Leyte wages war vs poverty

TACLOBAN CITY, June 12 -- The provincial government here emphasized the need to continue the war against poverty as the country celebrated the 119th Independence Day on Monday.

Speaking to hundreds of local government workers, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla asked them to set aside personal interests in the bid to alleviate poverty.

“In this world, there is no absolute freedom because it comes with responsibility. There can never be freedom if poverty persists,” Petilla said during a simple ceremony at the provincial capitol grounds.

The governor reminded workers to think more of others than themselves as a way to show love for our country.

“Our effort is worthless for as long as our neighbors are still suffering. We all play a very important role to promote our freedom,” he said.

But Petilla noted that the government is succeeding in the fight against poverty as Eastern Visayas region posted a 12.4 percent growth in the economy, the fastest among 17 regions in the country.

After the program, he led the wreath-laying ceremony at Plaza Libertad, in front of the provincial capitol, which was built in 1907 or just 10 years after the Philippine Independence.

Meanwhile, the governor has condoled with the victims of ongoing Marawi City siege, saying that recovery is more challenging than the aftermath of super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

“When Yolanda struck, we’re able to start the rebuilding process a day after the tragedy, but in Marawi City, it’s been three weeks and people cannot still return to their homes,” Petilla added.

Leyte is one of the provinces in Eastern Visayas region occupying the northern three-quarters of Leyte Island.

According to history, the historical name of the Philippines, "Las Islas Felipenas", named by Spanish explorer Ruy Lopez Villalobos in 1543 in honor of Prince Philip of Spain, used to refer to the islands of Leyte and Samar, until it was adopted to refer to the entire archipelago.a

Independence Day is an annual national holiday in the Philippines observed every June 12 commemorating the Philippine Declaration of Independence from Spain June 12, 1898. (Sarwell Q. Meniano/PNA)