23rd January 2013

Police, radio station criticized over accident involving governor's son Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on January 23, 2013, 4:03 am By Jani Arnaiz January 23, 2013 MAASIN CITY – Politics turned ugly as it gets in the way in a tragic road accident involving a grandson of the late former city councilor and a son of a top official of the province that led to the death of the victim, a jolly four years old boy. The accident happened last Sunday afternoon when everybody was crossing the Tomas Oppus street in Mantahan, a fishing village in the poblacion of this city to watch the annual fluvial parade of Senior Sto. Nino in the seas along the city’s coastal villages. The parade coincided with the Cebu grand Sinulog mardigras Witnesses said that a boy aged between 4-5 ran across the street alone towards the seashore just in time when a Hammer type jeep was cruising on the same street, hitting the boy on the head. The victim died hours after he was brought to the Salvacion Oppus Yniguez Memorial Provincial Hospital. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

22nd January 2013

DOH-funded projects in So. Leyte almost complete Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on January 22, 2013, 6:17 pm By Marcelo M. Pedalino Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Jan. 22 (PIA) -- Several health-related projects funded by the Department of Health (DOH) under its facility enhancement program here in the city and other areas of the province are almost complete, according to Dr. Joselito Trumata, the Provincial Health Officer. In a recent phone interview with Philippine Information Agency (PIA), Trumata said the status of these projects was the subject of his report during the Health Summit scheduled in Manila January 17.  Some P148 million was allocated by the health department for Southern Leyte province to cover construction or upgrading of wellness centers such as rural health units and hospitals, and the provision for some needed equipment, Trumata said.  He added that the amount was good for three years - from 2010 , 2011, and 2012.  It was learned that among the infra projects were construction of rural health units I and II for Maasin City, and Pintuyan hospital, and Trumata said that P8-million worth of equipment are due for delivery. The only remaining task at hand is the P8-million allocated for Limasawa hospital, but this was already decided that P 4 million will be used for upgrading the Limasawa hospital which would be converted into a rural health unit.  The other P4 million will be for the health facility at Padre Burgos, Trumata further said. (mmp-PIA8, Southern Leyte) Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0 ROW violations affect field operations – NGCP says Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on January 22, 2013, 6:05 pm Tuesday 22nd of January 2013 MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, Jan. 22 (PIA) -- The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) admitted that its field operation is being affected by right-of-way (ROW) problems.  Visayas CorpComm and Public Affairs Officer Elmer D. Cruz, in a press statement, said that NGCP identified various right-of-way violations that hamper the maintenance of NGCPs transmission facilities.  “Common ROW violations we encounter are planting of trees within the ROW corridor, grass fires in or around our facilities, squatting and putting up of structures under our transmission lines, and kite flying. All of these activities can disrupt the transmission of power and cause power outages. More importantly, these activities damage our lines and compromise the safety of the public,” Cruz quoted NGCP Spokesperson Atty. Cyntia P. Alabanza in an interview.  He said that ROW issues have been a concern of the transmission business even before NGCP took over the operations and maintenance of the country’s transmission facilities in 2009.  It was learned that the bulk of ROW issues were inherited from the National Transmission Corporation (TransCo). Last year, in the Visayas alone, there were 10 outages or line trippings caused by ROW violations, totaling 44 incidents recorded nationwide.  Apart from being the cause of the problem, some ROW violators compound the problem by preventing NGCP employees from coming in and fixing damaged lines. “The net effect of all this is that so many residents relying on our speedy delivery of electricity suffer for the actions of a few,” the source added.  He quoted Alabanza saying, ”These problems also made it more difficult for our NGCP linemen to efficiently and effectively maintain the lines because, in addition to maintenance works on the actual transmission facilities, they devote a substantial amount of time to clearing the land first of vegetation.”  The NGCP press further stated that ROW violations imply additional costs to the company when clearing the land of vegetation and structures before performing maintenance work are conducted. “In cases where the ROW violations cause damage to facilities, the cost implication multiplies.”  In addition to operational problems, NGCP also warned the public of the safety hazards for ROW violators.  Transmission lines are open lines that carry a minimum of 69,000 volts and a maximum of 500,000 volts. “You don’t even have to touch the lines to be electrocuted.  Electricity induction may occur once the safe clearance is breached. In other words, if you get near enough, even without touching the lines, you are in danger of being electrocuted,” the source further added.  NGCP lines carry electricity that is more than 300 times the power of the electricity flowing in our households, which is just 220 volts. Breaching our safety clearances can be fatal, it was noted.  As a preventive measure, NGCP conducts regular safety information campaigns all over the country through print and broadcast media.  They also conduct information and safety forums at the barangay level in communities traversed by their facilities to remind the public to take extra precautions when near the transmission lines.  NGCP also coordinates with LGUs for help in getting word to the public about the risks and hazards of living under transmission lines.  Cruz revealed that NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country’s power grid.  NGCP transmits high-voltage electricity through “power superhighways” that include the interconnected system of transmission lines and towers, substations and related assets.  NGCP’s regular maintenance activities and expansion projects aim to enhance the reliability and quality of electricity delivered to customers.(PIA8-Southern Leyte) Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

