Bidding for Leyte bridge project done

TACLOBAN CITY, July 3 -- Bidding for the PHP200 million Binahaan Bridge Project in Pastrana town has already been completed, according to the Second Leyte Engineering District (2nd LED) of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

District Engineer Carlos Veloso, in an interview Monday, said with the bidding completed, the project is targeted to start this July.

Veloso said the project will be implemented by the regional office of the DPWH, but the district office is being given the green light to supervise the project’s implementation once it starts.

The Binahaan River Project is considered a top priority project of the office this year. It is being funded under its PHP 1.7 billion 2017 National Expenditure Program (NEP).

“We are eager for the project to commence as this is a vital bridge that would serve inland communities in Leyte,” Veloso said.

The new bridge for construction will be built along the Jaro-Dagami-Pastrana Road which traverses Binahaan River, one of Leyte’s biggest rivers.

When the river rises during bad weather, crossing it becomes dangerous both for people and vehicles.

The new bridge will facilitate the transport and easier movement of people and agricultural supplies, equipment, products and other goods.

“The bridge will definitely improve the economic condition of the communities it will serve,” Veloso said.

The Binahaan River also irrigates 6,317 hectares of rice fields and is the source of water for the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) which serves potable water to the towns of Tanauan, Sta, Fe, Palo, Tolosa, Dagami, Pastrana, Tabon-Tabon and the city of Tacloban. (Ahlette C. Reyes/PNA)

DOT-8 hopes for opening of more flights in Eastern Visayas

NAVAL, Biliran, July 3 -- The Department of Tourism in this region hopes that more flights will be opened in major areas in Eastern Visayas to provide fast and convenient travel to local passengers and tourists.

This as charter airline Air Juan opened a flight in Naval town which had made the province more accessible not only by land travel but even by air.

“This is what we are really hoping for. We hope that in the coming days Air Juan or other airline service providers will also offer flights to other places in the region that has no existing operation of big airline carrier,” DOT Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes said.

Airline carriers such as Philippine Airline and Cebu Pacific are currently operating in airports located in Tacloban, Calbayog, Catarman and Ormoc while Air Asia only operates at the Daniel Z. Romualdez Airport in Tacloban.

“Eastern Visayas has so many destinations which tourist can enjoy but the problem is the hassle on traveling because most of them are very far from the airports,” Dir Tiopes added.

She cited as example the province of Eastern Samar and Southern Leyte that are known for beautiful beaches good for diving, surfing and snorkeling and favorite place of foreign tourist visiting Eastern Visayas.

From Tacloban, it takes four hours to reach Borongan City, Eastern Samar's capital, as well as Guiuan town, the surfing capital of Eastern Visayas and Maasin City in Southern Leyte.

“They already wasted so much time in travelling alone, instead of enjoying immediately tourist needs to experience a grueling hours to reach their destination, we hope in the tourism department that other airline company will also offer flights in other areas in Eastern Visayas so that more people will enjoy what we are offering,” Tiopes added.

Air Juan CEO John Anthony Gutierrez told PNA that opening flights in Biliran province is living up to their goal as an aviation company to provide airline services in places where other aviation companies will not dare to go.

“If there is a market, we would like to help that province or that municipality connect but we still need to study or check the area,” Gutierrez said.

At present, the aviation company is providing air travel to Boracay, Cuyo Island, Coron and Palawan.

It also offers travel to Baler, Boracay, Busuanga, Galera, Marinduque and Subic through seaplanes. (Roel T. Amazona/PNA)

Manhunt for missing Leyte inmate continues

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, July 3 -- The search for an inmate of Leyte Regional Prison (LRP) who was found missing on Sunday afternoon during head count is ongoing, according to a report from the Police Regional Office (PRO) 8 spokesperson Chief Insp. Bella D. Rentuaya.

Inmate Jerecho P. Ebarle, 28, single, and resident of Dulfo, Fatima, Cebu City has gone astrayed during the routine headcount. 

