P250-M loan okayed for new Baybay city hall

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 6 -- The Leyte provincial board has approved the request of Baybay City to seek PHP250-million loan to finance the construction of new city hall.

Leyte Vice Governor Carlo Loreto said on Friday the provincial board members unanimously approved during its October 3 session the ordinance granting authority to Baybay Mayor Carmen Cari to enter into a term loan with the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).

The terms and conditions of the ordinance were further ratified to include that the PHP250 million loan amount and the accrued interests will be paid within 15 years or in 144 months in equal monthly installment.

The construction of Baybay City Hall is certified to be a local infrastructure and socio-economic development in accordance with the approved local development plan and public investment program for the year 2017 of the City of Baybay.

The proposed loan will partially fund the four-storey new city hall building project of Baybay which is estimated to cost PHP400 million.

In an earlier interview, Mayor Carmen Cari said the new building is set to accommodate the city’s growing offices and departments in dispensing the needed services for the people.

The new city hall building will rise along the city’s new diversion road where some new government facilities are now located. It will have a floor area of 42,000 square meters, with elevator and wider parking space. It will also house the local legislative building.

The existing city hall being occupied is an old one and has been seat of the local government prior to its cityhood. It saw some renovations and upgrading in 2013; however, no expansion was made.

The old city hall located along Ramon Magsaysay Avenue will not be demolished as it will be leased by the City Trial Court, it was learned. (ACR/PNA)

Disaster-resilient building to rise in Ormoc

ORMOC CITY, Oct. 6 -- A new disaster-resilient multipurpose building funded by non-government organizations will soon rise in a secondary school campus in this city.

Officials held a ceremonial groundbreaking on Thursday for the PHP2-million multipurpose building donated by the ABS-CBN Lingkod Kapamilya Foundation, Inc. in partnership with Energy Development Corporation (EDC) at the Margen National High School.

The foundation’s deputy director Marcel Rinon said the school is one of the four recipients nationwide. He said the availability of space and community participation is among the considerations as recipient.

“We are ready to help people who are willing to help themselves and their communities,” Rinon said, adding that funds do not come from the Lopez family who owns the network, but from various philanthropist groups that entrusted their resources to the foundation.

Leonardo Ablaza, EDC project manager, said the two-storey multipurpose building will have eight classrooms equipped with chairs, and ceiling fans – four rooms for lecture at the second floor, and another four at the ground floor for laboratory subjects.

He added that there will be a ramp for persons with disabilities, fire alarm, separate space for evacuation in times of disasters, and bathroom and kitchen for the evacuees.

Ablaza described the building as disaster-resilient that can withstand 300 kilometer per hour winds, and magnitude 7 earthquake.

School head Annabelle Palacio thanked donors and partners for the project, and promised to take good care of the donation. 

“We may not reciprocate what you have done in monetary aspect, but one thing we can promise - we will utilize the building as if our own home kindled with love, care and passion.”

Margen National High School was a previous recipient of a two-classroom school building project by ABS-CBN Foundation, which was turned over in June last year.

The village, in particular, is a relocation site for some 1,400 housing units of the National Housing Authority’s "Yolanda" rehabilitation project, which are presently under construction.

The school management is expecting an increase in and the new classrooms will be a great help in accommodating larger student population.(JBP/PNA)

Remote East Samar town monitors ‘Balik Islam’ converts

MASLOG, Eastern Samar, Oct. 5 -- The local government here confirmed efforts of some Muslims to convince locals in this town to join the Islamic faith, prompting them to be cautious of possible entry of radical movements.

Mayor Heraclio Santiago was, however, quick to say that they respect people’s decision to change religion as part of the so-called "Balik Islam" campaign.

"Balik Islam" is a worldwide phenomenon implying that those who embrace Islam are actually just returning to their previous faith.

Santiago said "Balik Islam" was introduced in their remote town in 2015 by converts from Nueva Ecija, Cavite, Tacloban City and from the nearby Dolores town, where there is a big community of Muslims.

More than a hundred residents of Maslog have been converted to Islam, according to Santiago.

