Panlilio,Padaca Hold Symposium On Good Governance In Maasin

Sept. 5,2011


Panlilio,Padaca Hold Symposium On Good Governance In Maasin
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Former Pampanga Governor Among Ed Panlilio and former Isabela Governor Grace Padaca have campaigned for good governance thru a symposium here recently held at the Saint Joseph College covered court which was attended by college students and teachers.
Padaca revealed that her desire to campaign for good governance was prompted by her surprising discovery as a broadcast media in the province of Isabela that graft and corruption has indeed occurred in her place.
“This I’ve learned from my series of interviews from some officials in my place for the past 16 years as a broadcast media practitioner”, she said “but no one has left a finger to stop it”.
This is the main reason why a group called Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership has been organized in 80 schools and in other organizations in various areas of the country during their caravan of good governance, she informed.
With the implementation of good governance in Pampanga some185 truckloads of Illegal logs were confiscated she disclosed. While Panlilio added that 90% of sand use as filling materials in some areas came from his place.
He implied that during his term 6M more or less cubic meter of sand were being quarried with 3 to 4 truckloads a day were brought to Metro Manila.”The annual earnings of this business is P542M”,he said, “but before my term as Governor of Pampanga it only earned some P213M in quarrying”.
The former Pampanga Governor urged the graduates of Catholic schools and the PMAers who are going to work in different government offices/establishments to put into practice the good moral values and the discipline they have learned, in serving the people, particularly to the poor who comprised the bulk of the population.
The priest-turned-governor also strongly urged Filipino voters, young and old, not to sell their right of suffrage and to elect officials based on their integrity, honesty, educational and character backgrounds and not on how much they handed out money during elections.
Nevertheless, Panlilio claimed not all politicians are bad. “Politics is good”, he said.”Not all politicians ay pare-pareho lang…Not all politicians are bad. But we have to elect good politicians”.
He further said: “Good governance is not hard to implement if a leader will look more for the people’s welfare and their well-being rather than his own as a public servant, and is willing to share his power to other government agencies like the drafting of rules and regulations coupled with transparency in all government transactions”.
Padaca,a polio victim at three years old, is hoping that the present leadership will practice good governance and transparency in his administration and punish those found to be corrupt and make our education less expensive so that poor families can send their children to schools.
The former Isabela Governor admonished the youth to remember what they have heard and learned in the symposium even after they have graduated in college and practice it in their day-to-day conduct wherever they might be working. Likewise, she also advised the teachers in old schools to continue to teach their students moral values and for good politicians to continue to work for what is good.”Fight for the truth and continue the effort“, she said.”We may not be moving all the time but continue to do and God will do the rest…Nothing good done is left unrewarded”.
Also with the group were 2 unidentified Kaya Natin volunteers who also talked about Good Governance , former Southern Leyte Governor Rosette Yñiguez-Lerias and her daughter Marissa “Dondeet” who are the founding members of KASANAG(Kausa sa mga tawong nagmata),Southen Leyte chapter.
Members of the Kaya Natin Movement for Good Governance and Ethical Leadership,aside from Panlilio and Padaca were the following: 1)Jesse Robredo,Secretary,DILG; 2)Bolet Banal,representative,Quezon City; 3)Kaka Bag-ao,representative,Akbayian; 4)Teddy Baguilat,Jr.,representative,Ifugao; 5)Neric Acosta,fromer representative,Bukidnon;,6)Sonia Lorenzo,former Mayor,San Isidro,Nueva Ecija; 7)Roque Verzosa,Mayor,Tagudin,Ilocos Sur; 8)Florante Gerdan,fromer Mayor,Sta.Fe, Nueva Viscaya; 9)Cecelia Clare Reyes,Mayor,Alicia,Isabela; 10)Marivic Belena,Mayor,San Jose City,Nueva Ecija; 11)Gloria Congco,Mayor,Cabiao,Nueva Ecija; 12)Valente Yap,Mayor,Bindoy,Negros Oriental; 13)Shirlyn Macasarte,board member,North Cotabato; 14)Janaree Disomimba,former Mayor,Tamparan,Lanao del Sur; 15)Mabel Sunga-Acosta,former Councilor,Davao City; 16)Fermin Mabulo,former Mayor,San Fernando,Camarines Sur; 17)Francis Tinio,former Councilor,Binalonan,Pangasinan. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)
Abby Dyanne’s Enterprises & Printing Press
169 E. Rosales St, Tagnipa, Maasin City, So.Leyte
Telefax no.(053)570-9759,mobile phone no.
09278609437; 09155555875; 09176323264
Services offer: Tarpaulin printing starts today, Sept. 5, 2011;
Photocopy; Risograph; Lamination; Calendars; Button Pins;
PVC IDs; Business Receipts; Photo Printing, etc.
Abigail Daclan Palermo, Proprietor/Manager

