18th November 2012

Slammed on Facebook, cop chief told to do job Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on November 18, 2012, 8:06 pm   By Joey A. Gabieta Inquirer Visayas TACLOBAN CITY—Do your work and don’t be sensitive. This was the advice of Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria, of the police regional office in Eastern Visayas (PRO-8), to Supt. Rico Tome, Maasin City police chief, who invited seven Maasinhons to appear at the city police station after posting harsh comments on a Facebook page, criticizing the police for failing to stop four robberies that occurred in a span of 24 hours. “He (Tome) should not be sensitive. Instead, he should work and confront the problem,” Soria told the Inquirer in a phone interview. Instead of inviting the residents to explain why they criticized the police on their Facebook page, Soria said Tome should address their concerns immediately. He added Tome could improve police visibility in the streets to deter the commission of crimes in Maasin. Soria said that based on the article that came out in the Inquirer, he didn’t find the comments of the netizens a personal attack on Tome since these were complaints against the perceived inaction of the police. Although he issued a slight admonition to Tome for what he had done, Soria said he would leave it to Senior Supt. Allan Cuevillas, police provincial director, to decide the action to take against Tome. “I have issued a directive addressed to the provincial director to take action,” Soria said. In an earlier interview, Tome said he didn’t mean to scare the seven Maasinhons when he asked them to appear at the city police station on Nov. 7 after posting harsh comments on Facebook. “We would just like to remind them that what they did was not right. We will just give them a warning,” he said. “It’s true that we have freedom of expression. Now that there’s Facebook, unlike before that it’s only radio and newspaper, they could just say defamatory remarks against us. You know the law could run after them,” he said. But not one of those invited showed up at the Maasin City police station on Nov. 7. The Maasin police didn’t issue a second invite. The invitation stemmed from the comments posted on the Facebook page called “You are from Southern Leyte if…” about the four break-ins on Nov. 2 and 3. Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

21st October 2012

Muslims in EVisayas joyful over framework agreement signing Posted by Jani Arnaiz, Chief Editor on October 21, 2012, 5:53 pm By Aurora J. Casimpan Friday 19th of October 2012 TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Oct 19 (PIA) -- The rejoicing of Muslims over the recently signed framework agreement creating the Bangsamoro region also echoed in the Eastern Visayas region.  The Muslims in the region expressed not only joy but hope as well over the new agreement as they believe that peace will finally reign over the troubled Mindanao land.  SPO3 Abdullah Gapal Abah, chief of the Salam (peace) Police Center of the Philippine National Police regional headquarters, said that in behalf of all Muslims living in the region, he was thankful to the President for hammering the agreement aimed to ensure that peace and development would finally come to Mindanao.  Muslims in the region have been longing for peace and the signing of a preliminary agreement between the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) with the government aimed at ending decades of separatist war in Mindanao signals that peace has finally come.  It was learned that Muslims in the region will celebrate the signing of the agreement through offers of prayers for the success of the agreement during the Eid’l Adha on October 26. (PIA-8) Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

29th September 2012

Government, private sector convergence to help poor children, families in Eastern Visayas Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on September 29, 2012, 9:58 am (By PIA-8, Saturday, 29 Sep 2012) TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Sept 29 (PIA) -- On the third week of September, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the World Vision, a child-focused non-government organization committed to converge in helping poor children and families in the provinces of Leyte and Samar. Both entities pledged to complement each other’s resources for the well-being of children and the communities in Eastern Visayas. DSWD Region 8 Director Leticia Diokno said the DSWD hopes to forge stronger relationship with World Vision to address concerns like improving service delivery. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

1st September 2012

Leyte Teachers In Industry-Academe Forum Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on September 1, 2012, 6:02 pm (By Jack C. Gadaingan, 6:02 pm, 1 Sep 2012) TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte --- The next industry-academe alliance forum will be attended by the convenors of the Income Creating Opportunities through Technology Program (ICOT-P), as there are now skills that can be introduced to the K-to-12 Program. This would involve Grade 11 and Grade 12 teachers and principals, with the Industry Forum seeking to partner not only with the private sector and colleges, but also with high school level education to ensure that schools in Leyte will be producing graduates suited for employment rather than merely graduating for the sake of having a diploma. Leyte Gov. Carlos Jericho L. Petilla expressed this thought during the opening of the 5th Industry Forum held at the Governor’s Hall of the Provincial Capitol, this city recently. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0 7.6 quake hits easter PH Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on September 1, 2012, 1:23 am No reports of extensive damage as of press time (By Inquirer Bureaus, 1:23 am, Saturday, 1 Sep 2012) A minute-long 7.6-magnitude earthquake hit off the Philippine’s coast on Friday, triggering a tsunami warning for the eastern part of the archipelago and Indonesia, US seismologists said. Philippine authorities said the quake shook the eastern Philippines but as of press time, there were no reports of extensive damage. The US Geological Survey said the quake had a depth of 34 kilometers and hit at 8:47 p.m. (1247 GMT), 139 km east of the city of Sulangan on Samar island. The epicenter was located at 93 km east of Sulangan in the resort town of Guian in Samar. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

