The doctors are still waiting for the decision of his family whether to withdraw the life support or not.

It was noted that Representative Iggy Arroyo as a brother of former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo, defended his brother in many ways, especially during the Jose Pidal scandal. Iggy admitted that the Jose Pidal account is owned not by his brother Mike but his own.

He was suffering from liver problem is seen to be the cause of his death or the death of his brain.

The Philippine Arena will eventually become the world’s largest indoor arena. It will be fitted with 50,000 seats inside and can still accommodate another 50,000 seats outside the arena.

About the Iglesia Ni Cristo

The Iglesia Ni Cristo is one of the minority churches here in the Philippines. But it is the largest indigenous or native Christian religion in Asia.

It has a local congregation here in Maasin City where its church is located in Barangay Asuncion near the Canturing Bridge. There are also churches of the Iglesia Ni Cristo in different towns of Southern Leyte. Those that are easily to notice are their church in Padre Burgos in Barangay Cantutang, in Barangay Salvation in Sogod, and in St. Bernard. It also has churches in Hinunangan.

For more information about the church, kindly visit the Iglesia Ni Cristo blogpost of SELaplana.

This was according to Southern Leyte Lone District Congressman Roger G. Mercado during his recent weekend visit here in his hometown.

He claimed that a DOTC official in Metro Manila has disclosed to him concerning the specific budget allocation for the full development of the Maasin Airport otherwise called as Panan-awan Airport, which remained un-operational for the past several years.

During the recent visit of both the print and broadcast media to the airport, works on the concreting of the standard 9-lane wide pavement was in progress.

The Congressman informed the press people that the additional 200 meters to the existing 1,200 meters runway was already accomplished, including the construction of tarmac where an estimated 3 or 4 smaller passenger planes can be accommodated while waiting for its turn. He also said that when the implementation of the airport’s full development would start, a terminal building shall be constructed. A radar will also be installed and followed by the construction of the observation tower. A series of lights will also be placed on either side of the runway’s strategic location, he pointed out, in order to guide the pilots on their night flights.

However, there were both positive and negative utterances from some quarters on the airport, because of the fact that the plan to develop it has always been put aside for the past several years.

It was only during last year that the initial improvement had commenced with around more or less P90M budget being allocated through the initiative of Representative Mercado.

When the airport would become functional in the near future, plane-riding travelers in Maasin and the neighboring towns of North Leyte and Southern Leyte, the solon stressed, would no longer be going to Tacloban City to take a plane bound for Manila or Cebu. “Potential travelers would no longer be expending for transportation fare in going to Tacloban”, he said.
Nonetheless, knowledgeable people on airline operations clarified that the inclusion of Maasin as additional port call would vastly rely on the number of passengers who would patronize it for their flight either for Cebu, Mindanao or Manila.

The Congressman said that he would file a bill in Congress that “will promote rural air transport to the regions with high tourism potentials”. He also urged his constituents, particularly the denizens of Maasin to drop by the Panan-awan Airport to see for themselves its current face-lifting improvement activity.

But there are those who reacted and predicted that nothing would happen to this airport. The uncertainty of his prophetic negativism may not be realized as there were changes of conceptions at this age of modern communication, since the 10-year–old city of Maasin has gradually improving in terms of infrastructure facilities as could be seen by various commercial and residential building constructions.

Plus the implementation of the eco-tourism development in the municipalities of the province with potential tourist attractions initiated by the Chairman of the newly-organized Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc (SLCCII) Engr. Robert Castañares. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Kangleon who hails from Macrohon town which is about 15 kilometers away from Maasin city proper is not only a local war hero but also a national hero of significant prominence. He was a Guerilla Commander in the whole island of Leyte during the World War 2 when he was a soldier. It was also noted that he was in constant clandestine contact with General Douglas McArthur who was in Australia for logistics and ammunition support for the Guerillas in the entire island of Leyte. The armed support from the American General Commander of the Pacific were coursed and secretly delivered to the Guerillas via Submarine called M/V Nautilus that landed near the sea facing Macrohon.

Fierce fighting between the Japanese Imperial army and the combined forces of Americans and Filipinos have occurred in various areas of Leyte, of which at that time, it was not yet divided by boundaries of the current two provinces of Leyte Province and the Province of Southern Leyte.

When Douglas McArthur arrived in Leyte with fleet of battle ships in fulfilment of his promise, “I Shall Return”, the late Col. Ruperto Kangleon was there welcoming him. On that memorable day, the arriving American General Commander pinned on him the Distinguished Service Cross by the United States of America.