Kinamot Sa Abgao Restaurant.Tel. no. (053)381-3878.
Villa Romana Hotel.13 airconditioned rooms with TV sets,etc.
Tel no.(053)381-0639.Tomas Oppus St.,brgy. Abgao, Maasin City.

Natasha Service Center/MSE Marikina Shoe Service Center,
A.Bantug Street,Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,Southern Leyte
Tel nos. (053)570-8144;(053)381-0430.

Fourty Maasin Barangays Are Under PDEA Close Surveillance

Sept. 5,2011


Forty Maasin Barangays Are Under Close PDEA Surveillance
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Forty,out of 70 Maasin barangays,are now under close surveillance of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) due to the reported incidence of alleged drug-related activities.
This was the recent disclosure of Abgao Barangay Captain Nacional “Nikko” V. Mercado in an interview with the media.
The younger Mercado said that as President of the Liga Ng Mga Barangay Captains of Maasin, he was chosen by PDEA as the “coordinator” to other Barangay Captains whose barangays they were leading /governing are suspected to have been allegedly influenced by illegal drug dealers thru unidentified informants.
However, since there were no strong evidences against those suspected drug couriers, traders and contact persons in the illegal activities, the Abgao Barangay Captain explained, they have submitted the names of suspected persons from 40 barangays to the PDEA office for verification to the latter’s master list of suspected drug dealers from different parts of the country.Nonetheless,the names of the 40 barangays where alleged suspected drug dealers/pushers have existed, were not revealed by our source.
Mercado further said that this kind of PDEA operation is in coordination with the nationwide PNP officers. They(PDEA and PNP officers) were instructed, he said, to conduct buy-bust operations and also to closely monitor places where suspect5ed drug activities are in progress in order to arrest the suspects.
In a study conducted by concerned agencies on the bad effects of illegal drugs, a high percentage of criminal activities in the Philippines were found to be related to the use of illegal drugs involving some youth and adults.
“If the list of some names we have submitted to the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency(PDEA) are also found in their master list”, our source said, “then PDEA personnel together with the PNP officers will be closely monitoring the illegal activities of those confirmed drug dealers or pushers”.(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)
New Supercha Foodhaus 2 & Function Hall
Tel. no.(053)381-0929
Open Daily From Monday To Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m.; 4:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.
EXCEPT Sunday: 4:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.

Abby Dyanne’s Enterprises & Printing Press
169 E. Rosales St, Tagnipa, Maasin City, So.Leyte
Telefax no.(053)570-9759,mobile phone no.
09278609437; 09155555875; 09176323264
Services offer: Tarpaulin printing starts today, Sept. 5, 2011;
Photocopy; Risograph; Lamination; Calendars; Button Pins;
PVC IDs; Business Receipts; Photo Printing, etc.
Abigail Daclan Palermo, Proprietor/Manager

N.B.The eleven years old city of Maasin has no skin specialist yet until now. Only those w ho have the means can go to Cebu City for their skin problems. But those with little income cannot afford to go to Cebu for consultations. We hope that a skin specialist/dermatologist from nearby cities will be interested to put up a clinic here to serve those who have skin problems.

Law On Land Use Plan Is Extremely Important-GTZ Official

August 26,2011

Law On Land Use Plan Is Extremely Important-GIZ Official
By Quirico M. Gorpido,.Jr.

