems, the Department of Education (DepEd) regional office said.

The decrease of elementary population across the region was placed at more than six percent while in the secondary was placed at over three percent, records of the DepEd-Eastern Visayas show.

Foreign artists call for political prisoner’s release

FOREIGN artists signed a petition calling for the immediate release of cultural worker and political prisoner Ericson Acosta who is now on his fifth month of detention at the sub-provincial jail in Calbayog City in Samar province.

Acosta, 37, a suspected high-ranking officer of the communist New People’s Army (NPA), was arrested last February 13 by elements of the Army’s 34th Infantry Battalion in a remote village of Bay-ang, San Jorge town in Samar.