Villagers' report foils NPA extortion in Leyte

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 29  – The fresh clash between government troops and New People’s Army (NPA) in Albuera, Leyte is proof that communist rebels are not welcome even in remote communities, the Philippine Army said.

Lt. Jessel Montajes, acting spokesperson of the Philippine Army’s 8^th Infantry Division said the “shared cooperation” between soldiers and villagers prevented the NPA from conducting extortion activities.

“The villagers informed the army about the presence of the NPA rebels that continue to engage in acts of violence and hostilities endangering the lives and properties of innocent people,” Montajes said in a press statement released Wednesday morning.

On Tuesday morning, soldiers of the 78^th Infantry Battalion clashed against 10 communist terrorists in Talisayan village, Albuera town.

“The troops conducted security patrol and confirmed the residents’ reports about the presence of communist terrorists who were extorting food and money,” the Philippine Army said in its report.

The firefight lasted for 15 minutes, resulting in the recovery of two caliber .45 pistols, four magazines of calibre .45 pistol, one hand grenade, more or less fifty live ammunition, five cellular phones, subversive documents with high intelligence value, and personal belongings.

There are no casualties on the side of government troops while authorities have yet to determine if the rebels suffered any casualty, according to Montajes.

The latest clash happened five days after President Rodrigo Duterte declared the termination of peace negotiations with the National Democratic Front--Communist of the Philippines–New People’s Army and all its adjuncts and organizational units through Proclamation No. 360.

The President cancelled the peace talks due to NPA’s continued attacks against government troops and atrocities on civilians despite ongoing peace negotiations. (SQM/PNA)

Air Juan to launch Cebu-Catbalogan flights

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 29  -- A budget commercial air carrier will have its maiden Catbalogan-Cebu flight starting December.

The operations of Air Juan to Catbalogan City is projected to boosts its tourism industry, hasten transportation of people and help its economy, according to city officials.

Earlier, Air Juan executives inspected Catbalogan Airport on Buri Island for them to see the viability of the said facility.

With the new route, Air Juan now services three areas in the region including Cebu-Maasin and Cebu-Naval routes.

City tourism officer Ador Hurtado said they are excited with the entry of Air Juan to Catbalogan City, the provincial capital of Samar province, some 112 kilometers north of tacloban City -- the regional capital.

The operation of Air Juan coincides with the city's hosting of an international conference on climate change to be attended by more than 200 participants from different countries, Hurtado said.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP) said the city’s airport is now ready to accommodate light aircraft flights. The airport’s runway will be expanded next year to accommodate bigger planes.

Air Juan is a pioneering aviation company in the Philippines that provides fast and hassle-free air transport services to some of the Philippines most beautiful and less-chartered destinations like Baler, Balesin, Boracay Island, Busuanga, Coron, Cuyo, Mamburao, Marinduque, Puerto Galera and Subic.

The company, the first commercial seaplane operator in the Philippines, is a duly licensed scheduled airline by CAAP, Civil Aeronautics Board, and also accredited by the Department of Tourism as a Tourist Air Transport provider. (RTA/PNA)

Gov’t releases P172.34-M aid to 'Yolanda'-affected students

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 29  -– The central government has already released PHP172.34 million educational assistance to college students in Eastern Visayas affected by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) is eyeing to complete the release of PHP227.75 million financial aid meant for 45,551 identified students before the year ends.

Each student will receive PHP5,000 assistance from the central government as approved by CHED on Feb. 14, 2017.

Narciso Candiza, CHED regional office education program specialist here, said on Wednesday the 60 state-run and private colleges started releasing the money since last week of October.

“Qualified to receive the financial assistance are victims of super typhoon Yolanda who are enrolled in higher education institutions during the second semester of school year ‎2016-2017,” Candiza said.

Funding for the program is from the budget of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund.

CHED has been releasing checks to higher learning institutions since last week of October this year. Schools disbursed the cash assistance to identified beneficiaries.

Based on the guideline, the schools submitted the master list of students together with the billing and certificate of enrollment to CHED regional office. After validation, the field office sent the list to the CHED central office for funding.

The financial aid covers Yolanda-hit areas in Eastern, Central and Western Visayas, and some parts of Southwestern Tagalog region.

 

Super typhoon Yolanda is the deadliest typhoon in the Philippines on record, killing at least 6,300 people and displaced more than a million of the population in central part of the country when it made landfall on Nov. 8, 2013. (SQM/PNA)

DOT eyes more tourism farms in Eastern Visayas

PALO, Leyte, Nov. 28  -- The Department of Tourism (DOT) is eyeing the accreditation of 58 farms in Eastern Visayas as tourism sites under the “It’s More Fun in Philippine Farms” campaign.

