Top cop asks men to be alert this holiday season

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 28 -- A top regional official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) here has asked his men to ensure their personal safety after the recent killing of two police officers in Leyte.

Chief Supt. Dionardo Carlos said he does not want a repeat of what happened to the two policemen attacked by still unidentified assailants, especially because some cops are on conditional holiday break.

"Though we have not seen a pattern that these killings were planned attacks on the police force in the region, it is always ideal to be on the lookout for their personal safety, especially this holiday season,” Carlos told reporters Thursday night.

The regional police chief also suggested that police officers must not put a pattern on their activities as precautionary measures.

Carlos reiterated this reminder after a junior police officer was gunned down near the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center in this city. The incident happened on December 23 while the victim was on his way home after his duty.

Two months ago, motorcycle-riding gunmen also attacked a police officer in Palo, Leyte.

Meanwhile, Carlos commended the entire police force in the region for the generally peaceful Christmas celebration and 50th anniversary of the New People’s Army last December 26.

Although some police officers are on conditional break, they were asked to report to the nearest police station on December 31 to augment the force for the New Year revelry.

“We hope the zero casualty and ‘no major incident’ during Christmas Day will be replicated this New Year,” he added. (SQM/PNA)

Council sees viability of Samar Island Medical Center

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 27 -- The Regional Development Council (RDC) has found the proposed PHP1.14-billion Samar Island Medical Center (SIMC) economically viable, citing “health benefits that exceeds the investment requirement”.

In a committee report, the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA), the RDC’s secretariat, said there is a need for the project to be endorsed to the Department of Health (DOH) for future multi-year funding.

Ernesto Octaviano, NEDA Eastern Visayas chief economic development specialist, said in an interview Thursday that the hospital will incur negative cash flows during the first 10 years of providing services.

“However, if the provincial government of Samar will provide annual subsidy for 10 years, the medical center will be able to sustain its operation until it generates income starting 2028,” Octaviano said.

In an earlier interview, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said the local government is committed to support the hospital’s operation since the central government has already committed to put up some of the capital outlay requirements and additional health workers.

The first phase of the hospital's construction is now ongoing with the use of the PHP150 million initial funds downloaded by the health department to Samar province early this year.

As proposed, the existing Samar Provincial Hospital in Catbalogan City in Samar will be called SIMC. It will operate as level two health facility with a 300-bed capacity and will be supervised by the provincial government.

The provincial hospital, at present, can only accommodate 100 patients. It is currently the core referral hospital of 24 towns and two cities in Samar. The province has a population of about 800,000.

The RDC endorsed the project on Dec. 3, subject to consideration of the following recommendations: the hospital should remain as level 2 facility, DOH assistance should be part of the provincial investment plan for health, identify manpower resources, and back the provincial government subsidy with resolution by the provincial board.

Level 2 facility hospital has such facilities as intensive care units and specialist doctors for gynecology and pediatric services.

Octaviano said there is no assurance of fund allocation for the project from DOH in 2019 since the maximum amount for cash-based budgeting allowed by the budget department in one year ranges from PHP100 million to PHP150 million. It is lower than the proposed funding requirement for next year. (SQM/PNA)

Samar villagers stage anti-NPA rally

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 27 -- More than 300 residents from 12 upland villages of Calbiga, Samar joined a peace rally at the town’s plaza, expressing opposition to recruitment activities being conducted by the New People’s Army (NPA).

The activity organized by the Philippine Army 87th Infantry Battalion (IB) based in Calbiga, Samar counters the 50th anniversary celebration of the armed struggle of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) on Wednesday.

Lt. Col. Rommel Cabanayan, 87th IB commander, said placards condemning the extremists were displayed. These were later burned by the protesters to express their disgust with the anti-government movement.

“The gathering was to evade the public of getting into the trap of the rebels who have been trying to entice them of good words. Also, it was intended to encourage the radical members to go back in the arms of the government and avail the government aid intended for them,” Cabanayan said in a phone interview Thursday.

The town’s president of association of village chiefs Miguel Cabornay and local police chief Senior Insp. Michael Ray Cañete were among the resource speakers.

