Red tide kills 2 kids in Samar; BFAR issues stern warning vs eating shellfish

TACLOBAN CITY, July 22 (PNA) -– The Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) has expressed alarm over the red tide phenomenon in Eastern Visayas that has already killed two children.

The BFAR regional office here said on Friday that red tide toxins found on May 27 in Irong Irong Bay in Tarangnan, Samar and Cambatutay Bay in Catbalogan City have spread to nearby Maqueda Bay, Villareal Bay and Carigara Bay.

Maqueda Bay in Jiabong, Catbalogan City, Motiong, Paranas, Pinabacdao, Hinabangan, San Sebastian, and Calbiga in Samar is a major source of mussel in the region. The area has been shipping shellfish to Manila for export.

Another rich source of shellfish is Carigara Bay in Carigara, Barugo, San Miguel, Leyte, and Capoocan towns in Leyte province.

BFAR Regional Director Juan Albaladejo said that a family of seven from Cagutsan village, Sierra Island in Catbalogan City were brought to the Samar Provincial Hospital and later to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center after consuming penshell locally known as "sarad".

An 11-year-old girl from the family died due to paralytic shellfish poisoning on July 17.

On July 20, another family from San Andres village also in Catbalogan consumed mussels for dinner bought from a village market. Two of their children were hospitalized after suffering severe stomach pain.

The five-year-old boy succumbed to dehydration at the Samar Provincial Hospital the same day.

The fisheries bureau asked local government units to assist in the information drive and enforcement of shellfish ban, which strictly prohibits consumption, trading, and transport of shellfish gathered from infested bays.

“It’s unfortunate that these incidents happen despite effort to warn the public starting from the onset of red tide recurrence,” Alabaladejo said.

“We reiterate our public advisory to refrain from eating, harvesting, marketing, and buying shellfishes and Acetes sp. from affected bays until such time that the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level,” he said.

Fish, squid, shrimp and crab are safe to eat “provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking,” according to BFAR.

In the last quarter of 2015, Eastern Visayas region was hit by what the BFAR described as the biggest red tide bloom that has not been seen in more than three decades. (PNA)
LAP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

NEDA notes brighter Eastern Visayas economy in Q1

TACLOBAN CITY, July 22 (PNA) -– The Eastern Visayas economy in the first quarter had shown positive performance fueled by improved farm production, vibrant tourism, and higher tax earnings.

The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) said key indicators displayed gains in the beginning of 2016.

“Production increment of most crops sustained the year-on-year growth of the agri-fishery sector in the previous quarter. Fishery catch made a turnaround with a 15.43 percent increase,” said NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.

Production of selected agricultural commodities in the first three months of 2016 scaled up by 12.30 percent to 864,822.70 metric tons (MT), according to NEDA’s quarterly economic report release this week.

Higher production was noted for rice, corn, banana, pineapple, sugarcane, and livestock and poultry.

For fisheries, catch from January to March 2016 grew by 15.43 percent to almost 30,000 MT. Its value rose by 11.30 percent to PHP1.97 billion.

Tourism sector, one of the thrusts under the regional development plan, inched up by 14.4 percent in terms of tourist arrival. Domestic tourists posted an increase of 18.3 percent from last year.

“The increase in tourist arrivals generated tourist receipts of PHP1.34 billion, which was higher by 35 percent compared to the first quarter of 2015,” the NEDA report stated.

Taxes generated by the Bureau of Internal Revenue in the first three months rose by 18.7 percent year-on-year from PHP1.5 billion in 2015 to PHP1.8 billion this year.

“Similar to internal revenue collection, this quarter’s collection of customs duties, taxes, among others, which was worth PHP42.6 million, saw a 19 percent increase over the PHP35.8 million in the same period of 2015,” NEDA reported.

Socio-economic planners projected that growth will be sustained in the coming months due to higher spending during election period, revival of business sector, ongoing post-Yolanda rehabilitation, 

opening of new businesses, and impacts of change promised by the new administration.

Eastern Visayas region is composed of six provinces – Leyte, Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, 

Northern Samar, and Eastern Samar. It serves as the geographical backbone of the Philippines as it lies in the mid-easternmost border of the Philippines archipelago.

As embodied in its 2011-2016 Regional Development Plan, it was aiming to become a leader in agri-business, information and communication technology and a tourism haven as its contribution to the national goal of inclusive growth.

For this year, the region is aiming a 5.6 percent growth in the Gross Regional Development Product.

The region is the country’s second poorest, based on the latest Family Income and Expenditure Survey (FIES) result of the Philippine Statistics Authority. Poverty level inched up to 47.3 percent during the first half of 2015 from 45.4 percent three years earlier. (PNA)

LAP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

Samar’s capital to mark 400th year anniversary

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, July 21 (PNA) -- The city government here has lined up several activities for the upcoming 400th year anniversary of this city as capital of Samar Island.

Activities ahead of the August 24 foundation day is also part of the Samar Day celebration from August 1 to 6. It will highlight the annual Mutya ng Samar pageant, dance competition, agro trade fair and Samar Day parade.

On August 8, the city government will sponsor a mass wedding for residents of the city who have been living together as couple for many years.

From the first week up to the third week of August, a regular presentation will be shown at the city’s plaza, depicting the lives of Catbalogan people from the Spanish colonization until the modern day.

Students who will be part of the 15-day presentation attended a workshop of Cebu-based musician and composer Lucien Letaba.

The city government will also launch the mini-museum that will house several memorabilia of old Catbalogan and coffee table book that contains historical and political facts of the city since 1616.

