Samar to launch ‘Lara’ brand for woven mats

TACLOBAN CITY, March 5  -- The Samar provincial government will launch a brand for decorative woven mats in a bid to make indigenous products more popular in the global market.

The launching of “Lara” brand for mats is a highlight of the Expanded Tandaya Trail event on March 9 to 14, 2018 at the SM Mega Mall Fashion Hall. The activity is part of the local government’s summer tourism promotion program.

Samar tourism investment and promotion chief Brett de los Santos said on Monday that up for display are the banig (woven mats) products of Basey, Samar town.

The town is known for artistically woven decorative mats. Tourists buy these mats as souvenir items. Locals use a grass locally known as tikog in weaving products such as bags, hats, slippers accessories, wall decors, among others.

“The new brand will be showcased through a fashion show at the Mega Mall,” De los Santos said.

“By launching the Lara brand, this will elevate local products to the international market, helping alleviate poverty and promote environmental awareness in the community,” he added. “Lara” is the local term for weaving.

The provincial government will also showcase Samar’s investment potential in agriculture, tourism, energy, and other industries.

Tandaya Trail, a component of the local government’s Spark Samar campaign, brings visitors to Sohoton Caves and Natural Bridge in Basey town, rock formation in Marabut town; and the Ulot River ultimate extreme boat ride in Paranas town.

The trail is considered as the spark that would start the flourishing of tourism industry in poverty-stricken Samar province.

Tandaya is the pre-Spanish name of Samar Island and the trail invites travelers looking for adventure to explore the unspoiled wonders hidden in Samar. The trail winds through the towns of Marabut, Basey, and Paranas, where islets, caves, and winding rivers are waiting to be discovered. (RTA/PNA)

BFAR raises red tide alert in Biliran province

TACLOBAN CITY, March 3  -- Shellfish ban is up in the coastal waters of Biliran province as the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) noted a high level of red tide toxin levels in both seawater and shellfish meat.

All the eight towns in Biliran province are coastal areas with a big population dependent on fishing and shellfish collection as their source of living.

Based on samples collected by the fisheries bureau, level of red tide toxins is above the regulatory limit, said Nancy Dayap, manager of BFAR regional fisheries laboratory, in a phone interview Saturday.

Local government units are advised to regulate gathering, marketing and transporting of shellfish in affected areas.

Based on the Shellfish Bulletin No. 7 dated March 2, 2018, “all types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from the coastal waters of Biliran are not safe for human consumption”.

In December 2016, shellfish poisoning has killed an old man and hospitalized several of his neighbors in Naval, Biliran.

Aside from Biliran, the fisheries bureau in Eastern Visayas earlier imposed a shellfish ban in Carigara bay, coastal waters of Leyte, and Irongirong bay in Samar.

The recent spate of red tide phenomenon in the region started in July 2017 and gradually expanded to nearby bays.

The fisheries bureau had set up checkpoints in strategic area to prevent entry of shellfish gathered in affected bays.

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,” BFAR said.

Red tide is a term used to describe a phenomenon where the water is discolored by high algal biomass or the concentration of algae.

The discoloration may not necessarily be red in color, but it may also appear yellow, brown, green, blue or milky, depending on the organisms involved. (SQM/PNA)

Tacloban needs P40-M for anti-flood master plan

TACLOBAN CITY, March 2  -- The city needs about PHP40 million to come up with a master plan to curb the problem of widespread flooding during rainy days, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) said Thursday.

DPWH Eastern Visayas Regional Director Edgar Tabacon said they are seeking authority from their central office to bid the project since the cost is more than the PHP20 million limit for regional office to implement consultancy services.

Tabacon hopes to complete the drafting of master plan within the year for implementation in 2019.

The concrete plan will guide all government agencies in building drainage projects.

“All drainage projects from different funding sources will be implemented based on the plan,” Tabacon said.

Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez said the master plan is very important considering that the existing drainage system was built in the 1970s and needs major rehabilitation.

“Through the master plan, building of structures will be regulated. The reason why there is flooding in the city is that many natural waterways in the past has been blocked by structures,” Romualdez said.

Romualdez had asked the DPWH to carry out an emergency solution to rid the waterway of blockage.

The appeal made by the official resulted in the issuance of notices to the owners of properties blocking the waterways, and commencing work on the project.

The City Engineer’s Office has 10 ongoing works in low lying areas in V&G Subdivision, Marasbaras, Sagkahan, Suhi, San Jose, and Utap villages.

Records from the Regional Development Council show the city needs at least PHP212.4 million from the national government for the feasibility study, drainage master plan, and flood control system.

Tacloban is a 1st class highly urbanized city, which serves as the regional center of Eastern Visayas.

