BASEY, Samar — The mayor of this town is urging contractors to speed up completion of the construction of the road leading to the Sohoton Natural Bridge National Park (SNBNP), a famed tourist attraction located here.

Basey Mayor Atty. Igmedio Ponferrada told reporters the road leading to the SNBNP will not only help bring in the tourists but also serve barangays in his town where the road passes. Ponferrada said even though if tourists visiting Sohoton prefer going to the area through the river with motorboats, as they enjoy cruising the river, “it would be good to have an alternative route to the Park.” The mayor said that former President Gloria Arroyo earlier this year had already ordered the road completed, but since she left her the Presidency, work on the road has slowed down.

Ponferrada also said the road completion project is part of the P1.14 billion rehabilitation of the Basey-Maydolong road comprised of 14 road networks placed by the Department of Public Works and Highways under the former administration’s priority programs. (Restituto A. Cayubit)

WV All Covered – PhilHealth

ILOILO CITY (PNA) — Western Visayas has already been covered universally by the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) since end of August 2010, according to PhilHealth Regional Vice-President Marilyn Geduspan.

The data covers not only the sponsored program for indigents but also those from the employed sector, lifetime members, individually-paying members and overseas Filipino workers (OFWs). Geduspan said based on the PhilHealth data base, they have already registered 1,581,949 members from various provinces or a population estimate of 7.8 million, to include dependents.

 The projected population of Western Visayas is about 7.5 million. She said the overshoot may be due to the fact that it is already mandatory for those from the employed sector to become a member so that some spouses both working are also PhilHealth members.

 The registered members total 614,764 in the sponsored program; 199,049 for those who are individually-paying; 147,552 in the government employed sector; 439,327 in the privately employed sector; 2,184 household workers; Kasapi, 7,822; OFWs, 112,173; and lifetime members, 58,078.

She said the October 2 National PhilHealth Registration will also serve as avenue for members to update their membership data form. Registration will be held in six identified sites in the region and four other provincial PhilHealth offices in Iloilo and Negros Occidental.

Crisis Response Skills Honed

CEBU CITY (PNA) — Despite the lack of equipment, Special Reaction Unit (SRU) operatives of the Cebu Provincial Police Office (CPPO) continue to hone their response skills for crisis situations through drills.

Acting CCPO Director Erson Digal said Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has been informed about the needed equipment which includes night vision goggles, ballistic helmets and vests, tactical radio communication equipment, shields, tactical blankets, force entry tool, hydration system, harnesses, binoculars, gas masks and sniper rifles.

Garcia reportedly assured that such equipment will be provided this month, Digal said. He also said he will invite Garcia and Cebu’s six congressmen to witness hostage-taking ground demonstration by SRU operatives next week.

 The activity will coincide with the ceremonial burning of at least 5,000 stalks of marijuana plants and the destruction of confiscated video carrera machines and other illegal gambling units.