San Roque, Macrohon, So.Leyte-A law on land use plan is extremely important as the blueprint in the proper utilization of a certain country’s land resources.
The abovementioned statement was part of Dr. Walter Salzer’s speech during a recent turnover of the P3M worth Mangrove Resource Environmental Learning Center here that were attended by Congressman Roger Mercado, Governor Damian Mercado, Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo,11, GTZ(GIZ) officials, some municipal Mayors,PIA-Maasin Staff, Tacloban/Maasin media and PENRMO personnel led by Eva Abad.
In an interview with the press Salzer, Program Director and Principal Adviser GIZ(German International Cooperation)EnRD program, explained that a country like the Philippines should have its own Land Use Plan where its provisions would serve as bases on how its land resources could be properly utilized for the benefit of the people.
“With a law on land use plan”, he said, “anybody cannot just occupy a lot where he wants without the approval of a government authority”.
H e estimated that about 15 to 20 percent of the Philippine population were living in the forests” And the government cannot just drive them away from their settlements since there’s no specific provisions and rules whether their forest occupancies were legal or illegal”, he pointed out.
“With the Land Use Plan their are specific provisions and rules to follow’, he said, “whether the inhabitants with no lands can settle in the forests. Whether this or that vast tract of land is for agricultural production or for housing projects where the squatters can be properly settled; where the areas for industrial production and cottage industry are to be located; whether part of the provincial government lands could be allotted for the construction of commercial buildings; whether a particular area is a protected area for endangered species and mangrove plantations, others”.
Salzer implied that without Land Use Plan there’s a perennially improper utilization of a country’s great percentage of lands that are even unproductive.
The GIZ official also urged the LGUs to enact in their respective jurisdictions their own LUP with specific rules and regulations that should be strictly followed.”The law’s provisions should be strictly implemented by punishing the violators. Laws must have teeth that will bite the violators”, he stressed.
Salzer further emphasized that a national law on Land Use Plan should be supported by the representatives in Congress. He strongly persuaded Congressman Mercado to give his full support of the LUP Bill in Congress, which if it has already been finished on its third reading, might have been approved the soonest.
The GTZ (now called GIZ) has been providing funds for various government in Southern
Leyte, particularly in relation to the conservation, protection and preservation of the environment, it was learned.
He underscored that mangrove plantations in various municipalities of the province should be sustainably conserved and preserved. Mangrove trees are the natural habitat and breeding places for various fish species. It also serves as breakwaters of huge waves and lessens the adverse effects of flashfloods.
Recalling past incidence of great floods as high price to pay for cutting the plantations of mangroves that were naturally grown in Burma along its deltas and rivers, thousands of people were killed,Salzer unfolded.
Asked by PDI correspondent Jani Carbonilla Arnaiz how much funds the German Government has already released to the different areas of the country relative to their various projects,the GIZ Program Director of EnRD divulged that it has already reached an estimated of P18B which is equivalent to 50M Euro.
The speaker furthermore disclosed that 90 to 95 percent of the total land area in the country needs a comprehensive land use. “One of the reasons why there’s huge destruction of natural resources and large part of land are left unproductive is because of the absence of a Land Use Plan”, he claimed.
(Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Kinamot Sa Abgao Restaurant.Tel. no. (053)381-3878.
Villa Romana Hotel.13 airconditioned rooms with TV sets,etc.
Tel no.(053)381-0639.Tomas Oppus St.,brgy. Abgao, Maasin City.

Natasha Service Center/MSE Marikina Shoe Service Center,
A.Bantug Street,Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,Southern Leyte
Tel nos. (053)570-8144;(053)381-0430.

New Supercha Foodhaus 2 & Function Hall
Tel. no.(053)381-0929
Open Daily From Monday To Saturday
10:00 a.m. to 1:00p.m.; 4:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.
EXCEPT Sunday: 4:00p.m. to 10:00p.m.

N.B.The eleven years old city of Maasin has no skin specialist yet until now. Only those w ho have the means can go to Cebu City for their skin problems. But those with little income cannot afford to go to Cebu for consultations. We hope that a skin specialist/dermatologist from nearby cities will be interested to put up a clinic here to serve those who have skin problems.

