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VOL. 15 NO. 28

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AUGUST 4-10, 2014

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Council slams mayor’s reps for being ‘worst presentors’

By Lalaine M. Jimenea

COUNCILOR TOMMY Serafica may be your typical mestizo and you would expect him to be an “Inglesero”, but he has a way with Bisaya that can put barbs in the right places.

In a joint committee meeting on Tuesday, August 5, to consider the city’s request for funding to repair the city hospital and jeepney terminals, Serafica chided the panel who came to defend the budget request for coming unprepared.

“Ato na lang ni tinambanon. Kun magpa-mercado ta og dos syentos pesos, mangayo man gani ta og sumada, kini pa nga minilyon, wa man gani sumada bisan gamay? …

Mura man ta og manlabay lang ani og kwarta,” he said, referring to some P 21-million that the city mayor’s office is asking to repair the New City Hospital that was not yet finished when super-typhoon Yolanda hit Ormoc last November 8.

The members of the joint committees noted that the representatives sent did not even know what the city executive or engineering planned to do with the money, nor could they show the program of works.

They could only repeat that the funds needed is just to bring back the hospital to “pre-Yolanda” level.

Councilor Vincent Rama was equally unforgiving. “You are in the engineering profession,” he said, “yet you are the worst presentors. Maybe you should hire somebody to present (your case) well.”

Rama also clarified that “it is our intention to rebuild that place (the hospital) but you must understand that we are using the money of Ormoc City. Mangapreso baya ta niani inyong kalakiha and mind you, I am not going to prison because of you.”

On the hot seat were Engineers Virgie Matuguina, Engr. Sonia Antonio and Arch. Maribeth Ebcas, together with a few more, who were among those sent to defend the fund request. In the end, Engr. Antonio admitted they were “just sent” on short notice to appear before the joint committee. Nobody from the city mayor’s office or executive department was even present because everybody was on other official businesses.

The budget request was heard by the committee on finance headed by councilor Mario Rodriguez, infrastructure committee chair Roland Villasencio, and ways and means committee chair Bennet Pongos Jr. see

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VSU President is EV’s Gawad Saka awardee BAYBAY CITY - Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo, VSU President, is the recipient of the 2013 Regional “Gawad Saka” Award (Outstanding Agricultural Scientist) for Eastern Visayas. Dr. Bacusmo received a trophy and a cash award of PhP30,000 from Regional Executive Director Bernadette F. San Juan during the Department of Agriculture–Regional Field Office No. 8’s (DA-RFO 8) culmination of the Farmers and Fisherfolks’ Month on May 30, 2014 at the DA-8 Multipurpose Hall in Tacloban City.

As regional winner, Dr. Bacusmo will be competing with other winners from the different regions throughout the country in the 2014 National Gawad Saka Search (Outstanding Agricultural Scientist), the most prestigious award conferred by DA to an individual who has see

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Dr. Jose L. Bacusmo (middle), VSU President, posing with the key officials of DA-RF0 8 (L-R) Regional Executive Director Bernadette F. San Juan, Gawad Saka Search Chair and RAFC Chairman Edgardo Codilla, OIC Regional Technical Directors Wilson A. Cerbito and Jenny Lyn R. Almeria, and Ms. Eva Christian T. Adora after receiving the Gawad Saka Award as Outstanding Agricultural Scientist of Region 8. Photo courtesy of RAFIS/DA-RFO 8.

Ben Chan poses with Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez and husband Richard Gomez, Vice-Mayor Toto Locsin Jr. and other LP city councilors after meeting each of the 100 boat recipients at the Ipil port.

Bench owner distributes 100 boats thru Lucy ORMOC CITY – Ben Chan of the Bench chain of stores, together with Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez and husband Richard Gomez, led in the turnover of 100 motorized boats to fishermen from various coastal barangays here on August 7, held at the abandoned port at the former sugar mill compound in Brgy. Ipil, this city.

Joining Chan and Gomezes were partymates vice-mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr., councilors Roland Villasenio, Tommy Serafica, Mario Rodriguez, Bennet Pongos Jr., and Vince Rama.

The motorized boats were donated by Mr. Ben Chan to Lucy’s “6200:Mission Possible”, a campaign of the congresswoman to

raise 6,200 motorboats to meet the needs of affected fishermen in the Leyte 4th district.

The congresswoman, in her short speech, said that it was Ben Chan who was among those who first responded to her call to help Ormoc and 4th district. “He donated see

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“Extra-Supermoon” seen in Philippine skies starting Sunday eve

Screengrab of the supermoon over Ormoc in 2012 as captured by blogger Maria Cecilia Velasquez-Franco and featured in her blogsite http://www.bastaigatsikat.com/2012/05/supermoontonight.html ORMOC CITY – Moon-gazers and sky-watchers in the country should be in for a beautiful sight of the biggest “Supermoon” of year, albeit they will have stay awake to see its glory at 2:10 early in the morning of August 11.

Here in Ormoc, expectations are high that the weather would be good then. The extended forecast at accuweather. com.ph for August 10 is that there would be a thunderstorm in the morning, but implies that by August 11, clouds will give way to the sun. Today, August 10, the skies were clear and the moon already shining its full glory even while it still had to reach its peak early morning of Monday.

This year’s “extra-supermoon”, on the other hand, will be seen at the Western Hemisphere on August 10, at 2:10 in the afternoon. The “extra-supermoon” will be seen again on the year 2034 or 20 years from now.

Technically, supermoon is called “perigee full moon.”

It is not that rare an occurrence, National Geographic reports. But what makes this “supermoon” an “extrasupermoon” is that it should be the biggest of the three supermoons this year. The first one was on July 12 and the third one on September 9 at 9:38 in the morning. By Lalaine M. Jimenea

STAR THEATER is TEMPORARILY CLOSED UP TO SEPT. 3, 2014

To give movie goers a better viewing experience and the latest in movie releases, Star Theater is migrating from 35-mm film to 2D equipment.

The management is asking its regular patrons to bear with the inconvenience as this will pave the way to better service.

Alleged drug personality ambushed near LandBank ORMOC CITY- A man who is on the Top 10 “watch list” for drugs was ambushed and killed by still unknown assailants at around 2:05 in the afternoon of Tuesday, at the busy corner of OsmeñaMabini Streets.

The victim was identified as one Alvin Oscar “Alo” Jaro, 39, married and residing at Brgy. Alegria, this city.

The victim was driving a black Toyota Corolla with plate No. GDN-135 when he was ambushed by two men riding tandem on a motorcycle. Police later traced the registration of the car to Brian Anthony Zaldivar, a brother of Albuera, Leyte councilor Neil Zaldivar.

The name of Zaldivar also figured in an shooting incident last March at Brgy. Linao, this city. At the PS3 blotter, the shooting victim who was unharmed was one Mambaning Limbona, reportedly the brother of another alleged drug personality Simban Limbona who used to reside in Brgy.

Tambulilid before a shootout at an illegal cockpit caused the deaths of three civilians.

The shooting victim then claimed that Zaldivar originally owned the car, also a black Toyota Corolla, which was then sold to policeman Reynaldo Mekitpekit, then him. He also named Mekitpekit as the one who shot him.

Ch. Insp. Ibrahim Jambiran, on the other hand, said that witnesses could not give him a good description of the killers because they were allegedly wearing bonnets and the motorcycle did not have a license plate. The presence of

VSU ... from P. 1 done outstanding research work in the field directly related to agriculture and fisheries.

As a result, the Gawad Saka National Technical Committee composed of Dr. Teodoro S. Solsoloy of the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agricultural Research (DA-BAR) and Dr. Roberto Rañola of the University of the Philippines Los Baños (UPLB) visited and interviewed Dr. Bacusmo on July 7-8, 2014 for field validation of his nomination as finalist to

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August 4-10, 2014

the 2014 National Gawad Saka Search for Outstanding Agricultural Scientist.

Other members of the team who were not able to come are Dr. Edralina Serrano of UPLB, and Ms. Digna L. Sandoval of DA-BAR. The criteria used in selecting the winner for the Regional/National Gawad Saka Award (Outstanding Agricultural Scientist) are as follows: a) Quality of scientific work – 32%; b) Productivity of the scientist – 23%; c) Creativity of the scientist – 20%; and d) Impact of research project/s conducted – 25% with a total of 100%.

Gawad Saka is an annual event of DA in cooperation with other government institutions, non-government organizations and the private sector which aims to give due recognition and to pay tribute to dedicated individuals and institutions whose exemplary accomplishments in their respective fields of endeavor and contribution in the country’s agricultural development are deemed worthy of emulation. By Jesus Freddy Baldos

Ambushed in broad daylight. Curious onlookers mill around the car that was ambushed in broad daylight by two men on a motorcycle.

20 LGU employees undergo surprise drug tests ORMOC CITY (PNA) - 20 employees of the city government here including five casuals, underwent a surprise drug test after motorcycles without plates in the city is very noticeable, this despite checkpoints having been put up in all boundaries of the city for months now.

A policeman manning the checkpoint said the orders to put up check points at the boundaries of LGUs, not only Ormoc, came from the regional command.

Sr. Supt. Jose Macanas, city director, on the other hand, said that the recent victim was caught by elements of the PS3 for drugs just last June. with a report of Paul Libres

the weekly flag raising on August 5 in the morning to ascertain who among its work force are possibly using illegal drugs.

Human resource management officer Adelaida Biacolo told PNA that the random drug tests were the first of a series to ensure of a drug-free work place.

The first batch was chosen through a draw and the result is expected in a week.

There were six who reportedly posted a positive result.

Biacolo added that those who are found positive will be endorsed to the Disciplinary Action Committee (DAC) for appropriate action.

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BENCH ... from P. 2 the whole inventory of his two bodegas from Tacloban and Ormoc”, she told the audience, who warmly cheered the donor for his generosity.

The Bench chain owner also donated cash to Lucy’s Help Rebuild Ormoc and Leyte 4, which the congresswoman used to buy

relief goods early on after Yolanda hit the region and later, shelter kits.

In his talk with the recipients, Ben Chan said he was happy to be personally around to distribute the boats to the recipients and was touched by their warm thank yous. He added that he also saw that Ormoc

and Lucy’s district needed more help and promised he would help raise more funds.

Rep. Torres-Gomez has distributed almost 500 boats already since she started the campaign. She said Bench donated more than 200 motor boats and the 100 was just the first batch.

Rappler, GMA 7 lead roster of speakers in Reg’l Schools Press Conference

EVSU campus journalists pose with Howie Severino, GMA’s multi-awarded news anchor.

BAYBAY, LEYTE - “Make your voices heard and change the world for the better. You are the most empowered generation in the history”, Howie Severino, multi-awarded multimedia Journalist and GMA News Anchor, told Region 8 Campus Journalists during the Regional Tertiary Schools Press Conference 2014 in Visayas State University, August 6-8.

Severino, also the Editor in Chief of GMA News Online, recalled how Journalism was before with only “pager” as the most techy gadget. Now, “everyone can produce News” because of the power of social media. However, ‘’speed is important but accuracy is king”, he reminded. He said that “the future of news will ride on the multi-screen behavior of consumers” which means that people doesn’t only rely on television for information but also, more oftentimes, in the internet particularly the social media. He emphasized that the Youth should appreciate whatever they have right now because no other generation have that. “Today’s youth is empowered to do good more than ever”, he added.

RTSPC 2014 is by far the most attended in the history with 231 delegates from over 20 State University and Colleges (SUCs) and Private institutions in the Region.

This year’s theme “Rebuilding Eastern Visayas through Campus Journalism” is where the discussions of the speakers revolved.

The set of speakers was country’s most known personalities in the field of Journalism and Public Service.

One of the speakers is Patricia Evangelista, award-winning debater, writer and documentary producer from Rappler, one of the most-relied online News page in the country.

Evangelista shared the ef-

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fective ways of telling stories by showing some documentaries from Rappler. “The documentaries were heart-felt and real. I almost cried”, said Dayne Ubay, one of the Campus journalists.

Other speakers also emphasized the importance of adopting new platforms of media and the consistent adherence to the Ethics of Journalism as discussed

by Prof. Ben Domingo, CHED chairperson for Technical Panel for Journalism and one of the fathers of the barefoot Journalism in the Philippines.

After the plenary sessions and lectures were series of competitions for basic Journalism skills.

In the awarding on the third day, EVSU-Tacloban was hailed Campus Press of the Year followed by Naval State University and EVSU-Ormoc, garnering the most number of awards in both the individual and group category.

Also a highlight of the event was the unveiling of the new “Campus Journ University” website, a makeshift version of campusjournalist.com. Prof. Jed Asaph Cortes, VSU Devcom Professor and one of the System Administrator of the Website, said that this will be made national and will be fully functional the coming weeks. Anyone, even non-student journalists, can contribute stories.

Cortes, also one of the RTSPC Judges in the contests said the Campus Journalism Region 8 has a dramatic improvement in terms of graphic and content. “We do what we do because we know there must be a better way”, he told the Students.

Also simultaneous to the Regional Press Conference is VSU’s 90th Anniversary. Delegates who were all billeted inside the campus were encouraged to roam around the University for Booths, affairs, and scenic views in the night and before they leave. By Jhay Gaspar

Celebrity promotion of charities “largely ineffective”, only increases their own popularity - study shows ACCORDING TO journal articles by three UK academics, “the ability of celebrity and advocacy to reach people is limited” and celebrities are “generally ineffective” at encouraging people to care about “distant suffering.”

The research, by Professor Dan Brockington, of The University of Manchester, Professor Spensor Henson, University of Sussex, and Dr Martin Scott, University of East Anglia, is published at time when many celebrities are campaigning for charity.

Professor Brockington and Professor Henson carried out two surveys, each of over 1,000 people to ask about celebrities and campaigning, as well as running focus groups.

They found that 66% of those surveyed could not link any celebrity with a list of seven well-known charities and aid organisations (NGOs) the researchers mentioned.

“Our survey found that while awareness of major NGOs brands was high, awareness of celebrity advocates for those brands was low,” they said in their article, published online in the International Journal of Cultural Studies.

“Instead it was plain from the focus groups that most people supported the charities that they supported because of personal connections in their lives and families which made these causes important, not because of the celebrities.

“The evidence suggests, therefore, that the ability of celebrity advocacy to reach people is limited, and dominated in Britain by some extremely prominent telethons and the work of a few stars.”

Celebrities did not support charities in order to promote themselves, but this was the unintended outcome of their work, the researchers said.

“Regardless of what celebrities may want in terms of publicity -- and the interviews suggest that many would seek to maximize the attention

given to their cause, and not to them -- it is clear that the celebrity can often do better out of this attention than their causes.”

The seven organisations that two-thirds of people could not associate celebrities with were: Action Aid; Amnesty International; CAFOD; Christian Aid; Oxfam; Save the Children and the Red Cross.

In a separate article in the same journal, Dr Scott said he had conducted focus group observations with 108 people, with almost half keeping diaries on their thoughts about poorer countries.

“In the diaries, only 6% of all entries were about celebrity humanitarianism -- almost all of which were about programmes or advertisements in the build-up to Comic Relief,” said Dr Scott.

“Celebrities were both valued for their seemingly instrumental role in drawing attention to worthy causes but, at the same time, this was often accompanied by cynical statements [written in the diaries] about their motivations for involvement or about the genuineness of their emotional responses.

“There were still a relatively large number of occasions in which seemingly authentic celebrities did appear to generate a distinct sense of proximity and agency vis-a-vis distant suf¬fering.” However, “overall, the results of this research suggest that celebrities are generally ineffective in cultivating a cosmopolitan engagement with distant suffering. In conversations about the mediation of distant others, research participants rarely talked about instances of explicit celebrity humanitarianism.”

The research has been flagged up by the Campaign for Social Science as significant for helping understand how charities can raise public knowledge of their work. Story Source: Manchester University/ScienceDaily

Celebrity English football player David Beckham, a UNICEF Ambassador of Goodwill, was among the celebrities to visit Yolanda victims in Tacloban City a few weeks after the supertyphoon hit.

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Clearing of debris from coconut lands should be done on industrial scale - Oxfam TACLOBAN CITY (PNA) -Oxfam, an international humanitarian organization that helps provide shelter and livelihood to affected families of typhoon Yolanda, especially from the agriculture sector, said that coconut debris clearing in typhoon-hit areas should adopt an industrial scale approach.

This was underscored Wednesday by Sabyte LacsonPagiuo, humanitarian policy advocacy for Leyte, saying that providing chainsaw to barangays will take some time before all coconut logs are cut and collected.

Millions of fallen coconut trees or coconut debris are left uncut almost nine months after

typhoon Yolanda devastated parts of Eastern Visayas that severely affected the coconut industry, Oxfam said.

The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) estimated that more than 13 million coconut trees destroyed by typhoon Yolanda need to be cut to prevent pest infestation, which could affect the replanting of coconut trees.

Of the 13 million fallen and damaged trees, more than 1.5 million are already processed said PCA regional manager Jose Pilapil.

Pilapil said that they have planned several approaches together with international nongovernment organizations (iNGOs) to address the concern.

Part of the strategies are to process the coconut trees into lumber and turned over to iNGOs for shelter; cut them into timber and sell to private sector or to bury it in the ground. The latter is not feasible as it has not been done yet in the country.

However, Sabyte said that it should be better handled in an industrial scale as there are machinery or equipment that are available to immediately address the problem.

The PCA should partner with an industrial company to cut all coconut logs and have them disposed as they have started to rot, Sabyte added.

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July 28 - August 3, 2014

An executive decision

Out of a comfort zone, please

EARLY THIS week, another suspected drug-related killing happened. An ambush happened at the middle of a busy part of the city, on broad daylight, indicating that the confidence level of criminal elements are very high in pulling such a stunt. It also shows their contempt for authority, both the uniformed and civilian authorities.

In the recent past, I have always been asked what our “officials” were doing about the problem. To be honest, it is a question that stumps me. And I have always tried to answer it honestly, and carefully, to avoid politics coloring it.

I have always maintained that the solution to our drug problem is an “executive decision.”

Meaning, its eradication or significant minimizing rests on the executive arm. If our mayor, who is/and has been given, at his disposal, P 6-million in “intelligence funds” is serious in funding an all-out campaign to eradicate the problem, then we should be seeing some results already.

Our vice-mayor and the council, on the other hand, can only support the mayor in his steps.

