Police outreach program seen as anti-insurgency drive

LAS NAVAS, Northern Samar, Feb 3  -- The Philippine National Police’s (PNP) outreach program, “Lingap ng Kapulisan” (Police Cares), is seen as key to end insurgency in this sleepy town.

Lt. Col. Nilo Lapizar, commanding officer of the Philippine Army’s 20th Infantry Battalion based in Catubig town, lauded the activity of policemen to win the hearts of communities infested by insurgency over the past decades.

“This is an assurance to people that the government is willing and ready to help them in providing solutions to their problems,” Lapizar said.
“But government agencies cannot do this alone, we need your support in the community to address this problem because you are the ones who experience its effects,” he added.

On Friday, about 5,000 beneficiaries of “Lingap ng Kapulisan” availed of its dental and optometric services, medical consultation, circumcision, Philippine Health Insurance membership, and psychosocial support.

The PNP also distributed school supplies and toys during the outreach activity. The initiative is in partnership with the military and the local government.

Mayor Minda Tan thanked the policemen for the activity considering that most of their residents are poor and health care is not a top priority of families.

“Many people here have no means to go to the health centers or hospitals to avail of professional health services,” Tan said.

Las Navas, a fourth-class town with a population of 37, 947, is more than an hour’s drive from Catarman, capital of Northern Samar, through a new road.

The town has 53 farming villages, more than half of which are upland. The farthest can be reached through a two-day hike.

PNP Regional Director Chief Supt. Gilberto Cruz said their visit aimed to make people feel secure and start trusting policemen, who were sometimes projected in the media as human rights violators.

“We are here to erase the perception that men in uniform are enemies of the people. We are here because we want to help you and make you feel that the government is always ready to help you,” he added.

Cruz promised it would not be the last time that people of Las Navas would benefit from this kind of program of the PNP as they intend to revisit the town to bring more services from the government.

Las Navas was the third town in Eastern Visayas that the PNP visited for the Lingap ng Kapulisan.

Late last year, the PNP visited the remote towns of Maslog in Eastern Samar and Silvino Lobos in Northern Samar. (RTA/PNA)

Leyte guv seeks peaceful resolution to water district standoff

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb.  2  -- Leyte Governor Dominico Petilla said he wants a peaceful resolution to the ongoing power struggle at the Leyte Metropolitan Water District (LMWD) that affected the operations of the city’s lone water service provider over the past two weeks.

Petilla, speaking to reporters on Thursday, said they will exhaust all legal means to retake control of the LMWD management “claimed” by the board of directors appointed by Mayor Cristina Romualdez.

“We want to resolve the issue without resorting to violence and prevent water service interruption. We are ready to bring the case to higher courts if the decision of the local court would be unfair,” Petilla said.

As of Friday, both camps are still waiting for the decision of the Regional Trial Court here on which among the two local government units has the authority to appoint officers of LMWD’s governing board.

Petilla said the court decision is a key to end the power struggle that stopped water bill payments in local government units (LGUs), padlocked a payment center at the city’s downtown area, and confused thousands of water concessionaires in the regional capital and the neighboring seven towns.

“Everybody is careful, even Malacañang since there is no court decision. We are trying do something within the bounds of law and not act forcibly. If there’s court decision, everybody should comply,” the governor said.

Petilla was referring to the statement of Presidential Adviser for Special Concerns Wendel Avisado on Monday when he told LMWD employees that Malacañang Palace will not intervene in the ongoing leadership woes.

Avisado said it is not the job of President Rodrigo Duterte to decide who among the LGUs have the legal mandate to appoint the governing board of the water district.

The Chief Executive has no details about the issue that may affect the water district’s nearly 34,000 water consumers in the city and nearby seven towns, Avisado said.

However, in a statement issued Monday by Romualdez, she admitted that the city government expressed its intent to take over the LMWD management with the failure of provincial government-appointed officials to address the water shortage problem in the city, including in resettlement sites.

“By reason of predicaments of my constituents, we implored the authority of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte who then referred the matter to LWUA (Local Water Utilities Administration) to possibly assume management, administration, and policy decision powers over LMWD for the latter’s alleged failure to provide adequate water,” Romualdez said.

Petilla denied that there water district deprives the city of reliable water services. He explained that there are instances when water flow is controlled to prevent water wastage due to aged old pipes.

“We cannot afford a crisis in Tacloban. If we will reduce the supply in the city, it will affect Leyte province and even the entire region since it is center of commerce. It is our duty to protect the city from any crisis because it will affect everyone,” the governor added.

The standoff began on January 17 when the new set of board of directors appointed by Romualdez entered the LMWD office, saying they had the right to govern the office.

Majority of LMWD’s 500 employees, including general manager Pastor Homeres, withdrew their support from the officials backed by the governor and recognized the authority of the new officers to rule the water district.