I Leave My Case To My Lawyers-Duterte

Aug. 19,2011
I leave My Case To My Lawyers-Duterte
By Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Controversial Davao City Mayor Sara Z. Duterte disclosed that she left her case to her lawyers to unburden her mind from additional obligations that might affect her duties and responsibilities as a public servant in a big city.
“I have endorsed all the formal complaints to my lawyers who handle my case,”’she told the media in an ambush interview at the city hall here after the anniversary program held at the city gymnasium.
She said she allowed a group of human rights advocates who came to Davao to investigate regarding the past vigilantes activities happening in the city.
However, she said the group was not able to get negative feedbacks from the people of Davao themselves when probing of the past alleged drug pushers’/drug addicts killings in that place.
Also asked if she had already apologized to a court sheriff Abe Andres, who did not mind her request to postpone the demolition of settlers for 2 hours in Agdao District until she would arrive at the place to avoid violence.
Duterte informed that she sent somebody to negotiate with the sheriff for their one-on-one talk about the incident.
Nevertheless, the victim of the mayor’s punching “to defend on behalf of the poor settlers” told her that according to her emissary the latter has no personal grudge and that there’s no need for them to talk personally.
The Mayor also revealed to the press that in Davao City they have no PHILHEALtH program for indigents.Since based on their findings only 1/4 of the whole indigents’ membership would really avail of the PHILHEALTH services.
What they have instead is called “Lingap”,she said, whose funds is from the city government to provide financial assistance to indigent patients who were suffering from serous illnesses/diseases.”The funds were endorsed to the hospital’s management under the DOH”,she said.
Earlier, upon her arrival here as the guest speaker to the Eleventh Maasin City Charter Day anniversary celebration, she visited her relatives together with Mayor Maloney Samaco in brgy. Laboon, the place of her father Rodrigo Duterte and where the latter was born before moving to Mindanao in Davao where he found his niche.
On the other hand, the parade which was supposed to be participated in by different city offices, private and public schools/colleges was inevitably cut off due to continuous outpouring of rains. This was the very first time in the history of Maasin City Charter Day celebration that the early morning rains have occurred and lasted until eleven in the morning.
Meanhile,Mayor Samaco welcomed the visitors and the crowd inside the gymn.He introduced the guest speaker from Davao City who delivered a lengthy speech. The guesting of Duterte has led to the sisterhood agreement between Maasin and Davao.
The papers on the formal declaration of sisterhood shall be signed among the Maasin City officials’ and Davao’s on March 16,2012,the Charter Day anniversary of Davao,according to Samaco and Duterte.
Winners on various activities/events that transpired during the Charter Day celebration were the following: 1)2011 Maasin City Anniversary Muse-Ms. Guene A. Resos-brgy. Tomoytomoy; 2)Runner-up Anniversary Muse-Pamela Ann S. Canales-brgy.Mantahan; 3)2011 Fiesta Muse-Lelibeth S. Ligad-brgy. Asuncion; 4)Miss Smart and Best in Swimsuit-Guene Resos; 5)Most Photogenic and Best in Hataw Production number-Pamela Ann S. Canales; 6)Best in Sports Wear-Guene A. Resos.
Pabulhon GAames Winners: 1)Cookfest-First prize-Gregoria Amarille-Lanoa-P1,000; Second prize-Visitacion Damole-tawid-P800; Third prize-Carolina Abulog-San Rafael-P600.
2)Palay Pounding-First prize-Juan Siega and Melanie Siega-P1,000;-San Isidro; Second prize-Domingo Batestil and Willie Diaz-Batuan-P800; Third prize-Renato Alvarez and Sinforiano Padon-Nonok Norte-P600;
3)Coconut Husking-First prize-Gil Rojas-Bato 2-P1,000; second prize-Jerome Ozon-Gawisan-P800; Third prize-Manolo Marsada-Hinapu Dako-P600;
4)Carabao Race-First prize-Cresencio Saavedra-Bogo-P3,000; second prize-Mario Morales-Bagtican-P2,000; Third prize-Jacinto Delfoso-Hantag-P1,000;
5)Baroto Race-First prize-Joel Mantilla-Kabulihan-P1,000; second prize-Romeo Gonzales-Cabulihan-P800; Third prize-Robert Boiles-Combado-P600;
6)Pasol Contest(Catching Fish)First prize-Romeo Fileces-Tunga-Tunga-P1,000; second prize-Reynaldo Gaviola-Pasay-P800; Third prize-Joel Caube-Sto. Rosario-P600;
7)Piglet Catching(the one who caught a piglet owned it): 1)Isidro Bontog-Libertad; 2)Cesar Bug-os-Batuan; 3)Leomar Valdez-Cabadiangan; 4)Diego Quirong-Lanao; 5)Reynante Alberca-Hanginan; 6)Victor Magadan-Laboon; 7)Rudy Espere-Matin-ao; 8)Rolando Abande-San Agustin; 9)Jimmy Ranes-Pansaan; 10)Benjamin Pedragosa-Sto. Niño; 11)Donato Acasio-Malapoc Norte; 12)Bienvenido Ponce-Tigbawan;13)Linda Caube-Libhu; 14)Elena Galo-Lunas; 15)Leonila Bandibas-Bilibol.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Southern Leyte Celebrates Its 51th Founding Day Anniversary