The American soldiers arrived in Dulag and Palo via barges and pettiboats after American battle ships from afar cleared the area by the continual bombardment of cannons and dropping of bombs from fighter planes.

The late Ruperto Kadava Kangelon is not only a national hero but also recognized and respected war hero of international scale. He gave honor and prestige to the Southern Leyteños as the first and only Southern Leyteño Senator. He was later appointed by President Roxas as the Secretary of National Defense during his active career in the Government Service.

His incorruptible reputation and good records as public servant is widely known in the country. It is also important, it was said, for the younger generations of Southern Leyteños to know and be reminded of the exemplary achievements of the late Ruperto Kadava Kangleon (1890-1958) as an outstanding military officer and World War 2 Guerrilla Commander in the entire Leyte Island who is worthy of emulation by all.

The heroic war exploits of Southern Leyteño war hero, including that of the Guerrillas during the war have greatly contributed much to the victory of the war against the foreign invasion. And the said exploits serve as the gratitude of all Southern Leyteños in particular and in the country in general.

Lourdes Bantug, Governor Damian Mercado’s Office Secretary informed that Mercado had already signed the SP resolution approving the 2 ordinances endorsed by the abovementioned organizations. Letters of communication were already sent to all Chief Executives of the one city and 18 municipalities, including all public and private schools in the entire province.

Recommendation

Furthermore, some concerned citizens recommended that DepEd would make the two books written about the late war hero Ruperto Kangleon as part of their reading materials of the students in both private and public schools in all levels-elementary, high school, and colleges. The books that tackled about the life of RKK as a citizen, a soldier and as a public servant who showed to the world the love of one’s country and God need to be reinforced in the minds and hearts of our present generations of Filipinos.

The two books entitled “Love Of Country (Saga of Ruperto K. Kangleon and the Leyte Guerillas) by Atty. Joaquin G. Chung, Jr., copyright 1989 and “The Soldier and Statesman” by Alfonso J. Aluit, copyright 2001, are worthy references and reading books on excellent soldiery and statesmanship that every student, professor, researcher, writer, anthropologist and avid reader should include in their reading.

Our youth, they averred, need good leaders to look up to whose characters and deeds are worthy of emulation. We have been taught from time and again while in school about the lives of Jose Rizal, Emilio Aguinaldo, Andres Bonifacio, Apolinario Mabini (the sublime paralytic), Marcelo Lopez Jaena, etc.

Now is the time to consider other heroes that we have in the past but still remain unknown because no-one had ever written about their lives. Writers and researches should start now their literary journey which is the gathering of the vast field of untapped valuable materials about our silent heroes in the country. They are not only in Luzon area, but also in the Visayas and Mindanao regions.

Good Models

Our young and younger generations of Filipinos need good models of leadership because they are the ones who will replace the old ones when they will have departed from this life. The past heroes we have learned in schools are not sufficient models to the present batch of the younger generations of Filipinos. They need other heroes to look up to as source of inspiration, courage and honesty. The search for heroes in various fields of endeavour who will serve as models for our youth should not be confined only in Luzon area alone. The search for heroes by our writers, scholars and researchers as sources of materials in writing books about their lives should not imposed delineations of regionalistic boundaries. But rather be made encompassing down to the nooks and crannies of the entire country, Irrespective of their regional languages and classifications.

If a hero’s life is colored with good acts and deeds like honesty, compassion, generosity, hard work, courage and dedication to his/her calling then his/hers is a good material for writing a book for the young and the old readers alike. Thus the two books regarding RKK’s life as a soldier and statesman should be mass produced with permission from the authors. These are for distributions/acquisitions to all public and private schools throughout the country.

These 2 books should also be made available nationwide in bookstores in all cities of every province so that readers, students, teachers and professors can buy them for reading and as reference books. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

The continual heavy rains last January of the current year has caused series of flashfloods and landslides in some areas of the province, not only in Sogod but most particularly in St.Bernard where hundreds of families and thousands of individuals were affected and were temporarily sheltered in evacuation centers. Also hit by the flashfloods were Bontoc and San Francisco municipality in the Panaon Island.

The findings has led Governor Damian Mercado to suggest during the recent Provincial Mining Regulatory Board meeting “to suspend first all the existing contracts in Subang Daku, where they have to extract sand and gravel materials, so that the plan for the rechanneling by the provincial government could proceed”.

SP Daisy Gumale, who attended the PMRB meeting, disclosed to her colleagues during the recent weekly session held at the provincial capitol, that part of the condition of the permits issued to extractors is to do the rechanneling in the Big River, “but none so far of the permittees have done their part”.