The Samar provinces have been the stronghold of armed rebels due to its densely-forested mountainous areas, high poverty incidence, and issue of widespread landlessness, according to a 2013 study of William Norman Holden of the University of Calgary in Canada.

The NPA launched its first tactical operation in the country in Calbiga, Samar in 1974, when its members ambushed an Army scout patrol and seized a number of weapons.

In 1976, the NPA gained popular support among the inhabitants of Samar following its campaign against cattle rustling gangs. (ERR/PNA)

TD ‘Usman’ strands over 2K passengers in east Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 27 -- More than 2,000 passengers have been stranded in various ports in Eastern Visayas as Tropical Depression Usman continues to threaten central Philippines.

Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Regional Director Henry Anthony Torres said sea travel has been suspended for all types of sea vessels in the region since early Thursday affecting holiday travel plans.

Most of the stranded travelers are in the ports of San Isidro and Allen in Northern Samar bound for Luzon, Liloan; in Saint Bernard in Southern Leyte bound for Mindanao; and Ormoc City in Leyte going to Cebu.

“We don’t expect the number of stranded passengers will increase since bus companies are advised that their buses should stay in terminals and not proceed to roll-on roll-off ports,” said Torres, chair of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC).

The official asked passengers to change their travel plans and just stay home if their areas are still under storm warning signal.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration has placed under Tropical Cyclone Signal No. 1 all the region’s six provinces - Eastern Samar, Northern Samar, Samar, Biliran, Leyte, and Southern Leyte.
Aside from impact to transportation, the RDRRMC is also concerned on the thousands of residents in vulnerable communities that may be affected by flooding and landslides.

“Our advice to local government units is to conduct pre-emptive evacuation for vulnerable communities as we expect heavy rains starting Thursday night. We have been coordinating with local disaster risk reduction and management offices to check their preparedness,” Torres said.

The RDRRMC convened on Wednesday and Thursday for the pre-disaster risk assessment and response cluster meetings.

The council asked local DRRMOs to activate emergency operations centers, advice fishermen not to venture out into the sea, ensure widest dissemination of timely weather advisories, and undertake other preparedness activities.

As of Thursday noon, “Usman” has slowed down as it moved towards Eastern Visayas. Its center was estimated at 450 kilometers east of Surigao City, Surigao del Norte or 440 kilometers east southeast of Guiuan, Eastern Samar.

It has maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour (kph) near the center and gustiness of up to 65 kph. It is expected to move west at 15 kph. (SQM/PNA)

State schools asked to align goals with regional dev’t plan

TACLOBAN CITY, Dec. 26  -- The Regional Development Council (RDC) in Eastern Visayas has asked state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the region to come up with academic plans that support the Regional Development Plan (RDP).

Eastern Visayas RDC vice chair Bonifacio Uy, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority, said the plan is the blueprint in achieving the mission and thrusts of SUCs.

“It served as the vital tool that provides the SUCs a clear picture of their respective goals by defining the outcomes and outputs, establishing end-of-plan targets and identifying critical and relevant indicators to track their progress,” Uy said in a mobile phone interview Wednesday.

The submission of SUCs’ academic plans will help keep the RDC informed on the efforts of schools in achieving their mission and thrusts related to RDP.

On Nov. 29 this year, the RDC’s regional project monitoring committee passed a resolution asking SUCs to align their thrusts with the RDP.

Under the 250-page plan, the region aims to attain 5.8 to 7 percent economic growth for 2018 to 2022 on the average.

The regional plan is considered as a “companion document” of the Philippine Development Plan for 2017 to 2022, or within the term of President Rodrigo Duterte.

Prior to its endorsement by the regional council last year, the RDP underwent a series of consultations with the regional line agencies, local government units, business groups, religious sectors, non-government organizations, and other stakeholders.

The RDP, which serves as the blueprint of the region’s development direction, is anchored on the Sustainable Development Goals, the Long-Term Vision of Filipinos or AmBisyon Natin 2040, and President Duterte’s 0+10 Point Socioeconomic Agenda. (SQM/PNA)