They already did this when they gave him access to the annual intelligence funds. On the first (and only?) Peace and Order meeting held, that was one of the important resolutions passed.

The intelligence funds are supposed to fund “covert operations” to gather “intelligence” on the city’s most pressing problems. At this time, drugs is still the top problem, cascading down to attendant ills like thefts and robberies, prostitution and even trafficking.

To take a more concrete example, let us take the case of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, a lot of who would want to become the next president.

If you will notice, we don’t even know who his vice-mayor is, or the names of his councilors.

The only time we knew who was Davao City’s vice-mayor was when Duterte slid down to make way for his daughter Sarah, who cuts a colorful figure on her own.

In a business conference at Bacolod City while still the vice-mayor, he introduced himself saying, “Kaila mu adtong Mayor nga babaye nga nanumbag og Sheriff, ako to anak. I can only imagine what my son-in-law goes through everyday with her.”

It is always Mayor Duterte who is given credit to solving Davao’s drug and peace and order problems. Why? Because he is the executive, and the executive powers that he has allows him to mobilize the police any time of the day, the resources they need like vehicles and gasoline, including intelligence funds to spy on the activities of our “lords of darkness” to effectively stop them from continuing their trade.

Here in our midst, we also need our executive to be strong. He does not have to be a Duterte. He just has to be the executive that he is, and take the decisive role that his position entails him to have.

In the few times that I have talked to the Mayor, I know he is a simple man with a good heart. Let us pray that in his good heart, he also would find the need for a just leadership. One who will strive to protect innocent constituents from a very damaging narco-problem.

WE MUST always be wary of our tendency to slide to our comfort zone that usually takes place in such subtle and deceiving way that we can even think that we are having a hard time while getting into it and wallowing in it.

Let’s always keep in mind what Christ said, ‘Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.’ This is the path we have to take in life.

This tendency to slide to our comfort zones comes as a result of the combined tricks of our wounded flesh, the world and the devil. In that state and condition, we of course would fail to do what we ought to do. We trigger a process of deterioration and decadence that can be accompanied by deceptive air of complacency and self-satisfaction.

Yet, in spite of all that, we actually never lose the sense of what ought to be done. God’s voice, no matter how muted and distorted, never fails to do some tapping at our consciences.

There’s nothing so bad and evil in this world that would completely silence that voice.

Our duty, of course, is to be like many of these high-fidelity gadgets that can quickly and faithfully register sounds so that we can hear God’s voice and feel the impulse that it usually gives us.

That voice and impulse actually give us the meaning and direction of the tasks we need to do at any given moment. They are an invitation to do things and to live our life not only by ourselves, with our own estimations of what is good, true and beautiful, but always with God, our Creator and Father, who made us to be like him.

Let’s never forget that our life here on earth has always been some kind of a struggle, a warfare. For those who believe in God, it is actually a war of peace and love, not of mere destruction, violence, and mere avid desire for power, wealth and fame.

It is a beautiful war that can make use of a richly equipped armory of spiritual and moral weapons. It is a war to attain our true dignity, or rather to recover it since we actually had it in the beginning of time but lost it through sin.

We obviously cannot and should not belittle the kind of enemies that we are ranged against.

They are powerful and skilled in all techniques of deceit. Still we can have God with us. He actually never abandons us and, in fact, would pay greater attention to us when he would find us in danger of losing our dignity.

But we need to correspond to his presence and his ways. That is our problem, since very often we lull ourselves with many earthly things that would make us deaf to God’s promptings and interventions.

These earthly things, for certain, have their objective and legitimate value, except that we tend to use them out of proportion or with motives that are not quite right and healthy. We use them mainly to get a feel-good effect or for some merely practical purposes.

Our work is one such earthly element that, while having a objective value, can take us away from God and from our real duties. That’s when our work leads us to activism, workaholism or

Mercy as National ID TODAY’S CHATTER on who will run in the 2016 elections demonstrates how our line of sight ends at the seashore. We rarely look beyond.

To what?

Consider this example. Come Wednesday, Filipino youngsters are among those invited, from 29 other Asian countries, to next-door South Korea. Pope Francis launches, from Daejon, the Sixth Asian Youth Day ceremonies.

Francis will beatify, at an August 18 mass, 124 Korean martyrs from the church’s first entry into this East Asian nation in the 18th century. It will also demonstrate what CNN has aptly called “The Francis Effect.”

Start asking Catholics and atheists alike.

Suddenly, it’s easy to find people -- gays to divorced couples --- eager to share how one man, in just over a year, has tapped into their pain and gave hope.

Focus on the numbers and you miss the story, cautions the Rev. John Unni of Boston.

There are plenty of ex-Catholics, as in Latin America. “But now many are now deciding whether to come to the party.”

Since his election as 265th successor to Peter, in March 2013, Francis has flayed bishops who spend money “like they’re auditioning for MTV Cribs.” He chastised priests who forget they’re servants, not princes.

He assailed the Italian mafia, on its own home ground, ex-communicating them. Instead, he visited families of those assassinated

by Mafiosi who go to church, to offer comfort.

Francis called for a truce in the culture wars, refused to judge gay people and reached out to Muslims, Jews and those of other creeds. He hugged a man covered with tumors, washed the feet of Muslim prisoners and wore a clown nose -- just for giggles.

Francis formed a group of cardinals from developing countries-- to reform the Curia, the Vatican bureaucracy that has a reputation for shady deals. None were Italians. He refused to live in the Apostolic Palace, chosing spartan lodgings at a Vatican hostel.

“Just before taking off for Korea, he showed up, got his tray, not silverware, stood in line and we served him,“ recalls cafeteria chef Franco Piani. He then ate with the workers from the Vatican’s pharmacy, chatting about their families, soccer, the economy.

The whole time, people were snapping the

inevitable selfies with their cameras, cellphones and iPads. He wasn’t bothered a bit. After giving the group his blessing, he left in his assistant’s car to his Domus Sancta Martha residence. “We were all caught off guard,” Piani said. “But it was one of the best things that could happen...”

Francis made the cover of Time, the New Yorker, Rolling Stone and The Advocate, a gay and lesbian magazine. He said it’s immoral when the media reports every move of the market but ignores the death of a homeless person.

Be open and merciful, he urged bishops.

Forget the robes and support young people in making a mess in the streets; to secure justice for the poorest. Be a field hospital for this sinsick world... Pew Research Center poll says more than 71% say he’s a change for the better.

“Those kinds of numbers haven’t been seen since the prime of Pope John Paul II.” What Maureen Sterk likes most about Francis, though, is the way he’s changed the church’s tone: from ‘Thou Shalt Not’ to ‘Thou Shall’. “This is not a slam on Benedict or John Paul II,” she adds. “Those Popes just spoke a different language, wrote for a different crowd.”

An accordion player, Duns describes the difference between Francis and previous popes in musical terms. “He’s got his own sense of the beats of the church. He’s more merengue than Mozart.”

Francis was ordained a Jesuit priest in 1969 and led the society’s Argentine branch from 1973 to 1979. He says he joined the Jesuits for three reasons: their missionary spirit, their community and their discipline.

Because of the Pope’s popularity, inquiries to join the Society of Jesus doubled in the last year, to five or six each week, says the Rev. Chuck Frederico, vocations director for the Jesuit provinces on the US East Coast. “Many of these men who want to join the Jesuits say they heard about the society through Francis.

Some haven’t been to church in years.”

As archbishop of Buenos Aires, Bergoglio turned the palace into a hospital run by a religious order for the poor. He took the bus to work from his rented two-room apartment. He recruited priests to go into the city’s most dan-

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MERCADO

LALAINE MARCOS-JIMENEA Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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FR. ROY

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Administrative Assistants ELVIRA MARTINITO & ROSENDA CELIZ (Ormoc Office) Authorized Representatives: ARSENIA BENDO (Calbayog City) • EMILY ABAD/AIREEN ARONDAIN (Biliran) • KAREN ANN H. SABIO (Balangiga, E. Samar) • MARITESS MASENDO (Hilongos) • CHARISA ECHAUZ (Guiuan, E. Samar) NILO BORDIOS (Borongan City)

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July 28 - August 3, 2014

‘I am P-Noy’ balloon finally went pffft?

EVER SINCE he was sworn into office as President, P-Noy held sway with his popularity rating. It seems the so-called “honeymoon” was finally breached. Now that his term has only two more years to go, he himself could not believe his eyes that his rating plumetted down to 45% from the stratospheric over 80%. His siblings tried to stem the crash dive but it went for naught.

Sister Kris may have made some effort but she herself is down in her own rating with her various incursions with love affairs involving married men. She seems to have a low regard with her fellow showbiz personalities. The feeling is mutual. She appears to be more moneyed than her “ates.”

The dive of P-Noy’s rating with SWS and with Pulse Asia seems to have started in his preSona days. If this is so, the drop can be considered to have exacerbated when he behaved like a “spoiled brat” with his bashing of the Supreme Court (SC). Even his show of “wet eyes”, as if to let the melodramatic behaviour play on the sentiments of his “bosses”, the general mass of people. His request for a show of force by wearing anything yellow ended in a dud because the activist crowd came out with colors other than yellow -- peach, red, black and others.

The Movement for Good Governance led by Ms Solita Monsod of the UP gave him a grade of 6.11 or “50 - 50.” At 7.5, he would have been “on track” on his fourth year in office. According to the account that appeared in the Sun Star issue of 4 Aug 2014: “from the red carpet to the floor of House of Representative (the venue of his Sona), from gowns to ribbons and wrist looms, the war of colors has spilled over to the streets and later to public functions.” From the same source, it went on to state what Sona did not say: “no attack on Supreme Court; no gloating over arrest, detention of three Senators; no mention about FOI or the speedier apparatus of justice and arrest of high profile fugitives.”

Speaking of the supposed involvements of other Senators, where are they now? The Ombudsman only focused on the three Senators.

How about some of the members of his Cabinet?

Is there such a thing as partial justice? This practice leaves a feeling of bitterness on the part of the detained ones. Easily it can be gleaned that the President lack the maturity demanded

Beautiful math of the Office of the Executive Department.

After the end of his term, how will he view his performance? No doubt his parents -- both Cory and Ninoy -- will move in their tombs. This corner can safely say that Kris, his sister with a blemished morality, may even be worthier than him in the long run. rrr

Who ever thought of the idea to put up PNoy to run for reelection must have rocks in his head? Do you mean to say that they will violate the Constitution? Are we bereft of a leader that we will just use one who became President by accident?

The US Constitution had to be amended because the people could not forgive themselves that their President, Franklyn D. Roosevelt died in office on his fourth term, because the same people continued to vote for him. They could not forget that he bailed them out of their depression and brought them back to the road of prosperity. Because of the said amendment, their President can only have one reelection.

Their term of office is only four years.

In our case, our 1987 Constitution came up with a 6-year term because the delegates to this Constitution, after much deliberation about a 4-year term being too short for a good president but too long for a bad one, decided to make it one 6-year term.

There is this move to extend the term for Pres. P-Noy and the idea stemmed from Sec. Mar Roxas. What gives? Quid pro quo? Does it mean that Sec. Roxas is still harboring a come back? He seems to be behaving like he is likely to be placed in a straight jacket. Does he have the blind ambition to run for president? He had his chance but the opportunity is not there any more. Maybe, he is only good up to where he is now. Opportunities come and go like a will o’ the wisp. He has had his chance but he bungled it when he committed the biggest boo boo of them all during his first visit to Tacloban after super typhoon Yolanda struck. The rest is now history. A lot of things favored him at the start, but karma must have set in. He will just have to write his memoirs so that his family of nationalists will be at peace in their graves.

Becoming the future DO WE ever forget people? Or say, do we have someone who is for us, but just haven’t found that one yet? Do we really have friends whom we could depend on and knock on their doors when we need help and expect the most generous assistance when we badly need it?

Or everything could be explained by some genetic and psychological sense, that’s why we meet certain types of people within our life –everyday.

I am a college student, a maritime student actually who is about to take my apprenticeship abroad. During my elementary and high school years, I’ve been joining quiz bees and other extracurricular activities to stretch out my core being, with the prospect of becoming versatile on all academic aspects that I deemed achieving during that time. It’s contemptuous to be on the bracket of “the least privileged”, and I’ve done everything to prove to myself of the future to reaching a better goal, a brighter future and a more fixed prospect about how my life would go as I want it to be.

Back then, I proudly bragged that we could still eat three times a day with nutritious food on the table for the family to chow. Until I graduated from high school, received scholarships from various universities and institutions, which I found pleasing and challenging. My mother then decided to work on the Metropolis as a baby sitter to take care of other’s children.

It takes a lot of determination and courage to leave your four corners, and take good care of what’s not yours, especially if you know that

I AM “mathematically challenged” and only see a jumble of letters, numbers, and funny Greek symbols. In short, I am poor in math, which is a complete understatement by itself.

In grade school I had difficulty memorizing the multiplication table even if I was a quick study with everything else then. Numbers elude me and equations and derivations are nightmares. Others of course feel differently.

Mathematical equations are considered beautiful by mathematicians that register in the same parts of the brain as music and art, a team of scientists has found in a new study.

In the study, scientists put a group of 15 mathematicians in an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) scanner as they looked at some 60 mathematical equations. They were told to rate them on a scale of beauty and ugliness. When the team looked at the results of the scan, they found the medial orbitofrontal cortex lit up most often alongside perceived beauty, suggesting to the team that “there is something abstract and emotional about beauty.

The study could hint at a number of implications. On the surface, it helps explain how we humans process notions of beauty — that not all of us regard the same objects as beautiful because beauty isn’t wired into us. It may be the case that beauty isn’t necessarily the result of a fascination with symmetry and balance.

Beauty could emerge from lopsided, crooked things like Picasso paintings that still illuminate a deeper truth.

And ultimately, the study could answer the most fundamental question of all — whether it is through the experience of beauty that we learn something about our universe and our reaction to it, since the brain has developed and evolved and what it finds beautiful must also be related to qualities in our environment and to our needs.

The Gospel on Sunday AUGUST 17, 2014 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time Matthew 15: 21 - 28 And Jesus went away from there and withdrew to the district of Tyre and Sidon.

And behold, a Canaanite woman from that region came out and cried, “Have mercy on me, O Lord, Son of David; my daughter is severely possessed by a demon.”

But he did not answer her a word. And

Beauty is often talked about in terms of the fleeting and the ethereal. We can’t quite pinpoint what makes something beautiful, but we can come close. A Roman marble sculpture may possess a certain grace, while a symphony of Beethoven may invigorate its audience, and both can be beautiful for different reasons. Now researchers suggest mathematical equations also live in the same neural neighborhood as these commonly held forms of beauty.

The mathematicians usually profess an emotional experience when they see a beautiful equation, researchers said. They therefore suspected that, as with other experiences of the beautiful — in visual arts or in music — there will be activity in the part of the emotional brain that correlates with the experience of beauty.

The orbitofrontal cortex is perhaps the least understood region of the brain. Though scientists believe it’s primarily responsible for decision-making, it has also been thought to mediate addiction, learning, and emotion.

Among those emotions are feelings of enjoyment, derived from experiences that have been described as beautiful — a painting, or a song.

But is beauty limited to the arts?

In human psychology, there’s a phenomenon that occurs among the experts of a given field.

While beginners of a certain activity, be it table tennis or chess or the violin, start on their path toward mastery by learning the necessary motor skills and basic strategy, experts operate on a different plane. Their arsenal of fine motor skills, perceptual acuity, and discreet reactionary differences all culminate to produce a more robust, and indeed, fundamentally different mental picture.

his disciples came and begged him, saying, “Send her away, for she is crying after us.”

He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.” And he answered, “It is not fair to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.”

She said, “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” Then Jesus answered her, “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire.” And her daughter was healed instantly.

NI ATTY. MANING GOLO

Marriage Settlement

you’ve got no one to depend on, not even your closest relatives.

The Personal Choice I dreamt of becoming a Geologist and a Lawyer until the clouds above me darkened and struck me with the sharp fangs and blades of practicality –“enroll in maritime course”. It took me lot of months to un-drive myself from those dreams and “just become a seaman” and this decision was influenced by parental consee

FUTURE

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Dear Atty. Golo,

Dear Madame T,

Tinood si Mommy D dunay uyab?

Kinsa gani ang pangalan? May “chance” pa tingali ko maminyo kay bata pa man ko kay ni Mommy D. 59 years old ko.

Next year, mo “retire” na ko. Dunay nanguyab nako nga habal-habal driver, ang tinghatod nako sa eskwelahan. Wa pa nako sugta, ako lang gisaadsaaran aron malibre ko sa plete. Ang iyang motor, inutang unya wa pa ma “fully paid.”

Kon makigminyo ko niya, basin ako’y pabayron kay hibawo man siya nga duna koy “retirement.” Gwapohon baya si Eduardo. 40 anyos siya. Kon magminyo me, pwede ako siyang papermahon nga wa koy labot sa iyang utang?

Pwede ang imong gusto nga magpenermahay mo si Eduardo nga wa kay oblligasyon sa iyang utang sa motor. Mao ni gitawag og “marriage settlement” (Art. 75, Family Code) diin inyong sabutan ang inyong mga katungod og katungdanan, og mga “property relations” sa dili pa ang kasal. Sa ato, tagsa ra na mahitabo.

Kay ang kasagaran, mag-inonongay man ang magtiayon, sa kasakit og kalipay, sa kapait og kaharuhay. Mao diay nga wa pa ka maminyo kay bentahusa ka. Gusto ka’g sakay-sakay nga way plete-plete. Bahin ni Mommy D, wa ko kahibawo kinsay uyab niya kay di ko tsesmosa pareha sa imoha.

Matinahuron, Madame T

Imong amigo, Manny G. Golo e.g.gololaw@gmail.com 09155595449

People, News

6 DATAMex scholarships at the OWWA TO INTENSIFY the OWWA I. T. Program, OWWA-RWO8 in connection with the Kuwait Filipino Mother’s Organization, is giving Three (3) Certificates of Scholarship to Three (3) qualified indigent beneficiaries of Former OFWs who once became an OWWA member.

This scholarship program is open to qualified beneficiaries (a sister/ brother of an unmarried or child of a married OFW) of Former OFW-members of OWWA who are graduates from high school and who wish to pursue their tertiary education. OWWA-RWO will conduct a case study to make sure the priority of the indigent beneficiaries of former OFWs. Qualified scholars will be enrolled at DATAMEX Institute of Computer Technology-Tacloban Campus taking a 2 year course and allied courses of their choice for the next semester of this School Year 2014-2015.