Gumale also claimed that what the provincial government has actually collected from them is only P900, 000.00 and it cannot even cover one tenth of the cost of damage to Subang Daku as a result of the recent flashfloods.

With this rationality, the youngest SP member has moved to pass a resolution requesting the Mines and Geoscience Bureau Regional Office in Tacloban to temporarily suspend the operations of all existing SAG permits in the famous Big meandering River so that the rechanneling could be implemented the soonest possible time.

However, SP Teopisto Rojas, Jr. said he believed there’s already an approved contract with the contractors who would re-channel the area. “I think there’s no due process of law if we suspend without hearing from the permittees’ side who have violated”, he stressed.

Although Gumale has accepted Rojas statement, but another SP Albert Esclamado revealed to the august body that most of them (the permittees) did not follow the provisions of the permits, wherein they are supposed to extract only in specific areas. He said: “Everytime they are extracting the materials the volume is being recorded per cubic meter. That is why there’s no violation of the contract, even if we suspend their extraction permits for the moment. They can go back after the provincial government shall have finished the rechanneling.”

Moreover, SP Abelardo Almario, Chairman Committee on Laws, explained to all and sundry, saying, “If we make an action on this proposed resolution without being briefed on the details on what were the bases of their commendations to the Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board, there might be some business rights that might be violated on the suspension”.

For his part Gumale, for the information of Almario and her colleagues read the contents of the PMRB resolution to MGB: 1)The operation in Subang Daku is not properly undertaken by the permittees which defeat the purpose of the rechanneling; 2)The provincial government intends to fast track the implementation of the rechanneling program thru contracting to prevent eminent damage of lives and properties of the area caused by flooding; 3) In the exercise of its mandate to provide ample protection to both life, limbs and properties within the vicinity of Subang Daku(Big River) in its exercise of public welfare.”

It was also learned from Rojas that whenever there’s flashfloods and the sediments will cover the river, the floodwaters will overflow towards the nearby areas and the municipal officials will always request the provincial government to conduct a rechanneling in Subang Daku.

Despite of the facts and reasons mentioned by Gumale and Rojas, the latter still supported Almario’s decision to refer the PMRB’s resolution to the Committees on Environment and Laws for further study considering that the suspension might create a violation on the already approved contracts.

The Provincial Mining Regulatory Board meeting was also attended by Neone Asilom for scale mining; Ronald Salas, SAC/NGO representative; Florentino Cadavos of Mines and Geoscience Bureau Regional office and DENR Officer.

According to Gumale, Asilom was the only one among the invited permittees who has attended, which the permittees should have given their time, because it concerns with the program of rechanneling that will temporarily affect their works at the Big River. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The soft opening of the eco-tourism attraction was done simultaneously with the ground-breaking ceremony of the Provincial Pavilion to be constructed atop a hill overlooking the Agas-Agas Bridge, considered by bridge builders as the longest and the tallest bridge in the Philippines.

The ground-breaking ceremony of the proposed building where extreme adventure enthusiasts and tourists are to be housed temporarily while waiting for their turn to zipline down the mountain was led by Congressman Roger Mercado and Governor Damian Mercado. It was witnessed by some provincial and city officials and employees, Mayors, some city and barangay officials and the barrio folks.

However, the kind of sandy-looking soil atop the hill for the proposed construction of the provincial pavilion needs some steel or iron reinforcement and embankment to make it strong and durable to resist a potential earthquake tremor that would possibly rock Agas-Agas.

Also present to witness the soft opening of tandem ziplines as well as the provincial pavilion ground-breaking ceremony were, among others, DPWH’s Engr. Celso Veloso, Leyte Vice- Governor Memit Bagulaya, Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco and some city officials ,DTI-Maasin Michael Nuñez and his staff,DTI-Regional Director Cynthia Miras and some of her staff,DYDM Manager Rev. Arniel Borneo,Rev Celso Paler,Kahupian Brgy.Captain Cristina Kagurol,Dept. of Tourism Regional Director Carina Rosa Teopes ,Abgao Barangay Captain Nacional “Nikko” Verano Mercado.

Tourism Development

Engr. Robert Catañares, President of the newly-organized Southern Leyte Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Inc.(SLCCII) revealed to the thick audience that 95% of the businesses in the province were classified as micro-entrepreneurs. The agricultural sector was down with the bunchy top pests attacking the abaca plantations in various municipalities, he said. While 9 Maasin barangays coconut plantations were already infested with brontispa pest.

He further disclosed that 200,000 workers were all employed in different government agencies and offices and only small percentage of private employers have hired to work in their businesses.