The city government together with the Philippine Postal Corporation will also launch the commemorative stamp of Catbalogan on August 21 and the documentary Quatro Cientos directed by veteran comedian and TV host Tessie Tomas, a native of this city.

The city government will also unveil the commemorative marker that symbolize the 400 years of the city that is moving forward to a better community.

Also in partnership with the provincial government, they will also launch the Maqueda Bay Sunset Cruise.

Catbalogan is the fourth place in Eastern Visayas that is celebrating 400th year of civilization. Other areas are the towns of Carigara in Leyte, Palapag in Northern Samar and Guiuan in Eastern Samar.

Catbalogan became the capital of Samar at the arrival of Jesuits missionary after Moros raided their residence in Tinago, Tarangnan, Samar. As residence, Catbalogan has jurisdiction over six pueblos, Catbalogan, Calbiga, Paranas, Bangahun (now Gandara), Yvatan and Capul.

Under Jesuits' administration, Catbalogan became not only the center of Catholic faith, but also of government and commerce. (PNA)

LAP/SQM/ROEL T. AMAZONA/EGR

Tacloban strengthens women protection initiative

TACLOBAN CITY, July 21 (PNA) -- The city government here is stepping up the protection against women as violence against them continues nearly three years after super typhoon Yolanda.

Without giving figures, Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, the second woman city chief executive, said they are increasing budget for women protection in the city.

Romualdez said that the local government is stepping up support to Women’s Shelter, which receives complaints of violence against women and children and offers comfort and protection.

The two storey building is a center for women who are maltreated and abused by their husbands or partners.

“They are given free food and accommodation, legal and medical assistance. During their stay in the center, they are taught with skills like cosmetology, dressmaking, haircutting, cooking, and baking, which they can use to earn a living once they are on their own,” Romualdez said.

Built in 2010, the Women’s Shelter has been a refuge to abused women and their children in Tacloban and other parts of Eastern visayas region.

For its years of operation, the Women’s Shelter has already served thousands of victims to include transient individuals rescued from human trafficking activities.

Aside from values formation provided inside the Women’s Shelter, victims are also given legal assistance from the city hall.

In Eastern Visayas, the case of violence against women and children has increased after the 2013 catastrophe, according to the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).

PSA record shows that Violence Against Women (VAW) complaints reported to the Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas has been increasing in the last six years from 2010 to 2015.

A total of 1,466 VAW cases were reported in January to October 2015, from only 60 in 2010. The increase in the number of reported VAW cases can be attributed to the massive campaign and implementation of the country’s laws on VAW and the improved reporting system in the region.

It further shows that Anti-Violence Against Women and Their Children Act comprised the bulk or 87.6 percent of the total reported cases in 2015.

More than half or 57.8 percent of the 1,285 reported cases were physical abuse and 38.5 percent were psychological abuse. Perpetrators were mostly husbands, live-in partners or those with whom the victims had sexual or dating relationship.

Rape cases also increased from 28 in 2010 to 86 in January to October 2015. It accounted for 5.9 percent of the total VAW cases reported during the period. (PNA)

PGL/SQM/LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA/EGR

Php100-M funding for revival of abaca industry raises Sogod farmers’ hope

SOGOD, Southern Leyte, July 21 (PNA) -– The move of the government to revive the abaca industry has sparked hope to San Vicente village chief Oscar Alcotes, who witnessed how people in their community struggled after diseases send abaca farming back to year zero.

“Fibers are now gone, but we will never abandon our farms because this was how my parents supported us. We are happy that the new administration listens to our plea,” said Alcotes, 49.

Alcotes recalled that in the early 2000, nobody was poor in their village as people reap the fruit of lucrative abaca farming.

When abaca mosaic and bunchy top diseases infested their farms, many people lost hope and some even left to Cebu or Manila to find jobs.

“Although I only own a small farm, I remember earning up to Php10,000 during harvest season,” he recalled.

Due to meager income from planting alternative crops, no one among his three children completed college education after finishing high school.

The village chief is just one of the hundreds of abaca farmers who personally heard Department of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol committing Php100 million for the revival of abaca industry in this town this year.

It is part of DA's Php2 billion budget left for 2015 that needs to be expended by the end of 2016 or else it will be reverted to the national treasury.

Out of the Php100 million, Php50 million is allotted for the immediate procurement of planting materials, which will cover about 1,500 hectares.

The plan is to immediately assist the farmers by buying planting materials from them using the local abaca variety, which is thriving well in the area.

“There is a great demand for abaca all over the world and there are only three countries producing it - Philippines, Ecuador, and Costa Rica. We really have to exploit new opportunities in front of us, as far as abaca is concerned," Piñol said during his visit to this town last week.

The allotment fulfills Piñol’s promise to this abaca-producing town during his “biyaheng bukid” last month.

Philippine Fiber Development Authority Eastern Visayas Regional Director Wilardo Sinahon said they will conduct intensive technical training on production of abaca planting materials, disease management, accurate fertilizer application, proper planting distance, and cultural management practices.

In addition to free planting materials, the national government will also provide organic fertilizers to recipient farmers in this town.

Sinahon is very optimistic that with the Php100 million budget, Sogod will be able to restore its production in the next few years.

“The fresh funding support for this town is 14 times more than the current Php7 million abaca disease eradication budget for the region’s six provinces,” he added.

Sogod is the top abaca producing town in Southern Leyte with about 6,000 hectares devoted to abaca cultivation. About 2,000 of 6,000 abaca farmers in the province are based here. (PNA)

PGL/SQM