Requirements to comply and submit are: Accomplished form with 2pcs. 2x2 recent and identical photos, Proof of OWWA Membership (Official Receipt, OWWA I.D., or O.E.C.), Proof of Relationship to OFW (NSO issued Birth Certificate of applicant if the OFW is married; NSO issued Birth Certificate of the applicant and OFW if OFW is unmarried, and an NSO issued CENOMAR of the OFW), and Secondary School Record (Form 137).

Interested applicants are requested to visit OWWA-RWO8 at DOLE Compound, Trece Martires St., Tacloban City or call/text 0916-594-5715 and look for the I.T. Instructor Mr. Ric Tabarnero. PR

Are you the next Ms Scuba Philippines?

CALLING ALL interested applicants for the national search, Miss Scuba Philippines 2014, only 2 weeks left until the deadline of submissions on August 15.

Get a chance to winP 150,000.00 and represent the country in the international pageant Miss Scuba International, at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

This year’s national pageant will be held at the Pacific Cebu Resort, managed by Sáv Hospitality in Brgy. Subabasbas, Lapu-lapu City, Cebu on September 26.

Miss Scuba Philippines 2014 will have the privilege to vie for the crown during the 2-week international pageant, with a culminating pageant night on November 28.

The Miss Scuba International pageant, with its mission “Saving Oceans through Beauty,” started in 2011 and is founded by Mr. Robert Lo who is a strong believer in sustainable development within the realms of the marine environment.

Lo hopes that through this pageant, it will enable more people to understand how fragile the oceans are and how to make a big difference by protecting it.

Pacific Cebu Resort Acting Hotel Manager Mr. Reynold Belandres said that “this one-of-a-kind pageant promotes scuba diving and ocean preservation while celebrating the inner beauty and courage of today’s women.”

Belandres added that the pageant also aims to promote safe diving practices through worldwide professional training organizations, and to elevate international tourism and cultural appreciation.

Last year, Miss Scuba Philippines Christine Paula Love Bernasor from Ormoc City won first runner-up, coming in second to winner Jaime Lee Faulkner from United Kingdom.

Do you have what it takes to bring home the crown for the Philippines?

For interested contestants, you may visit facebook.com/MsScubaPH or email msscubaph@gmail.com for complete details and application forms. PR

Malaysian hotels offer supervisory course

THE MALAYSIAN Association of Hotels Training and Education Centre (MAHTEC) is inviting hospitality management, hotel and restaurant management and tourism graduates to enroll in a six month supervisory program in Malaysia.

MAHTEC general manager Sahak Ahmed said that participants will undergo an intensive 30-day program before participating in a full time supervisory internship allowing them to be Certified Hospitality Supervisory Programme (CHSP) awardees.

He also added that the program is ideal for holders of relevant degrees in the hospitality and tourism sectors, below the age of 26, and wishing to obtain supervisory skills training. The certificate offered will be advantageous, as both Malaysia and the Philippines, head towards the ASEAN integration in 2015.

MAHTEC has opened its training facilities and programs to students and young professionals from other countries. In the Philippines, it has tied up through, it’s training partner AXSEL Management International Sdn Bhd and local company, Selrahco Management & Consultancy Services to offer service training opportunities.

According to Sajeeb Vidyasagaran, AXSEL director for marketing, the program will cost USD2,000 program fee, that will also cover board, lodging and a monthly allowance for the 6-month program.

MAHTEC is owned and managed by the Malaysian Association of Hotels (MAH). As the training arm of the Association, it is committed towards human resources development and strongly believes that investment in human resources is the key factor for growth, sustainability, productivity and profitability in the hospitality industry.

MAHTEC represents over 700 three-star and above hotels and resorts in Malaysia with a total of P200,000 rooms.

Hospitality institutions and local universities are welcomed to offer the supervisory course with its internship program, allowing its students to gain international experience.

Hotels and resorts may also wish to send qualified staff for supervisory training in a proper and reputable academy.

Applicants who wish to leave for Malaysia for their internship for the second semester are advised to submit their applications 8 weeks prior to their departure date. Interested applicants can email enrollmahtec@gmail. com or contact 0922 859 6363. PR

Ormoc powerlifters shine once more in Nationals THREE ORMOCANO Powerlifters shone at the Philippine National Open & Age Group Championships held at Robinsons Place in Imus, Cavite last August 2014.

They are Anita Koykka, Regie Ramirez, both of who are already record holders, and newcomer Melvin Platero.

Tony Koykka, their coach, said they could only send three members of the Zest Power Gym because of financial constraints. They had to drop Letecia Mangcao, who is one of the country’s top female lifters, because of the lack of sponsors.

This year’s national competition was participated by more than 200 lifters, one of the well-attended competition in years.

It was also the first time that there were categories for “Developmental Athletes,” who are less than 14 years.

Under International Powerlifting Rules, only lifters 14 years and older can compete in any

official competition sanctioned

by IPF or regional and member countries’ federations.

The Powerlifting Association of the Philippines included the Developmental categories to widen the grassroots base for the sport of Powerlifting.

Young athletes numbering over 50 came from the Leyte Sports Academy in Tacloban City, the University of the East in Manila and University of the Philippines-Diliman.

Koykka said competition proper went smoothly for our veteran lifters. His wife, Anita, who won National Women Open 57Kg category, Masters 1&2 57 Category and was named Best Female Lifter. He said Anita’s lifts were “not her best” but still impressive for the Squat 155Kg, Bench Press 92.5Kg and Deadlift 160Kg, for a total of 407.5Kg Regie Ramirez, who won National Men Open 59Kg category & Junior 59Kg category, was also named the Best Male lifter.

Photo above shows the Zest Olympic Gym team in a group pose, showing o medals. From the left: Melvin Platero, coach Tony Koykka, Anita Koykka, L Mangcao and Regie Ramirez.

Regie Ramirez is selected to represent the Philippines in the World Juniors’ Championships to be held in Hungary on September. For Regie, the Imus competition was only a check-up of his training program before the World Championships.

Regie’s lifts were Squat 210Kg, Benchpress 132.5Kg,

Deadlift 230Kg, giving a total of 572.5K Newcomer and future top lifter M Platero won Sub-Juniors 66Kg categor to everybody’s surprise, also the Nationa Open 66Kg category. Melvin’s first time i and important competition showed his n calmness and concentration ability to be a top athlete in the future. Melvin’s lifts impressive for Squat 165Kg, Benchpress 1 Deadlift 167.5Kg giving a total of 447.5K

OCCCI holds outreach program as pre-anniv activity Ina’s

Household Tips

By Ina Larrazabal-Gimenez

Softdrinks & Diabetes UH-OH, for soda lovers like me, you should read this. Got this from Harvard site. Might want to think twice before drinking soda the next time.

Strong evidence indicates that sugar-sweetened soft drinks contribute to the development of diabetes.

The Nurses’ Health Study explored this connection by following the health of more than 90,000 women for eight years. The nurses who said they had one or more servings a day of a sugar-sweetened soft drink or fruit punch were twice as likely to have developed type 2 diabetes during the study than those who rarely had these beverages. (52) Learn more about diabetes.

A similar increase in risk of diabetes with increasing soft drink and fruit drink consumption was seen recently in the Black Women’s Health Study, an ongoing long-term study of nearly 60,000 AfricanAmerican women from all parts of the United States.

(53) Interestingly, the increased risk with soft drinks was tightly linked to increased weight.

In the Framingham Heart Study, men and women who had one or more soft drinks a day were 25 percent more likely to have developed trouble managing blood sugar and nearly 50 percent more likely to have developed metabolic syndrome.

Source: hsph.harvard.edu

For comments or suggestion, you can write to me at inashouseholdtips@yahoo.com or add me “iht EV” at Facebook. Also, if you would like to share some of your tips, feel free to do so by writing me, your name would be properly acknowledged.

PROUD KIDDIE SAVERS. The pupils of Sto. Domingo Elementary Sch Kananga, Leyte proudly hold up their passbooks together with their spo OCCCI CEO Jose Mosquite is the tall an in the middle.

KANANGA, LEYTE – The Metro Ormoc Community Multi-purpose Coop (OCCCI), in partnership with JRM Chain of convenience stores and Knights of Columbus Council No. 9183, conducted a joint outreach program at Brgy. Sto. Domingo, this town, on August 1 and 2.

The outreach was held at the Sto. Domingo Elementary School. There, the program sponsors gave each of the school’s 101 pupils a passbook each for “OCCCI alKansYa”, with initial deposits of P50.00, to start them up on a saving program. They will build up on the initial deposits which can only be withdrawn on high school graduation, intended to be a seed money for the college or tertiary schooling.

A feeding program followed the distribution. Parents, meanwhile, were oriented about the benefits of OCCCI membership.

On the second day was a free cal and dental check-up.

“Gipili namu ang Sto. Do tungod kay minus ang panginab diring dapita”, said Jose Mos OCCCI Chief Executive Officer He also said that in order to m the savings of the children, they w sending staff from OCCCI Kana visit the school once a week to the kids’ savings, especially tha Domingo is far from the poblaci The outreach program is p OCCCI’s pre-anniversary mont celebration.

Aside from the outreach pro there will be series of activities s the Fun Run and Culmination gust 30, and the 2nd Laboratory Leaders Contest for Kids. This w held at the OCCCI Central Offic Jhay Gaspar

Money you know you need or want to spend in the next few years is savings. M you keep handy for an emergency belongs in savings. Money you hope to use soo a down payment on a house belongs in savings. And all savings belong in a low bank savings account or money market account.

- Suze Orman

s & Opinions P-Noy’s 5th State of the Nation Address

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[This is the 2nd and last installment of the English translation of the speech delivered at the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa Complex, Quezon City, on July 28, 2014] It passed the scrutiny of our cabinet clusters; according to the holistic post-disaster needs assessment that was conducted, the plan encapsulates the needs of our countrymen. This plan was formulated as a result of the dedication of Secretary Ping Lacson, whom we tasked with focusing on the challenges left by Yolanda.

I am hoping for the cooperation of Congress, because a large sum is necessary in order to help our countrymen make a full recovery.

Let us remember: God proposes, but man disposes. This is likewise the idea behind our efforts for disaster preparedness. We are strengthening the capabilities of our LGUs, who are the frontliners in times of disasters, through a modern and comprehensive forecasting system.

Through the DREAM-LiDAR project under Project NOAH, for instance, we can more efficiently pinpoint areas that are prone to flooding. 19 out of our targeted 20 river systems have already been mapped, to determine which areas immediately suffer from the effects of torrential rain.

Because we can more efficiently determine when and where typhoons will affect us, today, we are able to give our LGUs sufficient warning—and thus give them ample time to prepare, and to evacuate their constituents. If we were to add the efficiency of LGUs to our already-efficient forecasting system, then, without a doubt, countless lives can be saved. In Albay, which recently had to endure the wrath of Typhoon Glenda, there were no recorded casualties attributed to the storm, thanks to the effective leadership of Governor Joey Salceda.

And if a province that is considered a highway for storms can achieve this, is there any doubt that any and all other LGUs can achieve the same?

Let us now talk about security. We are aware of the challenges our country faces, and we also know the high cost of the equipment we need. Today, I am glad to report to you the ongoing modernization of the AFP. We have acquired brand new assets, including 8 Sokol Combat Utility Helicopters, 3 AgustaWestland-109 helicopters, and the first landing craft utility ship built right here in the country: the BRP Tagbanua. 4 refurbished UH-1 helicopters and 2 navy cutters have also arrived.This past May, we also inaugurated the Naval Forces West’s state-of-the-art Command Center in Palawan.

Next year, 2 out of the 12 FA-50 lead-in fighter jets we procured will arrive in the country. [Applause] We expect the rest to be delivered in 2017. We are also targeting the acquisition of an additional 8 Bell combat utility helicopters, 2 anti-submarine helicopters, 10 more AgustaWestland-109 helicopters, 2 light-lift aircraft, 3 medium-lift aircrafts, radar systems, all of which are brand new. These, along with other new equipment, will boost the capacity of our Armed Forces.

Meanwhile, we are expecting the delivery of 17 additional refurbished UH-1 helicopters by September of this year.

The M4 assault rifles we bought for our soldiers have likewise arrived. In the next few months, the total number of rifles that will be in the hands of our soldiers: 50,629 units. On top of this, through a correct and transparent procurement process and the honest management of funds, we were able to save more than 1.2 billion pesos. which we will use to purchase even more rifles.

I must emphasize: all these rifles are brand new and of good quality from a veteran manufacturer. Was it not true that, before, our funds were depleted in the purchase of Kevlar Helmets that were not even according to specification? Instead of buying them from the U.S., these helmets were purchased from another country. There has already been a conviction over this matter. The investigation of a judge who was allegedly involved, which was ordered by the Supreme Court, has been concluded as well, and we are awaiting their verdict.

We are continuing our pursuit of enemies of the state and lawless elements for the crimes they have committed. For example: We apprehended the Chairman and Secretary General of the NPA this March. Normality and order are now returning to the 31 provinces previously troubled by the NPA. The image of our police has changed. Proof of this are the 30 policemen, led by Inspector Charity Galvez, who repelled an estimated 250 NPA members who stormed their precinct in 2011. [Applause] Just last March, four rookie policewomen bravely exchanged fire with the Martilyo Gang in the Mall of Asia. It is indeed fortunate that we have already reached a 1:1 police-to-pistol ratio, which is why these rookie policewomen were issued brand new guns. Before, the needs of our police force went ignored; today, the state is taking care of them, and indeed, they are matching this support with efficient and upright service. [Applause] Let us listen to our brave policewomen: Testimonials of Juliet Macababbad, Marcelina Bantiyag, Maricel Rueco, and Delia Langpawen—policewomen who arrested members of the Martilyo Gang PO1 Juliet Macababbad: We heard glass breaking, and my partner and I immediately went on alert.

PO1 Marcelina Bantiyag: The first thing that came to my mind was to draw my gun, because I knew that they would be ready to shoot at us—we were in uniform.

PO1 Maricel Rueco: My partner, PO1 Bantiyag said, “I’ll cover you. Call our Police Community Precinct.”

PO1 Marcelina Bantiyag: We caught one of the gang members.

PO1 Delia Langpawen: It was only our fourth day on the job, at that post. And then that happened.

PO1 Juliet Macababbad: Every police officer needs a gun.

Thankfully, they issued us a Glock 17 Generation 4.

PO1 Marcelina Bantiyag: Guns are essential to us. If some-

7

thing bad happens when you’re on patrol, you’re confident that you can engage.

PO1 Juliet Macababbad: It feels good when you know you’re able to help your fellow citizens. Whatever a man can do, a woman can do just as well.

PO1 Delia Langpawen: Even if we were nervous, because it was our first encounter, we were thinking of the safety of all the people that were there.

This past June, we had a succession of high-profile killings.

We have already arrested some of thoseinvolved in the murders of Mayor Ernesto Balolong and businessman Richard King, and are currently following a strong lead in the murder case of race car driver Ferdinand Pastor. Rest assured: we are seeking justice for all, and not just for a few. This is why, on top of the arrests we have already made, we continue to gather evidence against other suspects. We will hold to account all those who have committed wrongdoing.

We are further strengthening ways to ensure the security of our citizens. Beginning June 16 of this year, we implemented Operation Lambat in the National Capital Region. After tripling the number of checkpoints and conducting various operations, we were able to confiscate 862 vehicles and 29 firearms. We have served 587 warrants of arrest, which have resulted in the arrest of 410 suspects. We also reinstated Oplan Katok, to ensure that the licensing of guns is limited to responsible owners. Our policemen knocked on 28,714 doors for this operation.

Before we implemented Operation Lambat, from January to the second week of June, the rate of murder and homicide cases in Metro Manila reached up to 31 cases a week. During the five weeks of Operation Lambat, murder and homicide cases decreased to only 22 cases per week. This is a 29 percent decrease, equivalent to nine murders prevented per week. And this is only in Metro Manila. If we are able to pass pension reform, which would enable us to gather even more funds to continue our planned purchases of equipment, then Secretary Mar Roxas will certainly be able to expand Operation Lambat, and thus make the whole country more secure.

These equipment purchases were supposed to be funded by DAP, but since they were not obligated before the Supreme Court made its decision, we now have to look for other sources of funds.

Indeed, trust is the foundation of good governance: the trust that all those who were affected—or who will be affected—by typhoons will be cared for; the trust that, after each day of work, you will be able to return home safely to your families; the trust that your leaders will not take advantage of you; the trust that government will always be by your side, especially when you find yourselves at a disadvantage. The trust that those who abuse their power will be held accountable, and the trust that the institutions and processes that were once abused and used to steal from the nation’s coffers will be reformed. The trust that, if you do what is right, you, in turn, will receive what you deserve. The restoration of your trust in government: this is the meaning of reform.

Let me give you an example: Customs, which had been sorely testing our patience these past years. It became clear to us that the solution to the problem this agency represented was a reset button.

Thus, we created a new agency to look into the processes at Customs, with an eye towards making them more efficient. We appointed a new commissioner, five new deputy commissioners, as well as 40 trustworthy individuals to implement our reforms. We ensured that employees were recalled to their original positions—we put a stop to guards who acted like cashiers, or warehousemen who acted as examiners.

Many have made sacrifices just so we can fix Customs. Among them are officials from other departments and government agencies, who we asked to transfer to Customs because we were certain of their integrity. Who would have said yes to taking on these seemingly insurmountable challenges, and without the guarantee of success?

Some passed on promotions. Some expressed fears of being targeted by syndicates, in retaliation for the reforms. But, ultimately, they heeded our call to serve. It is only right that I take this opportunity to personally thank these officials, under the leadership of Commissioner Sunny Sevilla.

We are proving that, with righteousness and with solidarity, we can clean up an institution that has, for the longest time, been besmirched by corruption. Recent good news is testament to this— from January to April of 2014, Customs’ cash collections increased by 22 percent, compared to the same period last year. Their collections total in the first four months of the year: 117 billion pesos.

All I can say to those who continue with their selfish, illegal practices: I already know that you are impervious to both fear and shame. I will leave you to your conscience—if you feel any remorse for your fellowmen who have become addicted to the illegal drugs you have helped to smuggle in, or for the farmers who are being deprived of fair profit from doing honest work. As far as I am concerned: After we have gathered enough evidence against you, the Bilibid Prison is your next destination.