July 11,2011

Southern Leyte Celebrates Its 51th Founding Day anniversary
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-The province o f Southern Leyte, comprising 18 municipalities and one city, has recently celebrated its 51th founding day anniversary at the provincial capitol grounds with a theme: “Southern Leyte: Sustaining The Growth”.
The celebration started with the parade at the Anatalio Gaviola plaza down to the provincial capitol. It was participated in by municipal mayors, Vice-Mayors and their respective Sangguniang Panlunsod members, provincial and city officials, heads of line agencies, including the public presentation of Miss Southern Leyte 2011 and her court
Mayor Maloney Samaco and Governor Damian Mercado delivered their welcome addresses during the anniversary program at the sunken garden’s public stage.
Also present at the stage were Vice-Mayor Ma. Effie Abiera-Sabandal and some City Councilors;Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo,11; ,some SP members,DPWH Regional Director Angel Sia,DAR Regional Director Castillo, Coral Cay representatives, Regional Tourism Director Karen Teopes and other personalities.
Congressman Roger Mercado in his short speech said “let us continue what we are doing” and urged the people of the province to be industrious,coursteous and hospitable in their dealings with different people including tourists that they are going to meet in their day to day living.
He also strongly enjoined the inhabitants to plant a variety of crops on their vacant lots and should give time also in clearing their respective places and surroundings.
Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri was still able to come as the guest speaker despite his busy appointments in some other places like North Cotabato and in Davao where he chose to visit the place on the eve of its anniversary so that he could come to Southern Leyte, he said.
However, he did not deliver any kind of meaningful speech, as if all he wanted to say were already spoken by other public officials.
Zubiri ,an adopted son of Southern Leyte who has had passed numerous laws in environmental conservation and protection, like renewable alternative energy and waste management ,among others,has merely repeated that indeed, in unity and teamwork, and with the cooperation of the constituents, a province like Southern Leyte can really move on to progress.
He likewise disclosed that whenever there’s an opportunity to talk about Southern Leyte, he always tells the people he knows to also include the place in their eco-tourism tour or perhaps invest in the province.
Plaques of Rajah Kolambo Awards were likewise handed over to the most outstanding Southern Leyteños 2011 by Governor Damian Mercado in behalf of the provincial government.
1)Vice-Mayor Ma. Effie Abiera –Sabandal-government service;2)Domingo P. Espina-retired government elected official and being the Mayor of the municipality of Libagon for 16 years and as COCOFED Partylist Representative-government service; 3)Patrick Rimbert S. Galia-international motorcross champion(young achiever category)-champion in various national, international and Asian motorcross competitions,65 class category,10 years old and below;4)Patrick Joseph S. Galia-international motor cross champion(young achiever category)-champion in various national, international and Asian motorcross competitions,50 class castegory,8 years old and below;5)Placida Go-Saga(Posthumous Award as writer/author/educator)- for her downright and deep concern and sincere interest in preserving the precious cultural heritage of the province through her book “Folk Poetry of Southern Leyte”.
Winners of Ms. Southern Leyte 2011: 1)Beryl Lynn Yu-Ms .Southern Leyte 2011-Sogod;2)First runner up Marian Mate-Anahawan;3)Second runner- up-Beverly Ann Orais-Maasin; 4)Third runner up-Shara Tibon-Bontoc; 5)Fourth runner up-Sheila Diokno-Macrohon.
Winner of showdown Sinugdan Festival: 1) Grand winner-Maasin;2)First runner-up-Bato;32)Second runner-up-Anahawan; 4)Third runner-up-Malitbog.
1) Best in street dancing-Bato, Leyte;2)Best in costume-Maasin; 3)Best in Choreographer-Kobol Abres-Maasin; 4)Festival Queen-Aisha Umacob-Anahawan.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Kinamot Sa Abgao Restaurant.Tel. no. (053)381-3878.
Villa Romana Hotel.13 airconditioned rooms with TV sets,etc.
Tel no.(053)381-0639.Tomas Oppus St.,brgy. Abgao, Maasin City.