12th January 2013

Southern Leyte serves 10,500 prawns in record bid Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on January 12, 2013, 5:09 am By Jani Arnaiz Inquirer Visayas 6:30 pm | Saturday, January 12th, 2013 BONTOC, Southern Leyte—The Southern Leyte provincial government on Saturday served at least 10,500 pieces of prawns (350 kilograms) in a bid to establish a Guinness World Record for the longest prawn stew. The prawns were served on a 160-foot long table at Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) campus here during the “Ulang (Prawn) Festival.” Mabel Calva, school administrator, said the university invited Guinness officials to the festival but that the school could not afford the record keepers’ travel expenses. Calva said Guinness, however, asked for the details of the record attempt. Bontoc Councilor Jannu Idjao, who supplied the prawns, said at least 350 kg, or at least 10,500 pieces, of fresh prawns were used in the stew. More than 400 people ate the prawns, including Commissioner Nenalyn Defensor of the Commission on Higher Education. The attempt at a record was part of activities for the two-day First  International Fresh Water Prawn Congress, which was also participated in by representatives from Vietnam, Kenya and Norway. The congress was spearheaded by the SLSU Bontoc campus, which specializes in fisheries and aquatic research, to highlight Southern Leyte as the “prawn capital” of Eastern Visayas. Only the province has a prawn hatchery in the entire region. Edgardo Esperancilla, Department of Science and Technology director in Eastern Visayas, described the prawn industry in the Visayas as a “sunrise industry” worth only P4 million to P5 million. “But it has potential because a new technology is being developed to make it an alternative source of livelihood or a main source of livelihood along with tilapia-growing,” he said. Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

10th January 2013

Twas a good year for So. Leyte, says Rep Mercado Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on January 10, 2013, 12:25 am   Pres. Aquino administration poured more than P200 million   By Jani Arnaiz January 10, 2013 MAASIN CITY – The year just past has been a very good year for the province of Southern Leyte in terms of government infrastructures and other projects, says solon. “It was a very good year for us, because almost all the major infrastructure projects have been implemented,” said Rep. Roger Mercado of the lone district of Southern Leyte. Mercado pointed out the infrastructures as the P40 million Panan-awan airport improvement, the P56 million alternate port in Guadalupe (Can-iwan) and the five new Spanish bridges worth P126 million in Silago which connects the province to Abuyog in Leyte in the eastern seaboard and in San Ricardo on Panaon island. The cost of these Spanish bridges is a loan grant from the Spanish government to the Philippine government. The former will provide materials for the superstructure while the construction of the substructure will be on Philippine government side. “These infrastructure projects have been implemented in year 2012. What more can we asked? We should be thankful to Pres. Benigno Aquino for including us among his priority provinces,” emphasized Mercado, whose three terms as Congressman ends this year. He said these are aside from the regular projects implemented by the DPWH’s Southern Leyte Engineering District (Sled) like the second Subang Daku bridge along the Subang Daku river in Sogod which is worth about P100 million including its road component in Concepcion village. “The bounty from Pres. Aquino’s administration to the province belies the claims of the opposition that Southern Leyte will be left out without infrastructure or projects,” the solon said. The opposition claims was based on the incident where then presidential hopeful Sen. Aquino and his LP party were not allowed to use the city gym in their campaign sortie here in the city in the last presidential elections of 2010. They have to make do with a makeshift stage in front of the Maasin cathedral. In another development, Sled district engineer Carlos Veloso disclosed that the province’s engineering district will receive more than P300 million appropriation this year for its regular infrastructure projects. He said the amount is 50 percent more than last year’s appropriation of around P200 million plus. The Southern Leyte engineering district consistently topped all other districts in Eastern Visayas in the last seven years in terms of performance.     Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0