CAMP KANGLEON, Palo, Leyte – The Philippine National Police in Eastern Visayas is determined to stop the spate of killings in the second district of Samar province that has alarmed authorities and residents. Chief Supt. Mario Sandiego, PNP 8 regional director, disclosed that from January to July this year, there were 30 shooting incidents in the province’s second district, where 25 victims died. He said most of the killings occurred in the city of Calbayog with six deaths and the town of Gandara with 12 murder cases that are reportedly politically motivated. The rest of the shooting incidents were offshoots of personal grudges, business rivalry, family feud and drunkenness. Sandiego said that to curb the series of killings, he has created "Task Force Pagpugong" (a Leyte-Samar word that means to stop). He also ordered his men in the field to conduct random checkpoints, more patrols and enhance police visibility. The local police were also told to closely monitor and focus their enforcement on private armed groups and the movement of firearms in the area. (Restituto A. Cayubit)

Eastern Samar gov assists barangays

BORONGAN, Eastern Samar – The provincial government here has allocated some P11.94 million in financial assistance to its 597 barangays under Project Barangay Empowerment Network (Project BEN). Each of the barangays in the 25 component municipalities of this coastal province is scheduled
to receive P20,000 for their respective priority projects. Aside from the programmed P20,000 for every barangay, the province has also allocated P500 a month as additional incentive for day care workers, P100 a month for every barangay health worker (BHW), and R100 additional allowance for volunteer village watchmen. A community outreach development program of the provincial government in partnership with other government agencies, Project BEN aims to bring to the doorsteps of barangay residents basic services such as health, infrastructure projects, employment opportunities, agricultural programs, and grooming services, among others. Already on its fourth leg in the town of Lawaan this week, Gov. Ben Evardone led Sangguniang Panlalawigan members and provincial officials in the distribution of financial assistance, PhilHealth cards, toothbrushes and toothpastes for all day-care and elementary pupils, vegetable and fruit planting materials, and bags of rice to all households in the 16 barangays of Lawaan. The provincial team has already visited and serviced all barangays in the municipality of Quinapondan where the project was launched last July, and in the towns of Salcedo and Arteche. (Kristal B. Valdesco)

MGB bares cause of Biliran floods

NAVAL, Biliran – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau said the flashflood that affected two barangays
in this province in June 2008 was a result of the heavy downpour brought about by Typhoon Feria. It noted that several rivers overflowed at the same time the flashfloods occurred in the areas based on the survey conducted by the bureau’s technical team. The findings are contained in a report submitted by the MGB to the Office of the Governor dated August 18, 2009. It said the flashfloods in Barangay Villa Vicenta, Caibiran and Barangay Langgao, Cabucgayan were not related to the sulfur mining activity in Sitio Pulang Yuta, Barangay Cabibihan in Caibiran town contrary to the claims of some quarters. MGB technical personnel verified this through ocular investigation, saying that the sulfur mining area is located upstream of Mapula River, while the two barangays where the flashfloods occurred were not even part of the Mapula River watershed system. Typhoon Feria caused estimated damages of P56.6 million and left two fatalities in this island province. In the aftermath of those flashfloods, Governor Rogelio Espina sought the assistance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the MGB to determine their causes and to come up with measures to prevent such occurrences in the future. The governor also actively led the relief operations that followed in all affected areas of the province. (Jack C. Gadaingan)