N.B.The almost eleven years old city of Maasin has no skin specialist yet until now. Only those w ho have the means can go to Cebu City for their skin problems. But those with little income cannot afford to go to Cebu for consultations. We hope that a skin specialist or dermatologist from nearby cities will be interested to put up a clinic here to serve those who have skin problems.

Natasha Service Center/MSE Marikina Shoe Service Center,
A.Bantug Street,Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,Southern Leyte
Tel nos. (053)570-8144;(053)381-0430.

DA-8 Regional Director Urges Farmers To Practice Multicropping

July 8,2011


DA Regional Director Urges Farmers To Practice Multi-cropping
By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin City, Southern Leyte-Department of Agriculture Regional Director-8 has strongly urged farmers to practice multi-stories cropping on every hectare lot to increase plant yields.
This was the statement of Antonio Gerundio in his speech as guest speaker during the opening of Agri-Fish Fair and Garden Show held at mini-forest at the Capitol site.
He pointed out that farmers should not rely on one or two kinds of plants per hectare since with DA technology it can also be planted to other crops, aside from coconuts, vegetables, fruits, spices and rootcrops.
Referring the application of multi-cropping in Cavite, where the Cebuano DA Director has lived for the past 30 years ,he disclosed this was what the Caviteño farmers were doing for many years now.
“With this technique in planting variety of plants in every hectare of their lots”, he said, “the farmers in Cavite have earned more money from their harvests”.
However, Gerundio admonished that farmers, fisherfolks and those who want to engage in livestock industry, to seek the DA’s technical assistance to improve their harvests.
The DA Director also enjoined farmers to plant more jackfruit trees aside from the aforesaid crops and plants since this fruit will easily thrive in the area.”The 30 hectares in Ormoc planted to jackfruits are not even sufficient to provide adequate supply for our processing plant”, he said.
The Director further persuaded rich LGUs to join forces with the poor LGUs and work together to enhance their respective agricultural activities to increase productions.
Gerundio advised municipal mayors and DA officials to have their own road map on agriculture and fishery in their municipalities. This could serve as guide in identifying areas for suitable projects.
He emphasized that construction of fish port should only be located in strategic places to avoid duplication and that there will be no more grants on rice and corn.”The seed funds for the projects were already diverted to irrigation”, he clarified.”What we are offering now at Kagawaran are tractors for farmers”.
He said that request for tractors should be endorsed to his office by the Congressman and the Governor of a particular province.
He also unfolded that there’s money in agriculture and that milking carabao can give 10 to 16 liters of milk per day from 8 to 10 months period.
He also confessed he was able to send his children to college by raising milking carabaos to pay for the tuition fees of his college students.”I have even extra of 10 remaining animals after all my children have graduated from college”, he proudly said.”It depends upon how you apply a technique to earn money”.
The Agriculture Director has observed that many sons of farmers have no interest to follow the footsteps of their fathers and choose to take up other courses or work in big cities.
Nevertheless, he strongly persuaded sons of farmers/fisherfolks to follow the footsteps of their fathers by taking up courses related to agri-aqua.”We cannot be all doctors,engineers,architects,journalists,educators,anthropologists,etc.We also need group of agriculturists and farmers to engage in producing more and more rice and other foods for the people’s consumption”, he stressed.
On the other hand, Governor Damian Mercado divulged that there are now 26 fish sanctuaries in various municipalities of the province.
The Governor said that P10,000 shall be given to barangay officials to encourage them to protect the fish sanctuaries located in their respective jurisdictional areas so that it can increase its fish population.
For his part, Congressman Roger Mercado also enjoined the agricultural sector to plant more and more fruits,vegetables,rootcrops,rice,corn,spices and other crops and make Southern Leyte producer and not only consumer.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