If we are talking about reforms that have already begun to give rise to sweeping progress, we have to touch on recent developments in agrarian reform.

We know—and the law is very clear about this—that we must first determine which tracts of land can be distributed and which cannot. The trouble is, we were provided with data too insufficient to be of any help in this regard. The Cadastral Survey—which was supposed to accurately delineate the territory, and, thus, the land holdings, of every town, city, and province of the Philippines—was launched way back in 1913.

Another problem is that the previous administration had distributed land that was easy enough to distribute—like governmentowned land, or land already settled between the farmers and the deed-holders. We were left with land that came with too many complications—that only spawned endless debates and legal disputes.

The complicated situation in ARMM proved to be another chal-

President Benigno S. Aquino III delivers his fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 28, 2014, in the Session Hall of the House of Representatives, Batasang Pambansa, Quezon City. By Rey S. Baniquet/Malacañang Photo lenge. The land in ARMM is estimated to be at 1.5 million hectares, but the recorded number of hectares we found when we came into office was at 2.9 million, thanks to overlapping claims. ARMM Governor Mujiv Hataman must be wondering—as he has sometimes asked me: How does land multiply like that?

I have no intention of passing on these problems to my successor, which will cause even greater complications and a standstill in agrarian reform.

In 2015, after 102 years, the Cadastral Survey will finally be completed.

This year, we will once again submit to Congress a bill extending the filing of Notices of Coverage, which could not be completed precisely because of these problems that we first needed to solve.

We are hopeful that, the moment we file that bill, Congress will pass it in the soonest possible time.

If we are to speak of trust, then we cannot forget about the Bangsamoro. After a lengthy period of conflict and derailed negotiations, we were able to put trust back to the table. Proof of this: This past March, the Comprehensive Agreement on the Bangsamoro was signed.

But this is only the beginning of the path toward widespread progress in Mindanao. Nobody can deny that the ARMM has been left behind in terms of development. We want to give equal opportunities to all Filipinos; this is why there is a need for a boost-up, so that our countrymen in the margins can catch up. For example, in the budget we are submitting for 2015, 5.17 billion pesos of the overall budget for DPWH has been allocated for infrastructure in ARMM. We are currently forging the proposal for the Bangsamoro Basic Law. We ask for the Congress’ understanding regarding this. It is important to scrutinize each provision we lay down. To the best of our ability, we aim to advance a bill that is fair, just, and acceptable to all.

If we are able to legislate the Bangsamoro Basic Law before the end of the year and conduct the necessary plebiscite, we will be able to give the Bangsamoro Transition Authority one and a half years to show positive change. Should this be delayed, however, the period for proving that it was right to choose the path of peace will naturally be shortened.

We have achieved a lot through trust—and we have no intention of breaking this trust. Your current government keeps its word. I will no longer list each of the promises we have fulfilled by treading the straight path; if I do that, we might be accused of bragging. But of course, it would not be right for us to avoid mentioning anything, because our critics are always waiting for an opportunity to say that we have done nothing. Join me, then, in recounting some of the examples of these promises we have fulfilled: Jobs and opportunities that continue to be created for so many Filipinos. In truth, from April 2013 to April 2014, around 1.65 million jobs were created.

The inherited backlog in books, chairs, and classrooms: erased; while we are working to fulfill the new needs brought about by the implementation of K to 12. The 1:1 police-to-pistol ratio has already reached. The modernization of the Armed Forces, currently ongoing.

A just and lasting peace in Mindanao, already advancing. Growth of the economy, progressing continuously.

Truly, our ambitions are now being fulfilled one by one: universal healthcare, classrooms, jobs, harbors, roads, airports, security, peace.

In addition to the national integrity we have restored is the world’s recognition of a new Philippines. The nation’s coffers, which come from the sweat of our citizens, are being spent only for their benefit.

Let us again listen to one of our Bosses: Testimonial of Gina Lastrado, relocated member of an informalsettler family I am Gina Lastrado, 47 years old. I used to live at Isla 1 Barangay 180, in Maricaban, Pasay City. I was a businesswoman back in Pasay. Currently, I still make a living selling goods; it’s a job that demands hard work.

We were relocated here because the place we used to live was tagged a “danger zone”—most of the houses were right beside a river.

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August 4-10, 2014

SONA 2014 ... from P. 7 When typhoon Ondoy [international name, Ketsana] hit, it was terrible. You wouldn’t have believed that we would survive.

If you compare our lives back in Pasay to our lives now— here, it rains, it storms, but you can sleep through a night.

There’s no lying awake, worrying about the coming flood—not like where we used to live. Which is why I told my friends, those who stayed behind, to relocate, too. Here: There’s no fear, there’s no flood.

When we got here, they gave us groceries, they gave us the key to the house, then they brought us to our house. And the eighteen thousand pesos they gave us, that helped us start a new life. This gave us back our dignity, all of us who were living in the squatters’ area back in Pasay. Our lives are much better here. You can say that this is really our home now.

Now: the problems we inherited, we have solved. The problems that are here today, we are solving. And the problems that are still on the horizon, we are preparing for. I believe; with your continued trust, we can solve all of these.

Let us turn to the energy situation. We are doing everything in our power to ensure that the growing energy demand in our country is met. In spite of this, there have been some unforeseen events, that may lead to problems in the next year. For instance, we need to make up for the shortages caused by the scheduled maintenance outages of old plants, the sudden halting of plant operations due to breakdowns, and delays in the progress of new plants.

Let us not forget that the coming El Niño season also threatens to affect the capacities of our hydro power plants, and to raise energy demand even further. If our use of electric fans and air conditioners in our own homes will increase due to the warm temperature, then imagine the spike in the usage of businesses and whole industries.

And it is not as if we can just go to the store and ask to buy a 600 megawatt generator, to be installed the following day.

We want to be completely ready so that we can avoid paralysis if the worst-case scenario arises. The goal: to have planned solutions for problems that will not arise until next year. This is precisely why I have tasked Secretary Icot Petilla of the DOE to coordinate with the Joint Congressional Power Commission, the Energy Regulatory Commission, members of industry, and, most importantly, the consumers, in order to increase our capacity to respond to this problem.

I am also aware that many of our Bosses are affected by the staggering increase in rice prices. It seems that the reports are true: that some greedy rice hoarders are stockpiling their supplies in order to sell them when prices eventually rise, making an unjust profit in the process.

We will not let this pass. Perhaps they think they are being clever, but the government’s plan of action will prove the opposite. Our immediate solution: import more rice, supply it to the markets, reduce the prices and keep them at a reasonable level, and ultimately drive those who took advantage of the Filipino people into financial ruin.

Last November, we imported 500,000 metric tons of rice to supplement decreased supply due to the typhoons that battered our country, and all of this had arrived by March of this year. This February, the NFA Council approved the importation of an additional 800,000 metric tons, in fulfillment of our buffer stocking requirement, and as of this July, 360,750 of this amount had arrived. This July as well, we approved the immediate importation of 500,000 metric tons of rice through open bidding. The NFA also has the standby authority to import an additional 500,000 metric tons to prepare for the effects of calamities on harvests and rice prices.

When the additional rice we have imported arrives in the country, hoarders will be forced to sell the rice that they have stockpiled in their warehouses. To these hoarders: If a showdown is what you want, by all means, take on the government. Just remember: it only takes six months before the stock you have hoarded in your warehouses begins to rot. When we flood the market with this imported rice, you will surely go bust. You are acting against the Filipino people, while we are acting for the interest of each Filipino. Let us see who will prevail.

Apart from investigating those who have allegedly hoarded NFA rice, we are also probing all those in concerned agencies who may have conspired with these hoarders. Employees suspected of wrongdoing are already under scrutiny, so that we may file charges, and eventually, imprison those who must be held to account.

While we are in pursuit of those abusive few, we have also continued to implement projects to uplift Filipinos in the sector of agriculture. We are ensuring that rice farming remains a viable and attractive livelihood. After all, we know that our farmers are advancing in age, which is why it will help our pursuit of food security to encourage the youth to enter this kind of work.

We are providing our farmers with modern equipment to ensure the efficiency of planting and harvest. From 2011 to May 2014, we have already turned over 4,628 units of production machinery, 11,362 units of post-production machinery, and 105 rice mills to a number of farmers’ associations. This has allowed us to lessen waste in what our farmers are able to harvest. On top of this: we are also enhancing irrigation systems, constructing farm-to-market roads, and implementing training programs to ensure that they make the maximum profit.

Now, let us turn to the budget. The Executive Branch proposes projects, which are approved by Congress. However, we have had to suspend a number of projects to make certain that we remain in accordance with the Supreme Court’s decision on the Disbursement Acceleration Program, or DAP. I know that those of you in this hall are one with me in believing that we must not deprive our countrymen of benefits, and that these should reach them in the soonest possible time.

This is why: We are proposing the passage of a supplemental budget for 2014, so that the implementation of our programs and projects need not be compromised.

Together with this, we are calling on the cooperation of Congress for the passage of a Joint Resolution that will bring clarity to the definitions and ideas still being debated upon, and to the other issues that only you in the legislature—as the authors of our laws—can

shed light on.

On the first working day after the SONA, we will submit to Congress the proposed 2.606 trillion peso National Budget of 2015. As always, this budget was created together with our countrymen, using strategies that will ensure that funds are only allocated to projects and programs that will truly benefit the public. We are counting on the cooperation of our lawmakers to strengthen our Budget, as the primary instrument in creating opportunities for the Filipino people.

Let us now listen to one of the beneficiaries of our Alternative Learning System, A program of the Department of Education.

Testimonial of Maria Cecilla Fruelda—Aeta tribal leader, Alternative Learning System learner, and college student I am Maria Cecilla Fruelda. I heard from my friends who also came from Zambales, and who are now living here in Rosario, that there are good jobs to be found in Puting Kahoy.

That’s why we moved here.

Our first priority as tribespeople has always been to look for food, rather than to invest time in our education. But education is very important to me. Passing the Alternative Learning System (ALS) was the first step in realizing my dream of becoming a teacher.

I think that young Aetas in my community would have much better lives if only they could study.

If I hadn’t gotten into ALS, I wouldn’t have learned about our rights as indigenous peoples. We wouldn’t be able to fight for our ancestral land. Right now, thank God, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples is processing land titles to be awarded to us.

Once I graduate with a degree in Education, I want to teach in our community. I want to share with the Aeta community everything I’ve learned and more.

The ALS has been such a great help. My being a student of Teodoro M. Luansing College of Rosario has helped bring more attention to our community. A lot of people have offered to help. I see our community’s children following in my footsteps. A lot of them are in school now.

Fellow citizens, It is her story—and the stories of many other beneficiaries like her—that is drowned out by the din of the orchestra of negativism in the news. These noisy individuals willfully close off their minds and choose to live in their own world and reality. As the transformation of society becomes even more apparent, these people are acting just how we expect them to: their attacks on us are becoming more frequent, more venomous, and more intense. As the benefits of reform become clearer, it becomes more and more difficult for them to succeed in fooling the people, which is why they are sowing doubt and uncertainty. They have become desperate.

Why are they so angry? Let us examine their motivations. For those who turned public service into a business: if we are able to fix our systems, they lose the opportunity to subvert these systems for their own gain. It is only natural that they oppose us. On the other hand, for those who have no other goal than to overthrow government: They can only recruit members when agreat number of people are suffering and losing faith in the system. This is why, with a reformed system that has ended the people’s suffering, the number of potential recruits has dwindled, which explains why their group is getting smaller and smaller. It is only natural that they oppose us. The noisiest and loudest of those who oppose us are not in favor of the transformation of our country, precisely because they manipulated and benefited from the old and broken systems.

It was as if we were citizens who had been long trapped in an island with only one store. Since there were no other choices, the store owners abused their advantage, raising prices whenever they wanted. The task you gave me was to steer our ship of state to another island, where there were more stores, more choices, better lives, and more opportunities. Of course, those running the solitary store in the island did not want us to set sail, because they will run out of people to abuse. They would do everything in their power to prevent us from reaching other shores. They would say that it is no different there, and that nothing would change. They would detain us at the port, punch holes in our ship, and conspire to steer us astray.

The truth is that I am not the one these people oppose, but the entire Filipino people who are now reaping the benefits of the straight path. They oppose the farmers in Iloilo, who have hoped for efficient irrigation systems for more than fifty years, and today are witnessing the construction of the Jalaur Multi-purpose River Project.

They oppose the countless students who no longer have to study in overcrowded classrooms. They oppose the Filipinos who have found jobs because of training received from TESDA; the Filipinos who have been safely evacuated before typhoons strike because PAGASA is now more efficient; they oppose the informal settlers who have been removed from danger because of housing resettlement programs; they oppose the poor who can receive treatment from public hospitals free of charge; they oppose the soldiers who, because their equipment has been modernized, can now protect our nation with greater confidence; they oppose the Moros and indigenous peoples who, today, see a just and lasting peace on the horizon. My Bosses, they are against you.

In fact, their attacks began even before we came into office. We have grown used to being greeted by negative commentators for breakfast, personal attacks for lunch, insults for dinner, and intrigue for a midnight snack.

And even now that I am President, those opposed to change have not changed their ways. To be frank, I do not think that they will stop even when I have stepped down from public office.

I recall an old woman who I spoke to during the campaign. She told me: “Noy, you must take care of yourself. You will be up against many people.” Her warning proved to be true. But my resolve is unshakeable when it comes to facing them down, because I know: they are but a few, and there are so many of us.

Those of us who are ready to fulfill our part in achieving positive transformation are, without doubt, stronger. We will triumph because we are in the right.

We dared to dream, we began pursuing those dreams, we worked hard, we gained the momentum, and today, the Filipino people are moving even faster along the straight path to lasting and inclusive growth.

Our fatigue and sacrifices will be all the more worthwhile if you are able to continue what we started together.

It is you who will face a fork in the road; it is you who will decide if change will continue. Let us remember: This my fifth SONA; only one remains. In 2016, you will be choosing new leaders of our country. What I can tell you is this: if you wish continue and even accelerate the transformation of society, there can only be one basis for choosing my successor: Who will, without a shred of doubt, continue the transformation we are achieving?

You are our bosses, you are our strength, you are bringing about change –and so it is you, too, who will continue the task. It is entirely up to you how history will remember this era. They may recall it as the very peak of our triumphs, as a promising start that went to waste. But it would be infinitely better if they remember our achievements as the beginning of a long journey towards the fulfillment of even more ambitious hopes.

When some groups appealed to me to run for President, they told me that they did not expect to solve all the country’s problems in a span of six years. They simply asked me to begin the change.

You saw where we came from, and you are seeing how we have far surpassed the aspirations with which we began.

We are forging a system of fairness; where, as long as you follow the rules, you can get to where you want to go; where true competition leads to opportunity and widespread progress; where each and every person can take control of their own destinies.

A society where the least fortunate are cared for is within reach; where each person recognizes his responsibilities to his fellowmen; where there is an unceasing, untiring, ever-active participation in collectively increasing the prosperity of society.

The future we desire is on the horizon: one where justice reigns supreme, and where no one will be left behind.

These are the results of reform. This is what we have fought for, and this is what we will continue fighting for: not the prevalence of the old ways, but a new system that will benefit all. [Applause] To my Bosses: You gave me an opportunity to lead our efforts to transform society. If I had said “no” when you asked me to take on this challenge, then I could just as well have said that I would help prolong your suffering. I cannot do that in good conscience. If I had turned my back on the opportunity, then I might as well have turned my back on my father and mother, and all the sacrifices they made for all of us; that will not happen. On our journey along the straight path, you have always chosen what is right and just; you have been true to your promise, and I have been true to all of you. [Applause] The transformation we are experiencing now, we can make permanent with the guidance of God. As long as your faith remains strong—as long as we continue serving as each other’s strength—we will continue proving that “the Filipino is worth dying for,” “the Filipino is worth living for,” and if I might add: “The Filipino is worth fighting for.”

The Vice President knows this—we were together in 1987.

There was a coup de etat, and I was ambushed. Everything after that I consider my second life.

It’s hard not to think about these things, considering the people we’ve been going up against. Will there be a day when I go onstage, for work, and—will someone manage to plant a bomb? Will the dark schemes of those who want to bring us back to the wrong way of doing things finally succeed?

When that day comes, and my second life comes to an end, will I be able to say things will be ok? I will tell you this, straight in eye: after everything we’ve achieved, I can say that I am content.

I am content because I am sure that when I’m gone, many will take my place and continue what we have started.

Maybe this is what I’m meant to do: to start this.

There are people like Cardinal Chito Tagle, Ka Eduardo Manalo, Brother Eddie Villanueva, Father Catalino Arevalo, and Father Jett Villarin, Bishop Jonel Milan, Sister Agnes Guillen, and Mae Salvatierra. These are individuals from the religious sector, who will continue what we’ve started.

There is Aris Alip of CARD, who will do his part through microfinance. There is an Alice Murphy and her urban poor associates who will truly continue to take care of our informal settlers. [Applause] There are our soldiers and police officers, who try every day to do what is right—just like our new Chief of Staff, our Service Commanders, our soldiers in the Light Reaction Battalion, and the JSOG. There are, of course, my fellow politicians. Is there any doubt that Senate President Franklin Drilon and Speaker Belmonte will lead us along the right path? [Applause] It has also been my privilege to work with and interact with a certain governor, Alfredo Maranon of Negros Occidental: [Applause] He is not a party mate, but I think I am part of his fan club because of his good governance in Negros.

There are up and coming young politicians. Or at least they’re younger than I am—I don’t want to seem too much like an old politico by referring to my colleagues as young.

These are the likes of Mayor Jed Mabilog and Mayor Len Alonte.

There is also those in the cultural sector—such as Noel Cabangon and Ogie Alcasid-—who are not self-centered.

Every night, before I go to bed, I am thankful that I was able to get through another day. Just as it was said when we were kids, “finished or not finished, pass your paper.” It seems to me, you have felt the true extent of the change that is every Filipino’s right to aspire to. It will be up to you to carry this forward.

To my Bosses: You are behind the transformation we are enjoying. You are the key to continuing all the positive changes we have achieved. I fully believe that, whether I am here or not, the Filipino is headed towards the rightful destination.