He then concluded that the only way to let the province of Southern Leyte become progressive and provide employment to the hundreds of jobless individuals is the development of tourism in every municipality that has tourist spots.

Castañares told the crowd that from 2011 up to 2013 “we will focus here in our region (Region 8 Leyte and Samar) before embarking in other places”. Cable cars and bungee jumping will also be constructed in the Mega Bridge. “We intend to finish these projects in time for the 51st anniversary celebration of the province of Southern Leyte”,he said.

He added to say that a 25-hectare animal teen park shall also be built at the Maasin City Forest Park, formerly Danao Reforestation Project of the DENR in brgy.Malapoc Norte.

MOA Signing

Governor Damian Mercado for his part informed the audience that a MOA was signed between the provincial government and former Presidential Assistant for Eastern Visayas Vic Domingo, allowing the former to develop the tallest bridge thru private-public partnership for the enhancement of tourism in the area.

The Governor also urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) not to allow farmers in the nearby areas to engage in kaingin farming and to preserve/protect the forested surroundings of Agas-Agas from poachers including legal and illegal loggers.

He said he intends to also have a MOA signed between the provincial government and DENR to make such agreement more effective and implementable.

He likewise admonished the barangay folks in the area to treat both local and foreign tourists with respect and hospitality and to patronize the local businesses.

Mercado further enjoined the Mayors of the 18 municipalities to allow and encourage their respective bulk of students from different schools to visit the Agas-Agas Bridge particularly during semestral breaks and summer vacations.

Inviting Micro-entrepreneurs

On the other hand, Congressman Mercado, the Governor’s older brother has expressed his elation that the new bridge construction has provided a comfortable rides for travellers in going to Tacloban and other parts of region 8(Leyte and Samar).

Like the Governor, he also invited micro-entrepreneurs to sell foods and souvenir items near the bridge and for investors to build cottages as their rest houses and for rent to tourists/visitors while they are not occupying it.

In an interview with the contractor Edwin Sacdalan of Camp Sabros, Digos City, Davao del Sur, he divulged that the estimated P1.7M first tandem ziplines in Eastern Visayas has a length of more or less 880 meters each. That is from the starting point at the topmost part of a hill, down to the other side of the road across the bridge.

The two ziplines were placed parallel to each other, which would take only more or less than 30 seconds to reach the end of the cable wires with stoppers both installed at the end.

Since the opening is free of charge, several curious officials, visitors and extreme adventure enthusiasts were queuing the line. They patiently waited for their turn to test their mettle and the ziplines’ durability.

Additional Ziplines

Sacdalan also informed that an additional 2 or 3 ziplines might be constructed to meet the needs among the extreme adventure enthusiasts that will come to Agas-Agas.

The Leyte and Samar tri-media representatives were also welcome to try it. Nonetheless, the long queue and the fact that all of them have been interviewing personalities involved in the realization of the tourism project, majority of them just let the chance passed by.

Those who have tried the tandem ziplines were the youngest SP member Daisy Gumale of District 2, Anahawan Mayor Roberto Loquinte, President of Southern Leyte Mayors’ League, Carina Rosa Teopes, Brian Sadoguio of the Provincial GSO, City Councilor Nestor Sy, Sr.’s youngest daughter Panny together with her sister-in-law’s younger sister and some other unidentified individuals.

Moreover, the incumbent Governor after talking to some officials present atop the hill was amazed upon learning that Daisy was one of those who tested the zipline.

The very first to test the zipline as a sample for everybody to see was Sacdalan’s companion. He chose to hang himself in an upside down position-that is his head was below and his feet up!

Australian Jack Reed, 68 years old, married to a Filipina, who was one of those who tried the new tandem ziplines, confided that he has already been riding high up the air via zipline in several occasions.

Nonetheless, his very young companion, obviously a close relative of his Filipina wife has vomited right after riding the zipline. It was his very first time to be up in the air. Extreme adventure enthusiasts here in Region 8 and other places can now have their time of recreation, fun and excitement at the Agas-Agas Bridge. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Youtube Video

In his less than two-hour inspirational speech before the audience also composed of STI staff, parents, friends and relatives of the graduating students, he mentioned great men who at the start were unknown individuals but later became great men. This include actor Jacky Chan, Abraham Lincolm, Winston Churchill, Alexander The Great, American Inventor Thomas Alba Edison and our very own pound-for-pound boxing icon Emmanuel “Manny” Catedral Pacquiao.

Manny Pacquiao, started from a mere amateur boxer, he gradually rises to become the world’s first Filipino boxer to conquer ten boxing divisions in his career. His coming fight during the first week of May with Mosley would determine how great he is in the field of sports’ self-punishing profession.