Since then, the board of directors appointed by Petilla had been prevented from entering the premises of the water district.

The provincial government-backed officials and 22 employees have set up a temporary office at the Leyte Academic Center and appointed Adlofo Olaya, a retired police officer as new manager.  (SQM/PNA)

PhilHealth E. Visayas tracks down dialysis patient

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 2  -- The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has tied up with 19 health facilities in Eastern Visayas to track down the benefit availment of patients undergoing dialysis.

The state health insurance firm has gathered operators of government and private dialysis center in the region on Thursday afternoon for a signing of memorandum of agreement.

These 19 facilities are in the cities of Tacloban, Ormoc, and Baybay in Leyte; Calbayog City in Samar; Catarman and Pambujan in Northern Samar; and Maasin City in Southern Leyte.

PhilHealth Regional Vice President Renato Limsiaco said the dialysis availment tracking system is needed considering that some patients have exhausted their allowable benefits.

“The tracking system has established viewing of the available allowable days of the patients who seek dialysis treatment. We remain committed to mitigate the damages of unhealthy lifestyle to the renal system,” Limsiaco told reporters during the launch.

Under PhilHealth’s existing rules, the maximum benefit for dialysis patient is PHP234,000 with 90 days maximum coverage for hemodialysis sessions and 360 days for peritoneal dialysis.

The region has 745 registered dialysis patients from six provinces.

Dialysis is a treatment to people suffering kidney failure -- usually by the time someone lose about 85 to 90 percent of kidney function. (SQM/PNA)

Leyte power consumers enjoy lower rates

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Feb. 1  -- Consumers of the Leyte V Electric Cooperative (Leyeco V) experienced lower electricity rates last December compared to the previous month.

Leyeco V information and training officer Monroe Magdadaro bared on Thursday that their residential rate in December was PHP8.28 per kilowatt hour (kwh), which was 55 centavos less than the PHP8.83 they charged in November.

For industrial low voltage or small businesses that required their own transformers, such as rice mills and welding shops, the December 2017 rate was PHP7.35/kwh, or 55 centavos less than the PHP7.90/kwh they paid the previous month. Large load establishments paid PHP5.78/kwh in December, down 52 centavos from November’s PHP6.30/kwh. 

Magdadaro attributed the lower rates to Leyeco V’s electricity source mix.

“Majority or 77 percent of its power requirements came from San Miguel Energy Corp., 17 percent from GMC Power, and 6 percent from the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market,” he said.

Leyeco V is set to enter a 25-year contract with GN Power Ltd. Co. in 2019 that would assure stable prices.

Another contributing factor to Leyeco V’s low rate is the manageable system loss.

Under the law, electric coops can pass on system loss charge to consumers at 25 centavos/kwh if it reaches 12 percent. 

However, Leyeco V’s prevailing system loss is only 7.65 percent, which points to its efficient distribution system. 

The power cooperative is tasked to energize about 74,220 households in the 417 villages in Leyte, covering Ormoc City and the towns of Merida, Isabel, Palompon, Villaba, Tabango, San Isidro, Calubi-an, Leyte, Matag-ob, Kananga, and Albuera. (FNC/PNA)

Leyte eyes gold medals in regional sports meet

PALO, Leyte, Feb. 1 -- A total of 634 delegates from Leyte division is set to make another milestone in this year’s Eastern Visayas Regional Athletic Association (EVRAA) meet in Calbayog City, Samar on February 4-9.

Edgar Tenasas, assistant schools division superintendent for Leyte, said in an interview Wednesday the province “dreams to become the champion”.

“We will fight our battle well. Though we are expecting so much, we will also accept whatever is the result. Things happen in EVRAA, and we’ll take it professionally,” Tenasas said during the recently-concluded division collaboration meeting.

Tenasas called on everyone’s support during the conduct of the various games in the host division while reminding them to report whatever risk or hazard the delegation would encounter during the event.

“Each member of the committee is very important. We will insist orderliness on ourselves,” he said.

Meanwhile, Leyte division athletic manager and sports coordinator Raul A. Salano disclosed that 578 athletes, coaches and chaperones and another 56 school officials, management and staff comprised the 634 Leyte delegation under the banner “The Leyte Conquerors”.

“Our measurable outcome is to have a gold medal per sports event and become an overall champion,” Salano said.

He also assured that winners were going to receive incentives for every medal they get during the sporting event.

The division officials thanked Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla for the PHP3.5-million financial assistance extended to the athletes, coaches, trainers, officials, and entire delegation.

Last year, Leyte bagged 97 gold, 72 silver, and 66 bronze medals, besting other 12 divisions in the Eastern Visayas region during the EVRAA in Naval, Biliran.

EVRAA's top winners will represent the region in the upcoming Palarong Pambansa in Ilocos Sur. (ROR/PNA)