And so, I will leave it here. Good afternoon to all of you. Thank you very much. - END

August 4-10, 2014 Extrajudicial Settlement with Deed of Absolute Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late SPS. JORGE SABITSANA and REGINA S. CORTO re a parcel of a residential land located in Pili, Almeria, Biliran denominated as survey No. 1973, Lot No. 26 under TD No./ARP No. 00368-R-11, containing an area of 649 sq. m. was settled among their heirs and sold in favor of SPS. WEDY and LAURA MONTES-BAGDOC per Doc. No. 177; Page No. 36; Book No. 48; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Redentor C. Villordon. EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014 Extrajudicial Settlement with Deed of Absolute Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late JUAN TILLADA re a parcel of an agricultural located in Ungale, Kawayan, Biliran denominated as survey No. 2036-P Lot No. 37 covered

by TD No. 00490 , containing an area of 0.710650 was settled among his heirs and sold in favor of NANCY TILLADADELLA PIETRA per Doc. No. 77; Page No. 15; Book No. 48; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Redentor C. Villordon. EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014 Extrajudicial Settlement with Waiver of Rights NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the late RAUL S. PAJARON had left an account with Philippine National Bank (PNB), Palompon Branch, Palompon, Leyte, was settled among his heirs and waived in favor of MERGA C. PAJARON per Doc. No.20; Page No. 14; Book No. XLIV; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Donna Villa N. Gaspan-Cerna. EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014 Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement with Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late PETRONILO BALZA re a parcel of land, situated at Brgy. Basud, Calbayog District, Calbayog City with Cadastral Lot NO. 5351-B, containing an area of 8,010 sq. m. under ARP No. 99-01019-00435 was settled among his heirs and 120 sq. m. sold in favor of DENIS C. QUINTAS married to RICHIE A. QUINTAS per Doc. No. 124; Page No. 25; Book No. XXXV; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Alex R. Gelera.

EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014 Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement with Absolute Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late PETRONILO BALZA re parcel of land, situated at Brgy.

Basud, Calbayog District, Calbayog City with Cadastral Lot No. 5351-B, containing an area of 8,010 sq. m. under ARP No. 99-01019-00435 was settled among his heirs and 184 sq. m. sold in favor of RENAN B. ALQUICER married to RHODORA A. ALQUICER per Doc. No. 125; Pages No. 25; Book No. XXXV; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Alex R. Gelera.

EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014 Extrajudicial Settlement with Waiver and Quitclaim of a portion of Real Property NOTICE IS HEREBY given that the property of the late RAMONA DALINA re a parcel of Agricultural land situated at Brgy. Divinubo, Borongan City, Eastern Samar, covered by Cad-434-D, designated as Lot 20176, with Original Certificate of Title (OCT) No. P-12213, Tax Declaration No. 08-029-00208, containing an area of 657 sq.m. was settled among her heirs and 281 sq. m. waived in favor of Sps. EUGENE G. BEROS and ROWENA de GUZMAN – BEROS per Doc. No. 401; Page No. 82; Book No. XXIII; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Enrique C. Dala. EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014

Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province of Samar City of Calbayog NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that VENANCIO PURA BAJET petitioner, has filed with this Office a petition for CHANGE OF FIRST NAME from RUDILLO to VENANCIO in the Certificate of Live Birth of RUDILLO PURA BAHIT who was born on October 21, 1958 at CALBAYOG CITY, SAMAR and whose parents are Bonifacio C. Bahit and Lourdes E. Pura bearing registry number 181.

Any p e rso n adversely affected by said petition my file his/her written opposition with this Office not later than August 07, 2014 (Sgd.) FE D. QUEROLJICO City Civil Registrar EV Mail Aug. 4-10, & 11-17, 2014

NEWS INFRA

FUTURE ... from P. 5 sent because that’s what they wanted me to be.

Accepted. I took the entrance exam. I actually planned on failing the entrance exam, thinking that I would get the valid reason to take-up the course I wanted the most. Again reality slapped me the hardest I could ever imagine –“pass the exam, idiot!” and so I passed. The premium satisfaction I could only guarantee with the choice I made was: I never let the people around me frown for my mistakes and decisions. Anyway, I’m doing this for them and them alone –the people I want to be happy.

Anxiety and Depression Months passed and life got too messed up for me. I only have selected friends and got

PILMICO ... from P. 14 Doquitan and Merlinda Charos from Campetic village; Rebecca Margallo, Marlon Quiza, Jovito Estrella, Lito Acebedo and Lucila Dagami of Cavite East and Sharell Bahin Merilo, Leo Mendez, Ricardo Garcia, Gina Pido and Mercy Antonette Negrosa from Barangay Tacuranga.

From Pawing village, recipients are Rogelio A. Labita, Ramon Sanchez, Virgilio S. Agner, Antonio Abenoja and Angelita S. Tampil and Joana V. Nalda, Guia Mae Cantiller, Venancio del Pilar, Renie B. Aquino and Nelson Chavarria from Naga-Naga village.

They were chosen based on integrity, trustworthiness and moral character. They were also able to provide enough space in their home for the egg machine aside from being livelihood business-owner prior to Yolanda and with prior experience on livestock raising.

Present during the distribution were Governor Dominic Petilla, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla and representatives from other partners.

Pilmico allocates another 75 egg machine kits to be distributed in several towns in Leyte like Carigara and Ormoc .

MERCADO ... from P. 4 gerous slums, called “villas.”

In these places, the clerical collar does not offer much protection. Priests have been kidnapped, tortured and murdered. Still, Bergoglio often showed up unannounced to drink tea with parishioners and support local priests.

And in 2009, when one of his priests received a death threat for having spoken out against drugs in the villas, Bergoglio walked the streets, providing himself as a target and a dare for anyone wanting to retaliate. “They were never bothered again.”

Call that the “Francis effect,” live and in the flesh, says CNN. And after Korea, we will see that here in the Philippines, come January 2015.

FR. ROY ... from P. 4

‘professionalitis,’ instead of deeper sense of religion, piety and apostolic concern.

Other earthly things could be food, drinks, sex, music, movies, sports and other forms recreation and entertainment. Nowadays, we cannot deny the explosion of songs and films that can make us feel good but with messages that are quite questionable, and with melodies and themes that spoil the flesh but impoverish the spirit.

Nowadays, I often tell friends that while they may listen to any kind of music and watch any kind of movies and enjoy all of them, they should also feel the need to immerse themselves in sacred music and films with spiritual themes, if only to have some balance and to keep our proper bearing.

It cannot be denied that if we are constantly bombarded with stimuli that are Godless or mainly mundane, then we would slowly lose the sense of the sacred, we would put ourselves more and more at the mercy of the worldly and the sensual.

We would find it hard to pray, to make sacrifices, and to do our real duties. We would Commercial rate * - P100.00 per col. cm. * put ourselves in the Judicial Notices *- P 60.00 per col. cm * corner of our comfort For inquiries: Call (053) 561-0809 zone, oblivious of what (053) 530-3366 (Tacloban); 500-9389 would really matter in (Biliran) our life. Email roycimagala@gmail.com * Exclusive of taxes/Black and White rate

9

bored with the course, putting me on the brink of failing my subjects. Luckily, I passed the removal examinations. The real problem started during my second semester on first year. My sister could not enroll in college whilst her graduation expenses were left unpaid. Meanwhile, my mother had to stop working due to health reasons, deciding not to consult a health expert, rather allocating the money for my education.

I ended up as a working student. What’s funny with the situation was that, my father has met his other woman. His puppy love. The new apple of his eyes or whatever you call it. I never blamed them for being so. I never blamed anyone. I just realized, after all, that they are just people – species who also makes mistakes.

Opportunity and the Closing Doors Financial ops started to germinate like weeds –and we call it “loansæ. We were so indebted that time as many as my fingers and toes could present as figures to count on, to and as my arms and legs could stretch from North to South and East to West. Every door had hinges that allow people to open and close to whenever we need it, but during that time, it seemed that these doors became rusty. Neither closed nor opened. Even the people we’ve known for a long time had closed their doors as if we’re ultimate outcasts. I can’t blame them. I can’t curse them. I can’t frown. No, I just can’t. I never wallowed in self-pity because of my situation.

I never wanted revenge, too. I never wanted to hurt. I never let these things sank deep into my bones. It’s cancerous and I knew it.

Vain utterance and Success One thing left me concluding about what genre I would choose to put on my list. That I do not have to pick the ripest and the best looking apples on the tree, because sometimes, you even have to shake the tree to see which ones are over ripe and would fall first and gets itself smashed on the ground, even if the word “shaking it” means exaggeration. Who knows? Now on my apprenticeship, the doors have opened full swing.

Those who were diagnosed to have shortterm memory loss have regained their memories. Those whose doors were rusty are now lubricated. The bitter turned sweet. The dark became lighter. And what’s funny is that, my simple family have become an extended family. All for one reason –because they knew I’m going to have the things I didn’t have before.

Well, I don’t hold them accountable for their attitude and the way I saw how they treat us because maybe, it’s just like that. Maybe, it’s all about choosing the right ones to support you on your solo flight. It takes a lot of prideswallowing and having a thick face to seek help from people, especially in times of need, but when you know that all those pride-swallowing and shame lambasting are for good cause, why not serve it every day? If you know it’s for your future, why not lie low? Why not do something better than others can without hurting them?

After all, every action you do is becoming your future. Do well. Live well. Ŧ RENATO TAN is a maritime student about to take his apprenticeship abroad and have been to Malacañang Palace and Senate of the Philippines to defend his organization’s youth project. He is also planning to take up Law abroad and settle with his family there.

... from P. 1

It was also noted that this is not the first time that fund requests are not accompanied by the proper documents, prolonging the process of approving the projects.

Who bears the brunt of Yolanda’s fury?

Atty. Bennet Pongos Jr., on the other hand, said that before acting on the funding request, the legal issue on who bears the brunt of restoring government infrastructure that have not yet been turned over when Yolanda struck, has yet to be resolved.

He said that it was a legal issue that should be resolved first before the council can act on this. For the matter, he said, a legal opinion from Atty. Ivan Verallo, acting city legal officer, is imperative.

Pongos added “it is also my observation in my first year as city councilor that when a project is sent to us for approval, what is given to us is a lump sum.”

It is the council’s job to approve the appropriation ordinances, he said, but “we will not be doing our job as elected officials if we will just approve lump sums. I am sure that you have done your homework and have the details because if we approve the proposed programs with no designs, no program of works, how can we faithfully do our jobs as city councilors?”

Councilor Roland Villasencio, on the other hand, said that he also talked with the Commission on Audit (COA) and found out that there is no report with the office yet as to the actual state of the city hospital was, when the typhoon struck.

He pointed out determining what the actual “pre-Yolanda” state of the city hospital was is important, including the proposed program of works for which the requested P 21-million would be used.

The council asked the “defense panel” to submit the contracts of the hospital construction from its start and proofs of billing, showing its phases of completion.

They also requested that it be legible, “because even Atty. Corro is complaining that some documents are not clear”, referring to another committee meeting regarding the budget itself.

Build Back Better Serafica, on the other hand, said the repair of the jeepney terminal was not a ticklish issue when it comes to funding it. It was a project finished more than 20 years ago, and Nanay: Nak, dagan kay nasunog atong it was easy to see that it needed repair. balay!!!

However, he said Anak: Una lang ‘nay, mag post pako sa the council would still Facebook Status nga nasunog atong balay! want to see how the reNanay: Ahhh… Dalia kay mu-comment pair and rehabilitation ko! is proposed to be done.

Tatay: Mga animal, bitbita dayun ang Again, the impor- computer kay hapit na masunog! Mo Like tance of the plans and pa baya ko..! program of works was Hahaha…mga adik sa facebook… emphasized. rrrr Serafica also emTeacher: Tomas, kon pangutan-un tika phasized he would kinahanglang ABTIK imong itubag, ha? want to know how the Tomas: Yes, ma’am! city engineering proTeacher: 1+12? poses to “build back Tomas: ABTIK … better” the jeepney terminal. He said that to just rebuild it back Be an EV Mail Contributhe way it was before tor! was an invitation to a disaster. “Hanumdumi Share to us your experiences, places ninyo nga ultimo mga you’ve gone and travelled. Let us see jeep, gipanghimo nga the world with your eyes. eroplano ni Yolanda.”

Our People, Places and Happenings At the end of three page is for your adventures, milehours, it was agreed to stones and important moments. re-schedule the committee meeting. The Send your stories and pictures of council reiterated its things and events you think should see request to be provided print! with the proper docuEmail to lalainej@gmail.com and/ mentations so that the or ormocnews@yahoo.com budget will be passed without delay.

10

NOTICES

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT Eight Judicial Region Regional Trial Court Branch 17 Palompon, Leyte SP. PROC. CASE NO. R-PAL-14-0405-SP IN THE MATTER OF THE ADOPTION OF MINOR , MITCH D. ROCA WITH APPLICATION FOR CHANGE OF NAME FROM “MITCH D. ROCA” TO “MARIE ESTRELLA S. SELZER” SPS. PAUL GEORG SELZER and MARIE GRACE SELZER Petitioner, ORDER A verified petition for Adoption of MITCH D. ROCA, has been filed with this Court by the petitioners Spouses Paul Georg Selzer and Marie Grace S. Selzer, through their counsel, Atty. Lloyd P. Surigao, praying that after due publication, notice and hearing, judgment be rendered: 1.) To order a decree of formal judicial adoption of minor Mitch Roca by petitioners; 2) To order the termination of the parental authority of the natural parents over the herein minor and vest said authority unto the petitioners; 3) To bestow upon the adopted all the rights and privileges of legitimate children in their relation to the petitioners; 4.) To order change the name of minor, from Mitch Roca to Marie Estrella S. Selzer; 5 To order the due recording hereof in the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Palompon Leyte and to issue an Order in accordance with Section 16 of the Rule on Adoption (A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC).

As the petitioner appears to be sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby set for initial hearing, pursuant to Section 4, Rule 108 of the Rules of Court and Sec. 12 of A.M. No. 02-6-02-SC on October 6, 2014 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning at the Hall of Justice, Regional Trial Court, Branch 17, Palompon, Leyte at which date, time and place, any person may appear and show cause, if any why the petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Leyte, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, with the last publication to be made at least one week prior to the date set for initial hearing.

Furnish copies of the petition and of this Order to the office of the Solicitor General, and the Department of Social Welfare and Development of Ormoc, City which is hereby ordered to conduct and submit a case study of the child to be adopted, the natural parents and the adopting parents. Furnish also a copy of this Order to the Office of the Civil Registrar of Palompon, Leyte, Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, Atty. Lloyd P. Surigao and the petitioners.

SO ORDERED. Given in Chambers this 30th day of July, 2014 at the Hall of Justice of Palompon, Leyte, Philippines.

(Sgd.) MARIO O. QUINIT Presiding Judge Copy furnished: 1. Atty. Lloyd P. Surigao – Palompon, Leyte 2. The Office of the Solicitor General 3. Office of the Provincial Prosecutor 4. The Chief, DSWD, Ormoc City 5. The Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Palompon, Leyte 6. Sps. Paul Georg Selzer and Marie Grace S. Selzer- Brgy. San Isidro, Palompon, Leyte 7. EV Mail – Ormoc EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region Branch 35, Ormoc City Case No. R-ORM-14-00023-CV FOR: DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE MARGIE M. LARITA, Petitioner, -versusMICHAEL LEON McILWAIN, Respondent.

X---------------X ORDER At the scheduled hearing of petitioner’s ExParte Motion For Leave Of Court to Effect Summons Through Extra-Territorial Service, only Atty. Ruben Capahi appeared.

Counsel has manifested that the said defendant is an American National and a non-resident of the Republic. Per information relayed to him by his client, the said defendant has left the country right after they had separated. Finding the motion sufficient in form and substance, the same is hereby granted. Let Summons be served through extra-territorial service by publication.

SO ORDERED. In Open Court, Hall of Justice, Ormoc City, Philippines, 18 July 2014.

(Sgd.) GIRLIE M. BORREL-YU Presiding Judge Atty. Ruben Capahi Margie Larita Michael Leon McIlwain GBY/mab

Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province: Leyte City/Municipality: Palompon

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region Branch 35, Ormoc City Case No. R-ORM-14-00023-CV FOR: DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE MARGIE M. LARITA, Petitioner, -versusMICHAEL LEON McILWAIN, Respondent. x---------------x PETITION Petitioner, by counsel, most respectfully states: I. The Parties 1.1 Petitioner is of legal age, Filipino, and a resident of Brgy. Alta Vista, Ormoc City, Leyte.

1.2 . Respondent is likewise of legal age and an American citizen, with his last – known address being 23 Bueg Warren Road, Millry, Alabama, United States of America (USA).

II. Required Information Per Sec. 5 (2), A.M. 02-11-10-SC 2.1. The parties have no children, and they did not acquire any properties when they were together.

III. The Relevant Facts 3.1 Petitioner first met Respondent in February 2004 through a dating magazine. They exchanged letters as penpals about twice a month after their initial introduction until they decided to meet sometime in 2005.

3.2. As it turned out, Respondent had another pen pal in Butuan City and he had also arranged to meet her. In what can only be an early indicator of his psychological incapacity, he assured Petitioner of some sort of priority: he said that he would meet her, rather than his lady friend from Butuan, first.

It was only much later that Petitioner learned that Respondent had already spent some two (2) weeks in Butuan before coming to Ormoc to meet her. She also found out that before he went home to the USA following his first visit, he again went to Butuan to see the other girl .

3.3. Even after Respondent went home, he kept in touch with Petitioner and emailed her to wait for him. The two maintained their relationship as pen

Republic of the Philippines ) Palompon, Leyte)SS

Petition No. CFN-0005-2014 PETITION FOR CHANGE OF FIRST NAME I, ANASTACIO PAJARON VERANO, of legal age, Filipino, and a resident of Brgy. Ipil II, Palompon, Leyte, after having been duly sworn to in accordance with law, hereby declare that: 1) I am the petitioner seeking the change of first name in: a) My Certificate of Live Birth 2) I was born on May 2, 1961 at Palompon, Leyte, Philippines.