Based on the 2015 census, Tacloban has a population of 242,089, making it the most populous city in the region. (SQM/PNA)

DILG to educate voters on ‘right’ qualities of village leaders

TACLOBAN CITY, March 2  -- The Department of the Interior and Local Government’s (DILG) regional office here will launch a voter education campaign this month in time for the barangay election on May 14.

The education drive, which will kick off this month, aims to inform voters about the “right” qualities and job of a village official to attain more progressive communities, DILG Eastern Visayas Director Marivel Sacendoncillo said.

The campaign, dubbed "Matino, Mahusay, at Maaasahang" Barangay and SK (Sangguniang Kabataan) officials, will encourage the public to choose leaders who possess these three minimum qualities.

These traits are important to carry out meaningful peace and development initiatives in the communities, he said.

“In community assemblies, we will not just teach them how to vote, but explain to them the duties of village officials on sanitation, health and nutrition, drainage system, peace and order, anti-drug campaign, and other responsibilities,” Sacendocillo told reporters Thursday.

The official expressed optimism that this campaign would help people realize the need to choose the right leaders and not just pick any candidate based on popularity and money.

“Those who are interested to run and not qualified might change their minds if they realize the weight of duty. There are many competent and more educated people in the community, but hesitant to run because in barangay (village) elections, they have no money,” Sacendoncillo added.

She noted that vote buying is becoming more rampant, even in villages, because people don’t realize the big role of local officials in spurring rural development.

“From the central government, the three branches of the government – executive, legislative, and judiciary – are separate. In the barangays, the three powers are rolled into one person, the barangay chairman,” she said.

The DILG will also post education materials in strategic places with a checklist of traits that they should look for in choosing their would-be local candidates.

Sacendoncillo said this is the first time the central government is bringing the voter’s education campaign to a higher level in a bid to persuade the public to vote wisely. (SQM/PNA)

25% of Eastern Visayas population not registered: PSA

TACLOBAN CITY, March 1 --  About 25 percent of the population in Eastern Visayas have no birth registration records, raising concern that people without legal identities may not access social services and protection.

Citing a 2015 report presented in a meeting with stakeholders on Thursday, Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) Regional Director Wilma Perante said only 75 percent of people in this poverty-stricken region have certificate of live births.

“The level of birth registration is very low in Eastern Visayas despite years of strengthened civil registration education campaign. We are the second lowest region in the country,” Perante told the Philippine News Agency (PNA).

The official said the low registration is not really expected considering that in 2015, nine out of 10 birth deliveries in the region were attended by physicians, nurses, and midwives inside hospitals, rural health units and birthing clinics.

“Birth attended by health professionals increased from 87.06 percent in 2014 to 91.11 percent in 2015, while birth attended by unlicensed traditional midwives dropped from 12.53 percent to 8.21 percent in the same period,” Perante added.

When the birth occurred in a hospital or clinic, the management will be responsible in registration of the birth within 30 days.

She admitted that not all births attended by health professional are registered with PSA especially for children with unmarried parents.

“The process of registering illegitimate children is complicated and more costly. This is one of the reasons of low registration we found in our study,” she said.

During the Civil Registration Month celebration in February, the PSA and local government units initiated several activities anchored on the theme “#napapanahongCRVS”. CRVS stands for civil registration and vital statistics.

The theme is in consonance with the global advocacy of getting everyone registered and promoting awareness on the importance of civil registration in the lives of every Filipino.

Civil registration is “napapanahon” (timely) according to the PSA official since the country is pushing for national ID system for every Filipino.

The Sustainable Development Goals set by the United Nations also emphasizes the need for recording of vital events such as births and deaths for policy and planning purposes.

Of the 17 SDGs, the UN found a direct link between eight goals and CRVS. These goals are no poverty; no hunger; good health and well-being; quality education; gender equality; reduced inequalities; peace, justice and strong institutions; and partnership for the goals.

Poor families, according to Perante need civil registry documents to access some anti-poverty programs, open bank accounts, own properties, avail health services, enroll school, avail post-disaster assistance, among others.

Such is the case of siblings Edison, 5 and Eddielyn, 3 from Palamrag village, who don’t have certificate of live births. For their aunt Myrna Dadul, the document is the only way for the poor children to gain their basic rights.

The two kids were abandoned by their own mother, neglected by their father, and deprived of basic health services from the government like immunizations due to the absence of civil registration record.

Their world-weary grandfather, Alfeo Dadul, 78, assumed the parenting task. Last week, Myrna went to the town hall to avail of the free registration program in line with the Civil Registration month celebration.

PSA and local government units have lined up activities to highlight the month-long celebration such as symposia, data dissemination seminars, trainings, exhibits, slogan, and poster making contests, information and education campaign, and hanging of streamers. (SQM/PNA)