Ebarle, who was convicted for robbery and attempted Murder was a detainee at the minimum security compound of LRP based in Cagbolo village, Abuyog town in Leyte.

Immediately, a fugitive recovery team composed of the provincial police and LRP personnel was formed and currently conducting manhunt operation to put back the renegade to prison.

The report issued by PRO 8 stated that the incident was recorded at the town police station at 10:15 Sunday evening through prison guard Henry Libaton. 

The same report declared that Ebarle was found missing during the afternoon head count 5:30 p.m. on Sunday. (Elvie Roman Roa/PNA)

Localized peace talks with Reds pushed in N. Samar

CATARMAN, Northern Samar, July 3 -- The provincial government of Northern Samar is bent on pushing localized peace talks with members of the New People’s Army (NPA).

Without specifying when or what form it would take, Governor Jose `Jun’ Ong Jr., told PNA Sunday in an interview that they are planning to set up a dialogue where leaders of the rebels, the army and local officials could discuss ways of restoring peace in the province.

To recall, early morning of June 21, four soldiers of the 20th IB were wounded in an ambush by members of the NPA along the national highway between barangay Somage and Polangi in Catarman.

Northern Samar remains to have an active insurgency problem and known to be one of the hotbeds of the NPA.

According to Governor Ong, Northern Samar needs unity.

’'We urge the rebels to stop violence and we are pushing for localized peace talks here and the provincial government is willing to dialogue with them,’ Governor Ong told PNA.

’It is a big step forward to finally end the war with one of the longest standing rebel group in the province and in the country, and I welcome the peace talks with open arms because it is the inclusion and forgiveness that we become a better province,’ he said.

Governor Ong believed that they still have a long way to go, but still, he is hopeful.

'’No peace deal is perfect anywhere, but I believe we can achieve it in different ways. We need to change our mind set from one of fear and anger to one of listening, forgiving and proper planning,'’ he said.

The peace talks, according to Governor Ong, represents hope for the people of Northern Samar for them to move forward as a single, united and peaceful province.

'’We need to open our doors for a bright future in which we can start thinking about developing our province rather than spending most of our time and thoughts on war,’ he added.(Jazmin Bonifacio/PNA)

Angara eyes free college tuition to poor students

TACLOBAN CITY, July 1 -- Senator Juan Edgardo M. Angara is hopeful that President Rodrigo R. Duterte will sign into law the "Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education" bill, recently approved and ratified by the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Angara, the co-author of the bill, said that once the bill becomes a law, poor students could pursue their college education at no cost if they enroll in state universities and colleges (SUCs) as well as local universities (LUCs).

“I am optimistic that the president will sign this before his schedules State of the Nation Address (SONA) in July.it could be his biggest and best announcement for all of us that day, said the senator in an interview on Friday. 

President Duterte is scheduled to give his second SONA on July 24. 

Angara stressed the proposed law would empower the young people as it would remove a major hindrance to tertiary education.

“Even the poor Filipino families can now give their children college education without worrying how to pay for it because it is free,” he added.

Angara said that it was high time for college tuition to be made free. It could also be noted that the senator’s father, former senate president Edgardo J. Angara, was the principal author of the "Free High School Act of 1998".

The young Angara was also the author the "Universal Kindergarten Education Act" when he was a congressman of the lone district of Aurora.

Eastern Visayas has 41 Higher Education Institutions including satellite schools. There are 10 SUCs with 28 satellite campuses and three LUCs based on the data by the Commission on Higher Education (CHED) as of 2014.

The same data under the State Universities and Colleges Statistical Data showed that a total of 95,219 students have enrolled in the different SUCs in Eastern Visayas.

Senator Angara was in Tacloban as guest of honor for the celebration of Sangyaw Parade of Lights for the city’s 128th fiesta celebration. (Lizbeth Ann A. Abella/PNA)