3) The birth was recorded under registry number 45 4) The first name to be changed is from BABY to ANASTACIO 5) The grounds for filing this petition are the following: b) I have habitually and continuously used ANASTACIO and I publicly known in the community with that first name; 6) I submit the following documents to support this petition: a) Certificate of Live Birth (CECPA)/Certification of Baptism b) NSO Certification /DepEd Form 137-E/ Diploma/SSS Record c) NBI Clearance /Police Clearance/ Employment Certification d) PhilHealth Member Data Record/Passport / PRC I.D. Card e) Certificate of Marriage f) Certificate of Live Birth of my children g) Civil Registry Form No. 3A h) Certificate of Live Birth of my brother & sister 7) I have not filed any similar petition and that, to the best of my knowledge, no other similar petition is pending with any LCRO, Court or Philippine Consulate.

8) I have no pending criminal civil or administrative case in any court or any quasi-judicial body.

9) I am filing this petition at the LCRO of Palompon, Leyte in accordance with R.A. No. 9048 and its implementing rules and regulations.

(Sgd.) ANASTACIO PAJARON VERANO Petitioner VERIFICATION I, ANASTACIO PAJARON VERANO, the petitioner, hereby certify that the allegations herein are true and correct to the best of my knowledge and belief.

(Sgd.) ANASTACIO PAJARON VERANO Petitioner SUBSCRIBED AND SWORN to before me this 25th day of July, 2014 in the city/municipality of Palompon, Leyte, petitioner exhibiting his Community Tax Certificate No. 09819396 issued at Palompon, Leyte on July 24, 2014.

(Sgd.) CARMELITA G. LODOVICA Municipal Civil Registrar Administering Officer EV Mail July 28- Aug. 3, & 4-10, 2014

Extrajudicial Settlement and Partition

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the properties of the late MENESIO C. CABI and JULIANA TAGENIS re parcels of land lot 6225-E-18, Psd-08-004689 (OLT), situated at Barangay Curva, Ormoc City, containing an area of 11,177 sq. m. covered by TCT No. 2520; Lot 6225-F-1, Psd-08-004657 (OLT), containing an area of 2,273 sq.m. covered by TCT No. 2431 ; Lot 6225-E-19, Psd-08-004689 (OLT) , containing an area of 199 sq. m. covered by TCT No. 2525; and Lot 6225-E-1, Psd-08-004689, containing an area of 6,086 sq. m. covered by TCT No. 2504 were settled and partitioned among their heirs per Doc. No. 109; Page No. 22; Book No. CCXLVIII; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Nicolas Maglasang. EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 11-17, & 18-24, 2014

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region Branch 35, Ormoc City Case No. R-ORM-14-00023-CV FOR: DECLARATION OF NULLITY OF MARRIAGE MARGIE M. LARITA, Petitioner, -versusMICHAEL LEON McILWAIN, Respondent. x-------------x SUMMONS BY PUBLICATION TO: MICHAEL LEON McILWAIN 23 Bueg Warren Road Millry, Alabama United States of America (USA) GREETINGS: You are hereby required within a period of not less than THIRTY (30) days from the last issue of the publication of this summons upon you, to file with the Court and serve on the petitioner, your Answer to the Petition, copy of which is hereto published together with the Annexes. You are reminded of the provision in the IBP-OCA Memorandum on Policy Guidelines dated 12 March 2002 to observe restraint in filing a Motion to Dismiss and instead allege the ground thereof as defenses in the Answer. If you fail within the time fixed, the Petitioner will take judgment by default and may be granted the relief applied for in the petition.

WITNESS my hand under the seal of the Court this 4th day of August 2014.

(Sgd.) MILREYSA SALINAS DAYANDAYAN Clerk of Court

pals. Eventually, they became sweethearts. In 2008, Respondent proposed marriage and Petitioner accepted. They tied the knot on December 2, 2008 before then City Mayor Eric C. Codilla.

3.4. The first five (5) months of the parties’ relationship went well. As early as on their sixth month together, however, Respondent started sneaking out.

These quickly escalated in frequency and duration, such that he would disappear for days at a time. Petitioner later found out that he was with other girls.

Petitioner was naturally hurt and quarrels inevitably broke out with Respondent. However the latter always sweet-talked Petitioner and they would reconcile.

3.5. There were other causes of friction: there were times when Petitioner picked up calls on their telephone (landline) from lady callers who turned out to have also dated Respondent. When she told these women that Respondent was married, they would be surprised and acknowledge to having been tricked into believing he was single. Petitioner confronted Respondent about these things, but he would just laugh and brush her off, saying that she did not need to know everything as he was entitled to his “personal space”. Part of what Respondent called his “personal space” was that Petitioner was not allowed to touch his cell phone, wallet and his personal belongings.

3.6. There was a time when Petitioner came home from work and noticed that Respondent had hidden away all their wedding photos. When she asked Respondent about it, he just laughed and nonchalantly told her that he had a lady friend visit him at their apartment.

3.7. To compound things, Respondent did not contribute much to the household expenses as he was dependent on the financial aid from his parents.

Fortunately, Petitioner did not give up her job when she got married. Also, Respondent did not seem to have any concrete plans for the future, such that when Petitioner prodded him and asked if they would go to the United States, he only said that he liked it in the Philippines and that it was expensive to go to or live in the United States.

3.8. In mid-2009, Respondent had to go home because his father suffered from stroke. When he came back, however, he stayed in Manila for two (2) weeks with another woman before he came home to his wife in Ormoc. Respondent thereafter had another affair, this time with a woman in Cebu, in one of his usual disappearances.

3.8. The final straw for Petitioner came in early 2011, when yet another woman with whom Respondent had an affair actually stormed into their apartment. She did not know that Respondent was married and calmed down only after Petitioner introduced herself as his wife. Petitioner finally got fed up with Respondent’s philandering and threatened to have him arrested. This must have scared him off that he flew back home. Petitioner’s last contact from Respondent was an email telling her that he was already in the USA and that their relationship was over. Respondent has never returned.

IV. Cause of Action 4.1. Petitioner ’s marriage to Respondent is clearly void on account of the latter’s psychological incapacity.

4.2. According to Dr. Fredrick A. Boholst, a Clinical Psychologist, Respondent’s behavioral manifestations are indicative of a personality disorder not otherwise specified. He notes a combination of dependent personality patterns, antisocial disorder and narcissistic propensities being apparent in Respondent’s functioning. Respondent’s gross immaturity, childishness, narcissistic ways of living, his deceit as manifested in his philandering, his happy-go-lucky attitude to life, his failure to take on responsibilities, his serious lack of a vision for a family, and his gross insensitivity to the feelings of other people are all indicative of a personality disorder.

4.3. Dr. Boholst notes that Respondent did not and could not treat women as human beings but as objects to his narcissistic and sexual needs. Respondent lied, manipulated and emotionally abused his wife – who the whole time remained faithful to him and hopeful for the possibility of change. Superficially, Respondent appeared to be a jolly and bubbly person; this was his charm and he lured women with it. This may have been, Dr. Boholst opines, his “mask of sanity”.

4.4 In Dr. Boholst’s opinion, Respondent’s disorder pre-dated his marriage with Petitioner. To him, it was starkly obvious that Respondent, even before the marriage, was already deceitful and insensitive Petitioner’s sensibilities. At the start and before the marriage he was already disrespectful and trivialized even the sanctity of the marriage.

4.5. Dr. Boholst believes that Respondent’s disorder is incurable. Respondent is incorrigible, Dr. Boholst notes, as he never acknowledged his offenses or apologized to Petitioner.

4.6. In conclusion, Dr. Boholst believes that Respondent has a personality disorder serious enough to impair his capacities to perform the essential marital obligations. It is also clear to him that Respondent’s personality pathology satisfies the criterion in Article 36 of the Family Code.

PRAYER Wherefore, premises considered, it is respectfully prayed that this Honorable Court GRANT this Petition and declare Petitioner’s marriage to Respondent void ab initio in accordance with Article 36 of the Family Code.

Other just and equitable reliefs are prayed for.

Ormoc City, Leyte. April 23, 2014.

(Sgd.) RUBEN R. CAPAHI Counsel for Petitioner Rm. 207, 2nd Flr. Ormoc Superdome San Pedro Street, Ormoc City, Leyte PTR No. 4153362 1/02/14 Ormoc City IBP (Leyte) Lifetime No. 07669 Roll No. 38837

August 4-10, 2014 MCLE Compliance No. IV-0015128, 04/02/2013 Email Address; rrcapahi@gmail.com Tel. Nos. (053) 255-4966/561-1104 Republic of the Philippines) Ormoc City, Leyte ) S.S. VERIFICATION AND CERTIFICATION OF NON-FORUM SHOPPING I, MARGIE M. LARITA, of legal age, Filipino, married and a resident of Brgy. Alta, Vista, Ormoc City, Leyte, after having been sworn in accordance with law, depose and state: 1. I am the Petitioner in this case and I caused the preparation of the foregoing Petition. I have read the same, and the allegations therein are true and correct based on my own personal knowledge and on authentic records.

2. I have not commenced any other action or proceeding involving issues similar to the present action before the Supreme Court, Court of Appeals, or in any other tribunal or agency of the government, and no such action or proceeding is pending thereat. I further undertake and certify that if I should hereafter learn that a similar action or proceeding has been filed or is pending before the Supreme Court, the Court of Appeals or any tribunal or agency, I shall report the fact within five (5) days therefrom.

Further, I sayeth naught.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto affixed my signature this 24th day of April 2014 at Ormoc City, Leyte.

(Sgd.) MARGIE M. LARITA Affiant Subscribed and sworn to before me this 24th day of April 2014 at Ormoc City, Leyte, affiant exhibiting to me her competent identification: SSS No. 06-2201591-0.

(Sgd.) RUBEN R. CAPAHI Counsel for Petitioner Rm. 207, 2nd Flr. Ormoc Superdome San Pedro Street, Ormoc City, Leyte PTR No. 4153362 1/02/14 Ormoc City IBP (Leyte) Lifetime No. 07669 Roll No. 38837 MCLE Compliance No. IV-0015128, 04/02/2013 Email Address; rrcapahi@gmail.com Tel. Nos. (053) 255-4966/561-1104 Doc. No. 430; Page No. 86; Book No. LXXXIII; Series of 2014;

EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 2014 Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. VIII Ormoc City CASE NO. VIII-2014- 3297 REF. CASE NO. VIII-2011-0523 Application for Reconstitution of Records of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a FILCAB service.

With prayer to adopt trade name.

LUDIVINA L. DOLORES Applicant/s x----------------x NOTICE OF HEARING Applicant is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a FILCAB service for the transportation of passengers and freight on the route: ORMOC CITY-SABANG BAO & VICE VERSA, with the use of ONE (1) unit/s which Certificate is still valid and subsisting up to OCTOBER 10, 2016 In the present application, applicant request authority for reconstitution of records of the said certificate on the same route, with the use of the same number of unit/s.

NOTICE is hereby given that this application will be heard by this Board on SEPTEMBER 17, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at the above address.

At least Ten (10) days prior to the above date, applicant/s shall publish this Notice once in one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Visayas.

This application will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/ or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable ARTHUR L. SAIPUDIN, Regional Director, this 1st day of AUG. 2014.

(Sgd.) GUALBERTO N. GUALBERTO Clerk of Board Copy furnished: Applicant/s : L. L. DOLORES, BRGY. SABANG BAO, ORMOC CITY Counsel for applicant/S: ATTY. E. JOMADIAO, COR.ZAMORA & SALAZAR ST. TACLOBAN CITY EV Mail AUG. 4-10, 2014 rrr Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. VIII Ormoc City CASE NO. VIII-2014- 3343 REF. CASE NO. VIII-2013-0575 Application for Reconstitution of Records of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a UV EXPRESS service.

With prayer to adopt trade name.

NATHAN G. MONTALLANA Applicant/s x----------------x NOTICE OF HEARING Applicant is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a UV EXPRESS service for the transportation of passengers and freight on the route: FROM CATARMAN, NORTHERN SAMAR TO ANY POINT IN REGION VIII & VICE VERSA, with the use of ONE (1) unit/s which Certificate is still valid and subsisting.

In the present application, applicant request authority for reconstitution of records of the said certificate on the same route, with the use of the same number of unit/s.

NOTICE is hereby given that this application will be heard by this Board on OCTOBER 1, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at the above address.

At least Ten (10) days prior to the above date, applicant/s shall publish this Notice once in one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Visayas.

This application will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/ or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable ARTHUR L. SAIPUDIN, Regional Director, this 5TH day of AUG. 2014.

(Sgd.) GUALBERTO N. GUALBERTO Clerk of Board Copy furnished: Applicant/s : N. G. MONTALLANA, VELOSO, BLVD., ZONE 1 UEP, CATARMAN SOUTHERN SAMAR Counsel for applicant/S: ATTY. NEIL SIA, MAHARLIKA HIGHWAY, PAWING, PALO, LEYTE EV Mail AUG. 4-10, 2014 rrr Republic of the Philippines Department of Transportation and Communications LAND TRANSPORATION FRANCHISING AND REGULATORY BOARD Regional Office No. VIII Ormoc City CASE NO. VIII-2014- 3235 REF. CASE NO. VIII-2002-0693 Application for Reconstitution of Records of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL service.

With prayer to adopt trade name.

JESUS S. MANSUETO Applicant/s x----------------x NOTICE OF HEARING Applicant is a grantee of a Certificate of Public Convenience to operate a PUJ DUAL service for the transportation of passengers and freight on the route: ORMOC CITY – LEYTE & VICE VERSA WITH DUAL SERVICE, with the use of ONE (1) unit/s which Certificate is still valid and subsisting up to APRIL30, 2017.

In the present application, applicant request authority for reconstitution of records of the said certificate on the same route, with the use of the same number of unit/s.

NOTICE is hereby given that this application will be heard by this Board on OCTOBER 1, 2014 at 9:00 a.m. at the above address.

At least Ten (10) days prior to the above date, applicant/s shall publish this Notice once in one (1) daily newspaper of general circulation in Visayas.

This application will be acted upon by this Board on the basis of its records and documentary evidence submitted by the parties, unless the Board deems it necessary to receive additional documentary and/ or oral evidence.

WITNESS the Honorable ARTHUR L. SAIPUDIN, Regional Director, this 28TH day of July, 2014.

(Sgd.) GUALBERTO N. GUALBERTO Clerk of Board Copy furnished: Applicant/s : J.S. MANSUETO, BRGY. RIZAL ST., LEYTE, LEYTE Counsel for applicant/S: ATTY. J. L. DAGANDAN, LOPEZ JAENA ST., ORMOC CITY EV Mail AUG. 4-10, 2014

NOTICES

August 4-10, 2014

11

Government of the Philippines

MINES AND GEOSCIENCES BUREAU REGION VIII Candahug, Palo, Leyte

Invitation to Bid for REPAIR/REHABILITATION AND EXPANSION OF MGB REGIONAL OFFICE BUILDING INCLUDING THE PROVISION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICE FIXTURES, PWD TOILET, ROOF DECK WATER PROOFING & FIRE EXIT LADDER P.R. N0. 2014 – 129 1. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 8 (MGB), through the General Appropriation Act for 2014 under fund 101 Capital Outlay intends to apply the sum of Seven Million Nine Hundred fifty three Thousand (P 7,953,000.00) intends to apply the sum being the Approved Budget for the Contract (ABC) to payments under the contract for Repair/Rehabilitation and Expansion of MGB Regional Office Building Including the Provision and Installation of Office Fixtures, PWD Toilet, Roof Deck Water Proofing & Fire Exit Ladder. Bids received in excess of the ABC shall be automatically rejected at bid opening.

2. The MGB-8 now invites bids for Repair/Rehabilitation and Expansion of MGB Regional Office 8. Completion of the Works is required within 100 calendar days.

Bidders should have completed within ten (10) years from the date of submission and receipt of bids, a contract similar to the Project. The description of an eligible bidder is contained in the Bidding Documents, particularly in 3. Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures using non-discretionary pass/fail criterion as specified in the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of Republic Act 9184 (RA 9184), otherwise known as the “Government Procurement Reform Act.” Bidding is restricted to Filipino citizens/sole proprietorship, partnerships, or organizations with at least seventy-five (75%) interest or outstanding capital stock belonging to citizens of the Philippines.

4. Interested bidders may obtain further information from MGB-8 Property & Supply Unit and inspect the Bidding Documents at the address given below from August 4- August 26, 2014.

5. A complete set of Bidding Documents may be purchased by interested Bidders from the address below and payment of a nonrefundable fee for the Bidding Documents in the amount of Ten Thousand Pesos and 00/100 (Php 10,000.00) only.

It may also be downloaded free of charge from the website of the Philippine Government Electronic Procurement System (PhilGEPS) and the website of the Procuring Entity, provided that bidders shall pay the fee for the Bidding Documents not later than the submission of their bids.

6. The MGB-8 will hold a Pre-Bid Conference on August 13, 2014, 2:00 PM at MGB-8 Conference Room, 2nd Floor Office of The Regional Director, which shall open only to all interested parties who have purchased the Bidding Documents.

7. Bids must be delivered to the address below on or before August 26, 2014, 1:00 PM at MGB-8, Property & Supply Unit/Procurement Unit, Candahug, Palo, Leyte.

All bids must be accompanied by a bid security in any of the acceptable forms and in the amount stated in ITB Clause 0.

Bids will be opened on August 26, 2014 2:00 PM in the presence of the bidders’ representatives who choose to attend at the address below. Late bids shall not be accepted.

8. The Bidding Schedule of Activities is as Follows: ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE 1. Pre-Procurement Conference

July 25, 2014

2. Advertisement/Posting of Invitation to BID

August 4, 2014

3. Issuance and Availability of Bidding Documents

August 4-August 26, 2014

4. Pre-Bid Conference, MGB-8, Candahug, August 13, 2014, 2:00 P.M. Palo, Leyte Wednesday 5. Deadline of Submission and Receipt of Bids

August 26, 2014, 1:00 P.M. Tuesday

6. Opening of Bids

August 26, 2014, 2:00 P.M. Tuesday

7. Contract Starts/Commencement

Within 7 Calendar Days from the

date of the acceptance of

Notice to Proceed (NTP)

9. The Mines and Geosciences Bureau – R8 reserves the right to accept or reject any bid, to annul the bidding process and to reject all bids at any time prior to contract award, without thereby incurring any liability to the affected bidders or bidders.