Validated information from village officials revealed that preachers offered livelihood assistance, housing aid, and political influence in their communities.

Santiago added that although some of residents were convinced to change religion, most of them are not really that devoted to Islamic faith.

“Most of them are on 'wait and see' attitude if the promises given to them would really happen,” he added.

Latest verification by the Maslog Municipal Police Station shows more than 100 converts, about 66 of them decided to return to Roman Catholic faith.

“Maybe they got tired of waiting for the fulfillment of the promises, that’s why they decided to return to their former religion,” said town police chief, Insp. Michael Oraller.

Oraller stressed that even if they respect others people right to promote religion, they are also cautious on the entry of new faces in their town to ensure that no one propagates radical movement.

Maslog is a fifth class town in Eastern Samar, Philippines. According to the 2015 census, it has a population of 5,407 people. It can be reached from the national road in Dolores town through a three-hour boat ride. Dolores is 184 kilometers northeast of Tacloban. (RTA/PNA)

Politics, absence of TWG delay Samar’s PAMANA projects

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 5  -- The implementation of the PHP304-million Payapa at Masaganang Pamayanan (PAMANA) infrastructure projects has been moving slowly in Eastern Samar, an official admitted Thursday.

Politics and the absence of a technical working group have been tagged as major setbacks in ensuring the timely completion of projects.

“The technical working group in Eastern Samar is not functional. This is the mechanism of PAMANA in fast-tracking the process of doing projects,” said PAMANA-Samar area manager Imelda Bonifacio.

The group is composed of officials of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), local government officials, and PAMANA staff.

PAyapa at MAsaganang PamayaNAn or PAMANA is the national government’s convergence program that extends development interventions to isolated, hard-to-reach and conflict-affected communities, ensuring that they are not left behind.

Among the major ongoing projects in Eastern Samar are the Jipapad-Arteche Road and the Can-avid-Maslog road.

Another concern is the so-called tug-of-war between local government officials in the projects’ areas, Bonifacio said.

In the case of Maslog, Mayor Heraclio Santiago said in an interview Thursday that he opposed the plan to start the project in Dolores or Can-avid because they are not the target areas of the project.

“This makes Can-avid and Dolores look like they are PAMANA communities. We have to agree that while they are doing the road in Can-avid and Dolores, work should also start in our town,” Santiago explained.

The PHP234-million road project leading to the remote town of Maslog began in 2012 and is still ongoing. According to reports sent by the DPWH to the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process, most of the road sections have already been completed.

 The Jipapad-Arteche Road is already complete but is not yet fully passable since the construction of a PHP70-million bridge in Jipapad has yet to start.

 To fast-track PAMANA projects, Bonifacio suggested the creation of a joint-monitoring team, just like what the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) did in carrying out their PAMANA projects. (RTA/PNA)

141 Eastern Samar villages now drug-free: PDEA

BORONGAN CITY, Eastern Samar, Oct. 5 -- At least 141 villages in this province have been declared drug-free by the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA).

The number represents 24 percent of the 597 villages in the province.

The municipalities of Maslog and Gen. MacArthur were recently declared drug-free towns in Eastern Samar, said PDEA assistant provincial officer Josefat Macawile on Wednesday.

“But this doesn’t necessarily mean that these areas are completely free from illegal drugs. There is still risk that illegal drugs trade and use will recur in these drug-cleared villages,” Macawile said.

“It is now the job of the Barangay Anti-Drug Abuse Council (BADAC) to monitor these communities," she said.

BADAC is headed by the village chief with some council members, watchmen, school officials, youth group, non-government organization representatives, and religious leaders as members.

Their mandate includes formulation, implementation and evaluation of programs and projects on drug abuse prevention, gather and update data on all drug related incidents and its effects to the peace and order situation and submits the monthly report of the city or municipal anti-drug abuse council and referring suspected drug users for corresponding counseling and rehabilitation.

Since the government launched a crackdown against illegal drugs, thousands have already surrendered to authorities. They have been assisted by local governments through community-based rehabilitation program and livelihood skills training.

A PHP5-million drug rehabilitation center will rise in Borongan City next year. (RTA/PNA)