P.S.The 10-year-old City of Maasin still has no skin specialist/dermatologist for several years now. Some people who have the means with skin problems can easily go to Cebu City.However,the less moneyed who have some skin afflictions cannot afford for that travel in Cebu for consultation.We hope there will be a skin specialist who is interested to open a clinic here, even for three times a week.

The Government Should Give Priority To Agriculture-Zubiri

July 8,2011

The Government Should Give Priority To Agriculture-Zubiri

By Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.

Maasin Citiy, Southern Leyte-Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri, guest speaker to the recent 51th Founding Day anniversary of the province of Southern Leyte stressed that the present Government and the incoming Presidency must give priority to agriculture to stop the importation of rice and other agricultural products.

The Senator expressed his concern during a presscon held at the Governor’s office as he observed that the nation’s agricultural sector was left behind compared to its neighbors in Asia when it comes to rice production and other agricultural plant produce.

When it comes to budgeting, ours has a very low, he said, than the DSWD, DOTC,DND.”During my schooling at UP Los Baños, Laguna my classmates were Vietnamese, Thailanders, Cambodians and from Laos”, he confided.”And they apply and practice what they’ve learned at UP. Vietnam and Thailand are now rice producers and where we have been getting our rice imports”.

He divulged farmers in the above-mentioned countries were supported by their Governments and cheap cost of tractors, while in the Philippines the farmers cannot afford to buy tractors due to prohibitive price comparable to Mercedez-Benz.

Zubiri pointed out that the Aquino Administration should provide the necessary assistance needed for the farmers-from technical to financial- to improve their productivity yields.”With good monitoring and caring of rice plantations and other agricultural plants, we can gradually stop importing rice and other products from other countries”.

To the areas of Mindanao like Cotabato and other places with similar flooding problems, he said, floodwaters can be tamed by constructing catchment basins in various strategic areas that would lead the abundant water to the newly-constructed dams, thus providing the needed waters to supply hectares of rice fields and other farms.

For the Leyte Island, there’s the need now for the Aquino Administration to provide funds for the improvement of the regional airport in Tacloban City to make it into a standard international airport like Mactan, Iloilo and Silay City in Negros, he said.”The improvements of the Tacloban airport would boost the eco-tourism in region 8 including that of Southern Leyte”.

As for the suggestion of abolishing the NFA due to some alleged anomalies, Senator Zubiri said that we should give time to the new NFA Secretary “to re-configure and re-install it into one that’s really worthwhile and effective in helping the farmers improve their lot”.

A concerned observer claimed that the NFA has only done the importation of tons and tons of rice, but are not helping the farmers.

Furthermore, the Chairman on Environment and Agriculture, also underscored that the incumbent President should make a long term plan for the development of the national infrastructures and agriculture and to alleviate, if not to eradicate, poverty.(Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Natasha Service Center/MSE Marikina Shoe Service Center,

A.Bantug Street,Tunga-Tunga,Maasin City,Southern Leyte

Tel nos. (053)570-8144;(053)381-0430.

Panny’s Homebake Products has transferred to a more better location

At the new SJC building infront of the SJC’s old building at Tomas Oppus St. Tunga-Tunga,

Maasin City.

Dr.Jocelyn Verrano Villamor,MD,DPAMLJ

Pediatrics,R.Kangleon St.,Abgao,Maasin City,

Southern Leyte.Tel no.(053)381-2371