31st August 2012

Tsunami alert level 3 raised in Samar, Leyte, Surigao Phivolcs Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on August 31, 2012, 11:53 pm (By DJ Yap, Philippine Daily Inquirer, 11:53 pm, Friday, 31 Aug 2012) MANILA, Philippines­Tsunami Alert Level 3 has been raised in Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, Southern Leyte, Surigao del Norte and Surigao Sur, said Renato Solidum, director of Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology Friday night. National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council executive director Benito Ramos said first responders have been deployed to the concerned areas. “Strong tremors were felt up to the Cagayan Valley even, but there were no reports yet of toppled structures,” he told the Inquirer by phone. As of 9:30 p.m. Friday, Ramos said the agency had received no reports of casualties and damage. But he warned people living on the coastlines and seaboards from Cagayan to Surigao del Norte to be on the alert, Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0 Intensity 7 felt in several Visayas towns Phivolcs Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on August 31, 2012, 10:39 pm (By Matikas Santos, Inquirer.net, 10:39 pm, Friday, 31 Aug 2012)  MANILA, Philippines --- ­The strong 7.6 magnitude earthquake that struck off Eastern Samar was felt at varying intensities across the Visayas and Mindanao. Intensity 7 was felt in the Eastern Samar towns of Guiuan, Oras, Sulat and Borongan City, the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismoloy (Phivolcs) said in an advisory. Intensity 6 was recorded in Siargao island, Surigao del Norte, Tacloban City, Palo, Leyte, Saint Bernard, and Southern Leyte. Intensity 5 was recorded in Mati City, Compostela valley, Legaspi City, Iloilo City, Bislig City, and Iligan City, while Intensity 4 was recorded in Butuan City, Catbalogan City, Butuan City, and Cagayan De Oro City. Intensity 3 was felt in Cotabato City, Mamajao, Camiguin, and General Santos City, and Intensity 2 in Marawi City and Sipalay City. Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

8th August 2012

Stat board releases 2009 city/municipal poverty estimates for Eastern Visayas Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on August 8, 2012, 7:57 pm (By Erlinda Olivia P. Tiu, PIA-8, Wednesday 8 Aug 2012) TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte, Aug 8 (PIA) --- National Statistical Coordination Board Region 8 head Evangeline M. Paran said that NSCB has just released the 2009 city/municipal poverty estimates including that for Eastern Visayas.   This is part of the agency’s continuing effort to be more relevant and to respond to the clamor for updated poverty statistics at lower levels of disaggregation, Paran said.   The poverty estimates were the results of the Project on the Generation of the 2009 Small Area Estimates (SAE) of Poverty of the NSCB, with funding assistance from the World Bank (WB) and the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID). Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

4th August 2012

DZR Airport improvement raise positive outlook Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on August 4, 2012, 7:19 am (By Leyte Samar Daily Express and Sun Star Tacloban, Saturday 4 Aug 2012) THE inclusion of the DZR Airport in President Benigno Aquino III’s recent State of the Nation Address (Sona) as one of the airports in the country to be improved elicited positive response from the people of Eastern Visayas region. In an interview, Engineer Robert Castanares, president of Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce Inc. (SLCCI) welcomed the good news and is very pleased with the President’s pronouncement. "The Eastern Visayas Chambers of Commerce and Industry (EVCCI) is very pleased to the President’s giving priority to the airports of the cities of Tacloban and Maasin," Castañares said. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0

29th July 2012

DOLE CONDUCTS JOB FAIR FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES Posted by Yel Cobile, Contributing Correspondent, on July 29, 2012, 8:05 pm (By Marcelino M. Pedalino, PIA-8 So. Leyte, 28 July 2012) MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte (PIA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in Eastern Visayas held a special job fair for persons with disabilities (PWD) at Tacloban as part of the activities marking the week-long observance of PWD week from July 17 to 23.   Fe Norma Valuis, DOLE field officer for Southern Leyte, in an interview Wednesday on the cable TV program “Action Center” said this year’s PWD week celebration carried the theme “mainstreaming PWD in economic development” and the holding of the job fair was a direct response and a fitting event for the occasion.   Out of 23 PWD applicants who applied for different work placements, six were hired while three others were deemed qualified, Valuis said. Read more... Tell a Friend... :: Comments: 0