10. For further information, please refer to: REBECCA F. PRECIA OIC, Chief Admin & Finance MGB-8, Candahug, Palo, Leyte Cel # 09494706014 NONITA S. CAGUIOA

Chairperson, BAC

OIC Chief MESD EV Mail August 4-10, 2014

EV Mail August 4-10 & 11-17, 2014

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF EASTERN SAMAR Municipality of Giporlos Barangay Parena BID AND AWARDS COMMITTEE

INVITATION TO APPLY FOR ELIGIBILITY AND TO BID The Local Government Unit of Brgy. Parena, Giporlos E. Samar, Through its Bid and Awards Committee (BAC). Invites constructors registered with and classified by the Philippines Contractors Accreditation Board (PCAB) to apply for eligibility, to bid for the hereunder contract: Name of Contract:

Location : Brief Description : Approved Budget: Contract Duration:

CONSTRUCTION OF 1 UNIT, ONE STOREY, TWO CLASSROOM, 7M.x9M. SCHOOL BUILDING BRGY. PARENA, GIPORLOS E. SAMAR Construction of 1-unit, two (2) Classroom 7M.x9M. School Building PHP. 1,500,000 95-Calendar Days

Prospective bidders should possess a valid PCAB License to the contract, have completed a similar contract with a value at least 50% of the BAC and have a personnel and equipment (listed in the Eligibility Forms) available for the prosecution of the contract. The BAC will use non-discretionary pass/fail criteria in the Eligibility Check/Screening as well as the Preliminary Examination of Bids. The BAC will conduct post qualification of the lowest calculation Bid. All particular activities to Eligibility statement and screening , Bid security, performance Security, Pre Bidding Conference, Evaluation of Bid, Post –qualification and Award of Contract shall be governed by the pertinent provisions of R.A. 9184 and its Implementing Rules and Regulation (IRR).

THE SCHEDULE OF BAC ACTIVITIES IS AS FOLLOWS:

Activities 1. Issuance of Bid Documents 2. Pre-Bid Conference 3. Receipt and Opening of Bids 4. Opening of Bids

Schedule Aug. 22, 2014 Aug. 8,2014 Aug. 23, 2014, 9:30 A.M. Aug. 23, 2014, 10:00 A.M.

The BAC will issue to prospective bidders Eligibility Forms at BAC Secretariat, Brgy. Hall, Brgy.

Parena, Giporlos, E. Samar, submission of a LOI, and upon their payment of non-refundable amount of Php. 500.00 to the Brgy. Treasurer. Prospective Bidders shall submit the Eligibility Requirement to the BAC at the said address.

The BAC will issue Bidding document only to bidders declared by the BAC to be eligible for the bidding upon payment of non-refundable amount of Php. 1,000.00 to the Local Government of BRGY. PARENA. The Local Government Unit of BRGY. PARENA assumes no responsibility whatsoever to compensate or indemnify bidder for any expenses incurred in the preparation on their bids.

Approved by: (SGD.) HON. SERAFIN A. BALAIS BAC Chairman CEL # 09282180411 Date of Publication: JULY 31, 2014 EV Mail July 28- August 3, 4-10, 2014

12

NOTICES

Extra-Judicial Settlement NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late VICTORIO C. NOVAL re parcels of land Lot 13, Pcs-08-000526-D, containing an area of 221 sq. m. covered

by TCT No. 30673; and Lot 57-A, psd-08010746-D, containing an area of 132 sq. m. covered by TCT No. 34206 all situated in Barangay Bagong Buhay,) formerly San Isidro), Ormoc City were settled among his heirs per Doc. No. 134; Page No. 27; Book No. XXXII; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Ari G. Larrazabal. EV Mail July 21-27, 28- Aug. 3, & 4 – 10, 2014 Affidavit of Self Adjudication NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late BUENAVENTURA VIOVICENTE re a parcel of land covered

by OCT No. P-15077, with TD No. 3177-A, located at Sto. Rosario, Matag-ob, Leyte, containing an area of 1,030 sq. m. was adjudicated unto herself by BRENDA V. GOJO CRUZ per Doc. No. 12; Page No. 4; Book No. XXVI; Series of 2012 of Notary Public Conrad P. Conopio. EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014.

Affidavit of Self Adjudication NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late LUCELA VIOVICENTE re a parcel of land covered by OCT No. P-15077, with TD No. 3177-B, located at Sto. Rosario, Matag-ob, Leyte, containing an area of 1,030 sq. m. was adjudicated unto himself

by DELAN GERRY VIOVICENTE per Doc. No. 11; Page No. 4; Book No. XXVI; Series of 2012 of Notary Public Conrad P. Conopio.

EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014.

Extra Judicial Settlement NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late SPS. ANIANO VIOVICENTE and CEFERINA VIOVICENTE re a parcel of an Agricultural land covered

by TD No. 3177, located at Sto. Rosario, Matag-ob, Leyte, with an area of 8,248 sq. m. was settled among their heirs per Doc. No. 250; Page No. 50; Book No. IV; Series of 1998 of Notary Public Lorenzo B. –Caballero.

EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014 Extrajudicial Settlement with Quitclaim NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the late TEODORO YCOY SR. had left a certain SKYGO motorcycle with sidecar bearing Plate number HY69954, Engine No. 161FMJA1017796, Chassis No. LX8PCK504AE000113 and City Identification (Police) No. 35 was settled among his heirs and quitclaimed in favor of ALEJANDRO MALATE YCOY per Doc. No. 120; Page No. 24; Book No. XXXI; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Evergisto S. Escalon. EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014 Affidavit of Self adjudication NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late LORETA MALINAO re a parcel of land Lot 5700-B-2-B, Psd08-028133-D, situated in Brgy. Dayhagan, Ormoc City, containing an area of 20,963 sq. m. covered by TCT No. 121-2012000428 was adjudicated unto herself by MARISSA S. INTING per Doc. No. 150; Page No. 30; Book No. XCV; Series of 2012 of Notary Public Cleto L. Evangelista, Jr. EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014.

Extrajudicial Settlement NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late SPS. ISIDORO M. MAÑAGO and GUILLERMA M. MAÑAGO re a parcel of land Lot 9006-D Psd-115117, situated in Barrio Valencia, Ormoc City under TCT No. 10641, containing an area of 189 sq. m. with residential house erected/ improvements was settled among their heirs per Doc. No. 181; Page No. 37; Book No. XXXII; Series of 2014 of Notary Public Ari G. Larrazabal. EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014 AFFIDAVIT OF SELF ADJUDICATION NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late PRIMO FUMAR re a parcel of land Lot 2305, situated in Barrio Alegria, Ormoc City, containing an area of 419 sq. m. , covered by OCT No. 22972; and Lot 8832, situated in Barrio Manlilinao, Ormoc City, containing an area of 103,232 sq.m. , covered by OCT No. 2591 were adjudicated unto himself by ROMEO R. FUMAR per Doc. No. 128; Page No. 26; Book No. XXVI; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Aleah Rafel G. Bataan-Tolibao. EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014

Republic of the Philippines Province of Leyte Municipality of Villaba Office of the Municipal Civil Registrar NOTICE FOR PUBLICATION In compliance with Section 5 of R.A. Act No. 9048, a notice is hereby served to the public that MARILYN L. PESA has filed with this Office a petition for the change of first name from “MARIA MARILYN” (OCRG copy) /”MA. MARILYN” (LCRO copy) to “MARILYN” in the certificate of live birth of MARIA MARILYN G. LUMAPAZ who was born on June 23, 1961 at Villaba, Leyte and whose parents are FELIXBERTO L. LUMAPAZ and PETRONILA L. GARAYAN. Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his written opposition with this Office not later than July 25, 2014.

(Sgd.) ENGR. MEDALLO V. PUNONG MCR EV Mail July 28- Aug. 3, & 4-10, 2014

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Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province of Samar City of Calbayog NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In Compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 Guidelines in the Implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 10172)/ Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2001 (IRR on R.A. 9048) Notice is hereby served to the public that CARMEN ORTIZ MABUTOL has filed with this Office, a petition for CHANGE OF FIRST NAME AND CORRECTION OR SEX from MARTIN RONEL to MARTIN RONNEL and from FEMALE to MALE in the Certificate of live birth of MARTIN RONEL MABUTOL at Calbayog City, Samar and whose parents are ALFREDO MABUTOL and ELENA CABRAL bearing registry number 584 Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this Office not later than July 23, 2014.

(Sgd.) FE D. QUEROLJICO City Civil Registrar EV Mail July 28- Aug. 3, & 4-10, 2014

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Republic of the Philippines Local Civil Registry Office Province of Samar City of Calbayog NOTICE OF PUBLICATION In Compliance with the publication requirement and pursuant to OCRG Memorandum Circular No. 2013-1 Guidelines in the Implementation of the Administrative Order No. 1 Series of 2012 (IRR on R.A. 9048) Notice is hereby

Republic of the Philippines REGIONALTRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region Branch 12, Ormoc City CASE NO. R-ORM-1400040-SP IN THE MATTER FOR THE CORRECTION OF ENTRY IN THE CERTIFICATE OF LIVE BIRTH OF EVANGELYN E. CLAROS, EVANGELYN CLAROSPAIMALAN, Petitioner, -versusTHE OFFICE OF THE LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR OF KANANGA, LEYTE and the NATIONAL, STATISTICS OFFICE, STA, MESA, MANILA, Respondent. x---------------------x ORDER Filed is a verified petition for the correction of entry recorded in the Certificate of Live Birth of EVANGELYN E. CLAROS, by petitioner through counsel praying that after due notice, publication and hearing in accordance with the Rules of Court, an Order be issued directing the Office of the Local Civil Registrar of Kananga, Leyte and the Office of the Civil Registrar General of the National Statistics Office to cause the change/correction in the entries of the CERTIFICATE of LIVE BIRTH of the petitioner particularly her date of birth from MAY 29, 1979 to MAY 28, 1978 and the entry of her father’s name from ROTELIO to ROTELLO. Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance, set the hearing thereof on September 10, 2014 at 8:30 in the morning before this Court, at which date, time and place, any interested party may appear and show cause if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Accordingly, let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of petitioner once a week for three consecutive weeks in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Leyte qualified to publish judicial notices and be posted at the bulletin boards of the Kananga Municipal Hall, Kananga, Leyte and of this court before the scheduled date of hearing.

Further, let a copy thereof be furnished the Local Civil Registrar of Kananga, Leyte, the Solicitor General, Manila, the Provincial Prosecutor, Ormoc City for their information and appropriate action.

SO ORDERED. In Chambers, Ormoc City, Philippines, June 27, 2014.

(Sgd.) CLINTON C. NUEVO Presiding Judge CCN/jgsjr Copy furnished: Ofice of the Solicitor General 134 Amorsolo Street Legaspi Village, Makati City served to the public that RENALYN PRETENCIO has filed with this Office, a petition for CORRECTION OF A CLERICAL OF TYPOGRAPHICAL ERROR IN SEX from MALE to FEMALE is the Certificate of live birth of RENALYN PRETENCIO at Calbayog City, Samar and whose parents are EVELYN S. PRETENCIO and bearing registry number 93-00436.

Any person adversely affected by said petition may file his/her written opposition with this Office not later than March 17, 2014.

(Sgd.) FE D. QUEROLJICO City Civil Registrar EV Mail July 28- Aug. 3, & 4-10, 2014

Provincial Prosecution Office Hall of Justice, Ormoc City Local Civil Registrar Office of the Local Civil Registrar Kananga, Leyte E v a n g e l y n C l a ro s Paimalan Brgy. Natubgan Kananga, Leyte Civil Registrar General National Statistics Office, Sta, Mesa, Manila Atty. Allan R. Castro Real Street, Poblacion Kananga, Leyte EV Mail July 21-27, 28Aug. 3, & 4 – 10, 2014 Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region BRANCH 15 Hall of Justice, Burauen, Leyte EJF No. 14-07-38 FOR: Extra-Judicial Foreclosure of Real Estate Mortgage PAG-IBIG FUND TACLOBAN CITY, Mortgagee, -versusJUANCHO A. JARO, Mortgagors, x---------------------x NOTICE OF EXTRAJUDICIAL SALE Upon extra-judicial petition for sale under Act No. 3135/1508 filed

by CESAR VIRGILIO A. LABUGUEN, Department Manager IIILCMRD Cebu HUB, PAG- IBIG FUND, Regional Office, Tacloban City, received by this Court on July 18, 2014 against Juancho A. Jaro, a resident of Barangay 59-A, Sampaguita Ext., Tacloban City, to satisfy the mortgage indebtedness which as of May 19, 2014 amounts to EIGHT HUNDRED TWENTY EIGHT THOUSAND EIGHT HUNDRED SIX & 59/100 (Php 828,806.59) excluding penalties, charges attorney’s fees and expenses of foreclosure, the undersigned or his duly authorized deputy will sell at public auction on September 23, 2014 at 10:00 A.M. at the main entrance of the Hall of Justice, Regional Trial Court, Branch 15, Burauen, Leyte, to the highest bidder, for cash or manager’s check and in Philippines currency, the following property with its improvements, to wit; Title No.: T-28689 Lot No.: 4501-A-1-G-20 Survey No.: Psd083725-007779-D Location of the Property: Poblacion of Julita, Leyte Land Area: FIVE HUNDRED FORTY (540) sq. m.

Boundaries: East, along line 1-2

by Lot 4601, Psc-9;on the South, along line 2-3 by a road (4.00 m. wide); on the West, along line 3-4

by Lot 4501-A-1-G-21 of the subdivision and on the North, along line 4-1

by Lot 4501-C, Psd-08004024.

All sealed bids must be submitted to the undersigned on the above stated time and date.

In the event the public auction should not take place on the said date, it shall be held on September 30, 2014 without further notice.

Hall of Justice, Burauen, Leyte, July 24, 2014.

Republic of the Philippines REGIONAL TRIAL COURT 8th Judicial Region BRANCH 15 Hall of Justice, Burauen, Leyte Special Proceedings No. 14-07-196 IN THE MATTER OF THE PETITION FOR JUDICIAL DECLARATION THAT THE NAMES CORAZON LAMAC BALDERIAN, CARIDAD LAMAC BALDERIAN AND CARIDAD BALDERIAN TABIOS REFER TO ONE AND THE SAME PERSON CORAZON L. BALDERIAN-PADILLA, A.K.A. CARIDAD LAMAC BALDERIAN, A.K.A. CARIDAD BALDERIAN TABIOS Petitioner, x------------------x ORDER A verified petition had been filed by the petitioner, through counsel, praying that after due publication, notice and hearing, an Order be issued declaring that the names CORAZON LAMAC BALDERIAN, CARIDAD LAMAC BALDERIAN and CORAZON BALDERIAN TABIOS refer to one and the same person and that petitioner is also the same person CARIDAD B. TABIOS, the registered owner of a parcel of land designated as Lot No. 4454-A of the Caloocan Cadastre located at Quezon City covered

by Transfer Certificate of Title No. RT-110459 (330734).

Finding the petition to be sufficient in form and substance it is hereby ordered that the said petition be set for initial hearing on September 10, 2014 in the morning session of this Court at the Hall of Justice, Regional Trial Court, Branch 15, Burauen, Leyte, at which date, time and place, all persons may appear and show cause, if any, why the petition should not be granted.

Let a copy of this Order be published at the expense of the petitioner in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Leyte, once a week for three (3) consecutive weeks, with the last publication to be made at least one week prior to the date of initial hearing.

Furnish copies of this Order and petition to the Office of the Solicitor General, Office of the Provincial Prosecutor, the petitioner and her counsel.

SO ORDERED. IN CHAMBERS, Hall of Justice, Burauen, Leyte, July 31, 2014.

(Sgd.) YOLANDA U. DAGANDAN Presiding Judge EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 1117, & 18-24, 2014

(Sgd.) LICERIO M. MARTINADA III Sheriff IV Copy Furnished: Juancho A. Jaro Pag-Ibig Fund, Tacloban City EV Mail July 28 – Aug. 3, 4-10, 11-17, 2014

August 4-10, 2014

REPUBLIKA NG PILIPINAS SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD LUNGSOD NG ORMOC EXCERPT FROM THE MINUTES OF THE REGULAR SESSION OF THE THIRTEENTH SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD NG ORMOC HELD AT THE SANGGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD SESSION HALL ORMOC CITY HALL BUILDING ON JULY 31, 2014 PRESENT: Hon. Leo Carmelo L. Locsin, Jr. Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer Hon. Rolando M. Villasencio, ` SP Member, Majority Floor Leader Hon. Tomas R. Serafica, SP Member, Asst. Majority Floor Leader Hon. Mario M. Rodriguez, SP Member, Presiding Officer “Pro-Tempore” Hon. Benjamin S. Pongos, Jr., SP Member Hon. Antonio M. Codilla, SP Member Hon. Vincent L. Rama, SP Member Hon. Pedro Godiardo P. Ebcas, SP Member Hon. Eusebio Gerardo S. Penserga, SP Member Hon. Mariano Y. Corro, Ex-Officio SP Member Chapter President, Liga ng mga Barangay ng Ormoc ON OFFICIAL BUSINESS: Hon. Ruben R. Capahi, SP Member, Asst. Minority Floor Leader PREFATORY STATEMENT WHEREAS, presented to the Thirteenth Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Ormoc for consideration is an Endorsement dated July 10, 2014 from the Honorable City Mayor, Edward C. Codilla, urgently requesting for Supplemental Budget Appropriation in the amount of THIRTY – TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO THOUSAND PESOS ONLY (P32,362,000.00) for the purchase of Four (4) units Brand New Garbage Compactor and 100 units Garbage Container Bin Tipping Units (600 ltrs. Capacity) for the city-wide garbage collection to be taken from the Unappropriated Surplus, end of year 2013; WHEREAS, the problem of un-collected garbage both in our business and residential areas has become more prevalent due to the frequent breakdown of our old garbage trucks, hence, the purchase of the Garbage Compactors and Container Bins are considered immediate needs and therefore deemed important to the City in order to improve our day-to-day garbage collection program; WHEREAS, the City Budget Officer issued a Certification dated July 11, 2014, with the information that the sum of THIRTY-TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO THOUSAND PESOS ONLY (P32,362,000.00) is available to be taken from the Unappropriated Suplus, end of year 2013, for the following object of expenditures to wit: GENERAL Service Office: Capital Outlay: Motor Vehicles P27,920,000.00 Other Equipment 4,442,000.00 ------------------- P32,362,000.00 WHEREAS, the City Treasurer, through a Certificate of Availability of Funds dated July 15, 2014, reiterates that funding source of the aforementioned request is available to be taken from the Unappropriated Surplus, end of year 2013, to supplement the Capital Outlay account- Motor Vehicles & other Equipment – of the City General Services Office specifically for the purchase of the aforementioned equipment; FOREGOING PREMISES CONSIDERED, on joint motion of Honorable SP Members Mario M. Rodriguez, Chairman, Committee on Finance and Appropriation, and Vincent L. Rama, Chairman, Committee on Environment & Natural Resources, severally seconded by Honorable SP Members Pedro Godiardo P. Edcas, Antonio M. Codilla and Tomas R. Serafica; be it RESOLVED, to enact: APPROPRIATION ORDINANCE NO. 2014-006 (General Fund) AN ORDINANCE APPROPRIATING THE AMOUNT OF THIRTY- TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO THOUSAND PESOS ONLY (P32,362,000.00) TO BE TAKEN FROM

THE UNAPPROPRIATED SURPLUS, END OF YEAR 2013 FOR THE PURCHASE OF FOUR (4) UNITS BRAND NEW GARBAGE COMPACTOR AND 100 UNITS GARBAGE CONTAINER BIN TIPPING UNITS (600 LTRS. CAPACITY) FOR THE CITY- WIDE3 GARBAGE COLLECTION AND DISPOSAL USE OF THE CITY GENERAL SERVICES OFFICE. BE IT ENACTED, by the Thirteenth Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Ormoc, That: SECTION 1. 2014 GENERAL FUND SUPPLEMENTAL BUDGET. The sum of THIRTY – TWO MILLION THREE HUNDRED SIXTY TWO THOUSAND PESOS ONLY (P32,362,000.00) of the General Fund Supplemental Budget of Ormoc City is hereby appropriated for the purchase of Four (4) units Brand New Garbage Compactors & Garbage Container Bins, to be taken from the Unappropriated Surplus, End of Year 2013.