DOT-Eastern Visayas Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said Tuesday that there’s a huge potential for the predominantly agricultural region to develop its economy through farm tourism.

Currently, Canaan Hill Farms and Honey Garden in Caibiran town is the only accredited agri-tourism site in the region. The organic farm, situated in a seven-hectare land, is personally managed by a family of professionals.

“The development of farm tourism is not only aimed to attract visitors but also to help local farmers diversify and supplement their agriculture income. It serves as a medium to augment the business of farming,” Tiopes said during Regional Farm Tourism Consultative Workshop at the Oriental Hotel here.

The workshop aims to accredit more farms in the region to be officially listed as farm tourism sites.

Owners of agri-tourism sites aiming for accreditation need to submit to the DOT documentary requirements, which include a business permit, business name certificate and notarized list of names of all officials and employees.

Prospective farm tourism sites should be in safe and peaceful locations with roads, electricity, water; have sufficient facilities and amenities such as reception center, parking space, dining or multipurpose area, souvenir shops, accommodation and restaurants; and have trained tour guides.

The 58 potential farm tourism sites as listed by the Agriculture Training Institute are located in Javier, Merida, Bato, Alangalang, Babatngon, Baybay City, Palo, Hinunangan, Albuera, Isabel, Tacloban City, Merida, Ormoc City, Carigara, Jaro, Kananga, Mahaplag, and Capoocan in Leyte.

In other provinces, these farms are in Tomas Oppus, Macrohon, Bontoc, Sogod, Silago in Southern Leyte; Almeria and Caibiran in Biliran; Basey, Paranas, Sta Rita, Marabut, and Calbayog City in Samar; Lawaan, Mercedes, Quinapondan, and Borongan City in Eastern Samar; Palapag, Mondragon, and Catarman in Northern Samar.

Some cities and towns have more than one sites. These farms produce rice, dairy, coconut, aquaculture, high value fruits and vegetables.

“The presence of these farm sites puts the region in a good position to develop distinct and complementing farm experiences, that can be more interesting because of unique and even heart-warming stories of the farm owners themselves,” Tiopes explained.

The government enacted Republic Act No. 10816 or the Farm Tourism Development Act on May 23, 2016, recognizing the value of farming in food productive and providing income.

The law defines farm tourism as a practice of attracting visitors and tourists to farm areas for production, educational, recreational, purposes which involves any agricultural or fishery-based operation or activity and may also provide a venue for outdoor recreation and accessible family outings.

The tourism department launched the “It's More Fun in Philippine Farms” program on Oct. 23 recognizing that “a day in the farm is both relaxing and educational.”

Eastern Visayas region is a predominantly farming area where 45 percent or 976,415 hectares of its total land area is devoted to agriculture.

Of its agricultural lands, 70 percent is planted to coconut and 20 percent is planted to rice and corn. The rest is planted to other crops, used to raise livestock and poultry, or inland fishery products. (SQM/PNA)

E. Samar town seeks conservation of historical dam

LAWAAN, Eastern Samar, Nov. 28  -- The local government here is seeking the historical recognition of Sungduan dam, built by American soldiers as water source during World War II.

The recognition by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts (NCCA) would pave the way for the preservation of the dam badly damaged by super typhoon Yolanda in 2013, said Mary Sarah Gabornes, the town’s tourism officer.

"We have been pushing for the promotion and preservation of this dam because this will surely attract more tourists given its significance to our history,” Gabornes said on Tuesday.

Citing accounts of local historians, the tourism officer said the dam construction was rushed after American Army Lt. Edward Milo surveyed the area in 1944. He led the civil works with the help of locals.

 

The dam supplied drinking water to American Forces based in Eastern Samar who came to liberate the country from the Japanese invaders.

Soldiers also fetched waters from the Sungduan dam and were loaded to barges docked at Bel-at port where Americans built a lighthouse.

The water supply were shipped to American camps in Okinawa, Japan and Pearl Harbor in Hawaii.

The dam plays an important role in the World War II as it helped American soldiers survived during the war, according to Gabornes.

Despite the long process and the need for a lot of verifications, she is positive that if Sungduan would be acknowledged by the NCCA, their town will be known to many as well.

 

 Lawaan is a 5th class town in Eastern Samar province with a population of 12,742. The town is 73 kilometers from Tacloban, the regional capital.
 

The National Cultural Heritage Act signed in 2009 mandates the registration of all cultural properties of the country, which the NCCA is mandated to establish and maintain through the appropriate cultural agencies and local governments.

The law defines cultural property as "all products of human creativity by which a people and a nation reveal their identity, including churches, mosques and other places of religious worship, schools and natural history specimens and sites.” (SQM/with reports from Pearl Marie L. Ecaldre/OJT)