SECTION 2. EFFECTIVITY. This Appropriation Ordinance shall take effect immediately upon its approval subject however, to the compliance of the posting and publication requirements as provided in the Local Government Code of 1991.

RESOLVED, FURTHER, that sufficient copies of this Appropriation Ordinance together with all supporting documents thereof, be submitted to the Honorable Secretary, Department of Budget & Management, Manila, through the City Budget Officer of Ormoc, and the Regional Director, Department of Budget & Management, Tacloban City, for review purposes; ENACTED, July 31, 2014.

RESOLVED, FURTHERMORE, to furnish copies of this Appropriation Ordinance, one each to His Honor, the City Mayor Edward C. Codilla, the City Administrator, the City Treasurer, the City Budget Officer, the City Accountant, the City Auditor, the City General Services Office, the DILG-City Director, Ms. Lucia C. Ong and other offices concerned; CARRIED UNANIMOUSLY. WE HEREBY CERTIFY that the foregoing Appropriation Ordinance No. 2014 – 006 which approved the General Fund Supplemental budget of Ormoc City for CY 2014 was duly enacted by the Thirteenth Sangguniang Panlungsod ng Ormoc in its regular session.

(Sgd.) JOEL S. DUERO

Secretary to the

Sangguniang Panlungsod (Sgd.) ROLANDO M. VILLASENCIO SP Member Majority Floor Leader (Sgd.) TOMAS R. SERAFICA SP Member Asst. Majority Floor Leader (Sgd.) MARIO M. RODRIGUEZ SP Member Presiding Officer “Pro-Tempore” RUBEN R. CAPAHI SP Member Asst. Minority Floor Leader (O.B. – Cebu City) (Sgd.) BENJAMIN S. PONGOS, JR. SP. Member (Sgd.) ANTONIO M. CODILLA SP Member (Sgd.) VINCENT L. RAMA SP Member (Sgd.) PEDRO GODIARDO P. EBCAS SP Member (Sgd.) EUSEBIO GERARDO S. PENSERGA SP Member (Sgd.)MARIANO Y. CORRO Ex-Officio SP Member Chapter President Liga ng mga Barangay ng Ormoc ATTESTED: (Sgd.) LEO CARMELO L. LOCSIN, JR. Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer APPROVED: (Sgd.) EDWARD C. CODILLA City Mayor Date: 06 AUG 2014 EV Mail August 4-10. 2014

Republic of the Philippines SUPREME COURT REGIONAL TRIAL COURT BRANCH 43 8th Judicial Region Bulwagan ng Katarungan Magsaysay Boulevard, Tacloban City SP. PROC. NO. 201311-39 JOSEPH I. AGUJA, Petitioner, -versusCIVIL REGISTRAR GENERAL, NATIONAL STATISTICS OFFICE, MANILA AND LOCAL CIVIL REGISTRAR, TACLOBAN CITY, Respondents, x------------------x ORDER This is a verified Petition filed by Petitioner JOSEPH I. AGUJA praying for the cancellation and correction of the following entries in his Certificate of Live Birth with Registry No. 2000-

person having or claiming any interest under the entry whose cancellation or correction is sought may, within Fifteen (15) days from notice of the Petition, or from the last date of publication of such notice, file his opposition thereto.

Let a copy of this Order be published in a newspaper of general circulation in the Province of Leyte and the City of Tacloban for Three (3) consecutive weeks at the expense of the Petitioner.

Further, let a copy of this Order and the Petition with its annexes be furnished the Office of the Solicitor General, 134 Amorsolo Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, as well as Civil Registrar General, National Statistics Office, Manila, Local Civil Registrar, Tacloban City; and the Office of the City Prosecution, Tacloban City. Likewise, furnish a copy of this

4012, to wit: 1) The Annotation of Legitimation; 2) The name JOSEPH I. AGUJA be reverted back to JOSEPH ISIDRO; 3) The date of marriage of parents stated as July 23, 1998 be reverted to the previous as NOT STATED; and 4) The place of marriage of parents stated as Capoocan, Leyte be reverted to the previous as NOT STATED. The Court, finding the Petition to be sufficient in form and substance, hereby gives due course to the same.

WHEREFORE, notice is hereby given that the above-entitled Petition is set for hearing on November 4, 2014 at 8:30 o’clock in the morning before this Court sitting at the Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Tacloban City.

The Civil Registrar of Tacloban City and any

Order to the Petitioner and his counsel.

SO ORDERED. IN CHAMBERS this 18th day of July 2014, Regional Trial Court, Branch 43, Bulwagan ng Katarungan, Magsaysay Boulevard, Tacloban City.

(Sgd.) EVELYN P. RIÑOS-LESIGUES Presiding Judge EV Mail Aug. 4-10, 1117, & 18- 24, 2014 Deed of Extrajudicial Settlement with Deed of Absolute Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late JOSEFA PELIAS and CANUTO ALCUINO re a parcel of land lot No. 13096 containing an area of 17,290 sq. m. located in Brgy. San Roque Hilongos, Leyte covered by OCT No. P-45366; TD No. 14037 00080 R-13 was settled among their heirs and 9,800 sq. m. sold in favor of ROBLE SHIPPING INC. per Doc. No. 405; Page No. 82; Book no. VII; Series of 2012 of Notary Public Ma. Lourdes Madula- Vilbar.

EV Mail July 21-27, 28- Aug. 3, & 4 – 10, 2014

CLASSIFIEDS

August 4-10, 2014

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S.A. LARRAZABAL

Queen Pineapples Available at: CHITO’S CHOW Ormoc Plaza  255-4144; 561-8144

S & R L A R R A Z A B A L IN TACLOBAN at: P. Burgos St. CORP. Bonifacio St., Ormoc City (near Dahil Sa Iyo)  255-4783; 561-7953

Sabin’s BEACH

IN CEBU at: No. 2 Wilson Street Lahug, Cebu City  253-0654

For cottage reservations, call: Tel # 255-3737; 561-1895 Bantigue, Ormoc City RESORT

EV MAIL TRAVEL

Large format printing & Computers

Fastest RORO from Ormoc to Cebu!!!

M/V LITE FERRY 8 ORMOC-CEBU-ORMOC Daily except FRIDAYS Departs Ormoc Departs Cebu

10:00 PM

11:00 AM

For inquiries and bookings, contact Tel Nos. (053) 561-6036/ (053) 255-3821 or 0922-997-3088

Commercial rate * - P100.00 per col. cm. * Judicial Notices *- P 60.00 per col. cm * For inquiries: Call (053) 561-0809/ 832-0704 (Ormoc); (053) 530-3366 (Tacloban); 500-9389 (Biliran) * Exclusive of taxes/Black and White rate

Philippine Airlines Inc. TACLOBAN BRANCH TACLOBAN CITY

The following schedule is effective as of 01 June 2011 until further notice: PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS 319 & 320 PR 191 MNL 5:40 AM TAC 6:55 AM DAILY PR 192 TAC 7:25 AM MNL 8:35 AM DAILY

PR 391 MNL 9:20 AM PR 392 TAC 11:10 AM

TAC 10:40 AM MNL 12:25 PM

DAILY DAILY

PR 393 MNL 4:00 PM PR 394 TAC 5:50 PM

TAC MNL

DAILY DAILY

AIR PHILS EXPRESS Q-300/Q-400 PR 234 CEB 4:10 P.M. TAC 4:50 P.M. DAILY PR 235 TAC 5:10 P.M. CEB 5:50 P.M. DAILY

5:20 PM 7:05 PM

FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN VISIT OUR OFFICE AT DZR AIRPORT TACLOBAN OR CALL US AT 321-2212/3212213/325-7528 OR OUR AUTHORIZEDAGENTS:

ALS TRAVELLER’S SHOPPE 053-500-7803

AS DOMS & INT’L TICKETING OFFICE 053-325-7000

EASTERN VISAYAS AIR TRAVEL 053-321-7771/321-8608

EMY TICKETING OFFICE, PALO, LEYTE 053-323-7404/523-8981

LEYTE GULF TRAVEL AND TOURS 053-321-7966/523-7966

LEYTE 1ST TRAVEL AGENCY PHILS., INC. 053-523-1313

NORTHSTAR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 053-321-3974/523-1644

PASHADA TRAVEL , BORONGAN, SAMAR 055-560-9847

Y5A TICKET EXPRESS, MAASIN CITY 053-381-4433

ZJ CABLITAS TICKET EXPRESS, BAYBAY CITY 053-335-3464

ROPERL TRAVEL & TOURS, CATBALOGAN CITY 055-251-2076/251-6133

SUNSHINE TRAVEL AND TOUR 053-321-2246

Cel No. 0908-896-1037

14 5,000 EV students to benefit from Cayetano’s ‘Iskolar ng Bayan’ “LET US set aside all talks of politics and focus our efforts on Filipinos families and how to address their dayto-day problems like how to provide quality education for their children.”

This is the call made by Senator Alan Peter S. Cayetano to his colleagues in the 16th Congress as he rallied support for the Iskolar ng Bayan bill which he said would provide quality education to almost 5,000 students in Yolanda-stricken Eastern Visayas every year if enacted into law.

“This is one issue we could all agree on, no matter what political color you carry: that access to quality education is a right, not a privilege, even in the tertiary level. Let us provide Filipino families, especially the poor, the kind of education that would make their lives better,” Cayetano, author of the measure, said.

Senate Bill No. 2275, otherwise known as the Iskolar ng Bayan bill, proposes the government mandates all state universities and colleges (SUCs) to give automatic admission and scholarship grants to the top ten (10) public high school students of their respective graduating classes. It has been approved on third reading by the Senate and has recently hurdled the appropriations committee in the House of Representatives.

Under the measure, SUCs are expected to grant free tuition and other school fees to the Iskolar ng Bayan in all SUCs. “According to the latest data from DepEd, there are a total of 495 public high schools operating in Region 8 for school year 2013-2014. That is roughly 4,950 students in the region’s six provinces who are sure of going to college if this measure is made law. That means 4,950 families in Eastern Visayas who were devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda last year will have a chance of waking up to a better future,” Cayetano stated.

DepEd statistics show that 20 public high schools are located in Biliran, another 243 are in Western and Eastern Samar, and 232 others are in Leyte and Southern Leyte, giving the Eastern Visayas region a total of 495 schools which will produce 4,950 top graduating high school students.

“Let us show them that they are still our number one priority by approving measures like the Iskolar ng Bayan bill; measures that will directly address the Filipinos’ daily problems.”

Cayetano said the enactment of this measure becomes particularly important now that the PDAF has been abolished

by Congress, leaving some 400,000 scholars on their own to fend for their schooling.

He particularly cited the experience in Taguig City and its local government’s strong stance against corruption, a policy that has propelled the city to be one of best cities in the country to live in.

“In 2010, the city’s scholarship fund was at a measly P5 million while the allocation for garbage collection was P500 million. It was a clear injustice. But when Mayor Lani won her first term, the contract for garbage hauling was cut and the savings was used to fund a scholarship program. Now with P400-million worth of scholarship funds under the LANI Scholarship Program, over 24,000 scholars since 2010 were given the opportunity to go to college and in the process find better and higher paying jobs in the future.”

“This is how it should be throughout the country. If we want to help Filipinos families have better lives, we have to focus on what is really important. First, let us cleanse our government from corruption; then, let us maximise the benefits of our people. Kapag bawal ang corrupt, bigay todo ang biyaya, mas masaya ang bawat pamilya” he said. By Mel Caspe

PARR office construction starts TACLOBAN CITY (PNA) -- The construction of the 14-unit module shelter for the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) for Eastern Visayas is on going at the Leyte capitol ground.

While it is expected to be completed on October 5 this year, it can already be utilized this month, said provincial administrator Vincent Emnas.

Its construction worth PHPP1.8 billion is funded by OPARR and is implemented by the provincial government.

It will be turned over to the OPARR anytime this month upon signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) by parties concerned.

OPARR can use the facility until 2016.

He said that the putting up of the office is in line with the thrust of President Benigno S. Aquino III to ensure that concerns regarding the rehabilitation will be appropriately addressed.

Emnas said that the place is accessible to the public.

Meanwhile, Leyte governor Leopoldo Dominic Petilla was more than happy with the construction right inside the small and medium enterprise development (SMED) center at the capitol grounds.

He said it would be easier to transact with OPARR because the SMED center is just adjacent the provincial capitol building.

NEWS

August 4-10, 2014

Tacloban awaits rehab funds TACLOBAN CITY (PNA) -The city government here is just waiting for the national government to download funds based on its approved rehabilitation plan, according to Mayor Alfred Romualdez.

To recall, President Benigno Aquino III during his State of the Nation Address (SONA) announced the approval of the rehabilitation plan of Tacloban City along with other provinces affected

by Yolanda.

The city’s comprehensive rehab plan worth P25 billion contains priorities such as getting the people out of tents; building a new community that requires utilities such a water, sewerage system, electricity; building infrastructure to support social activities such as market, schools, additional classrooms, health centers, among others.

In the case of getting people out of the tents, the city government is doing its best to gather fund through donations to pave the way for the construction of permanent housing.

Romualdez disclosed that he was able to gather millions in pledges during his recent trip to Southern California in USA when he met with several mayors in the area. The funds will be utilized for the establishment of permanent shelter for families that are still living in tents.

“I promise that no one will be left behind, part of our recovery is to get everybody in a safe area and everybody every family which I am going to fight will have a house,” he added.

Further, he expressed optimism that the opening and re-opening of several business establishments in the city will open opportunity for Taclobanons to work, thus increasing their purchasing power and at the same time pay taxes to add to the city coffer. (PNA PALO, LEYTE (PNA) - 25 entrepreneurs in this town received egg machines during the launching of the “Mahalin Pagkaing Atin” campaign program held here over the weekend.

The program aims to encourage more farmers to invest in manufacturing local produce and encourage corporations and entrepreneurs to buy homegrown products.

As part of the campaign, 25 egg machines were given to five beneficiaries in each of the town’s five barangays. The egg machine kit includes a pen with 48 ready to lay hens that can produce eggs ready for consumption and for sale.

The campaign was spearheaded by the Pilmico Foods Corporation in partnership with the Terra Firma consor-

NEW TOURIST ATTRACTION? A proposal to turn the area at Anibong district in Tacloban City, where some four ships beached 300 meters inland, into a “tourist spot” is getting mixed reactions. Some say it is a sacrilege considering the ships killed Yolanda victims; some, however, share the view that it should be turned into a memorial for people to be reminded of Mother Nature’s capability if angered. PIA photo

DOLE targets 40 LGUs in E. Visayas to put up a skills registry system TACLOBAN CITY (PNA) -- The Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) here will distribute computer units that will be utilized for the implementation of skills registry system in 40 local government units (LGUs) in Eastern Visayas this year.

DOLE 8 regional director Exequiel Sarcauga said that they were supposed to distribute the computer sets December 8 last year in time for their anniversary celebration but it did not push through due to super typhoon Yolanda.

The typhoon that struck November 8 damaged the DOLE office. It was fortu-

nate that plastic covers of computers that were already purchased last year were still intact. Some of the computers have been utilized by the office after the typhoon.

However, the procurement of the new sets of computers for the registry system was completed end of July.

Sarcauga explained that the skills registry system is implemented at the municipal level and even extended down to the barangay level. Data are uploaded to the central data base.

LGUs are expected to provide the skill competencies of their constituents.

“Out of this system we will know what competencies are available at the barangay or at the local government unit and what skills are lacking,” he said.

He added that the program is very helpful to recruiters because they would know where to find skilled workers just by accessing the system.

LGUs on the other hand would know what skills are lacking should they intend to provide training to boost the employability of their constituents.

DOLE 8 has already opened the skills registry system in 18 LGUs of the region.

Pilmico gives ‘egg machines’ to Palo

Pilmico, a subsidiary of the Aboitiz Group of Companies, distributes the initial 25 egg machine kits to select recipients in Palo, Leyte as part of its campaign to provide a sustainable livelihood and employment for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda. One hundred (100) egg machine kits have been allocated by Pimico for the entire province of Leyte which includes pen with 48 readyto-lay hens. Photo shows (standing l-r) Pilmico Marketing Manager John Paul Pangilinan (5th from left), Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla, Terra Firma Director Amor Maclang, other Pimlico officials and the farmer-recipients after the presscon held at the Palo Municipal Hall, August 2. PIA photo tium, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Tourism (DOT) and this local government unit.

The consortium is pushing for the egg machine to provide

sustainable business because it is simple and effective, quick in producing fresh eggs, allows backward integration of present business and assures maximum profit because there is no more middlemen and

faster return of investment.

The beneficiaries included Artemio Lachica, Nicolas Laraga, Daniel Sornito, Danilo see

PILMICO p. 9