He disclosed that all of the great men he mentioned have experienced series of failures in their lives, yet they did not give up. But with patience and determination, they continue to push and push until they have reached their goals for success. He also implied that all of the great men he has mentioned have one thing in common: they have possessed the virtue of being positive in attitude and outlook in life.

Duarte also informed the graduates that they are lucky because they are now in an era of modern technological emergence which changed entirely the methodology of humankind’s workforce. Before the advent of modern science and technology, he said, man’s works were commonly done manually. It makes man’s way of working things more easy and distant communication and transactions with the outside world is just a call and click away. Thus,making distant nations shrink and become more closer to each other, leading to the coined phrase like ‘global community” or “global village”, he stressed.

Distribution of diplomas to the graduates for the 19 DIT (Diploma in Information Technology), 10 CET(Computer and Electronics Technology), 41 HRS (Hospitality and Restaurant Services), 18 PESFA(Private Education Students Fund Assistance) scholars and 4 Octoberian graduates (IT and HRS) was led by STI-Maasin President and Chief Executive Officer Nestor Sy, Sr. and assisted by Faculty Head Hilario Mobe, School Administrator Effie Naida Sy -Visaya, TESDA Director Rolando Juanillo and Dr. Jude Duarte.

The STI President and CEO has also handed over special and academic awards to 10 students-graduates of IT and 12 HRS graduates.

Class Valedictorian Raphael Alexander Plasabas, CIT graduate in his valedictory short speech thanked first of all his parents for their moral and financial support. He also expressed his thanks to his classmates for their camaraderie and friendship during their years of schooling as well as the moral support of his friends and relatives.

However, the honored valedictorian chose not to reveal his strategic plan or scheme on how he could get a job with his IT skill.

Earlier, the STI CEO handed over plaque of appreciations to SLSU’s Dr. Duarte and TESDA Director Juanillo. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Ordinance no. 2011-45 will regulate students in going into beaches and KTV bars during school days.

The prohibition is the result by the years of observations that students in both public and private schools have the habit of converging in some beaches of the municipality and in KTV bars during school days. This kind of activity did by students have made some of them to allegedly cut classes just to be with their peers. It has also brought some bad effects to the youth particularly those who were enrolled in schools. Instead of focusing their time in studying their lessons or doing some assignments, they tend to put it on the sideline and prefer to go with their barkadas.

Earlier, SP Florentino Fernandez, a member of the Committee on Laws, said that his committee has recommended for its approval since it is very beneficial, not only on the part of the parents, but also on the part of the students. He said that the ordinance has a corresponding penalty, although Sogod Sangguniang Bayan did not specify whether the penalty for violators is imprisonment or community service.

The second approved ordinance no. 2011-46 would prohibit the existence of nuisance in the municipality and it imposes penalties for violators.

Nuisance in this particular ordinance is defined as “an act of omission, establishment, business, condition of property or anything else which:

(a) injures or endangers the health and safety of others like (old, dilapidated buildings/chemical fire hazard structures) or a

(b) annoys or offends the senses like (excessive sounds from various electronic machines and motor vehicles, billboards, signages, etc.);

c) shocks ,defies or disregards decency or morality (bold magazines) or,

d) obstructs or interferes with the free passage of any public highways, streets or any body of waters or,

e) hinders or impairs the use of property”.

Penalties for violations range from P500.00 for the first offense, P1, 000.00 for the second offense and P2, 000.00 for the third offense.

Fernandez also informed the august body that both abovementioned ordinances have been subjected to public hearings in Sogod’s different barangays.

Although there were some oppositions, but majority of those who have attended expressed their favor and support.

The member of the Committee on Laws then moved for the approval of the two ordinances.

SPs Cesar Rey, Felicula Escaño and Abelardo Almario have seconded his motion. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

The goods and foodstuff which consist of100 sacks of rice and 100 cartoons of sardines, corned beef and other foodstuff like noodles were worth more than P400,000.00. These were distributed to the four municipalities of St. Bernard, San Francisco, Sogod and Bontoc.

Rojas has taken exceptions to COA (Commission on Audit) finding that PSWDO head is not authorized to purchase, most particularly on credit. He Governor Damian Mercado has already authorized Gomez to purchase such goods because of the management prerogative “to address the urgency for the financial assistance”.

Esclamado favorably supported Rojas’ declaration by saying that in times of emergency cases, there’s no need for any legislative action because of the nature of the urgency caused by various calamities hitting part of the province.

The PSWD head explained that she could not make cash advances that should be used to pay for the sacks of rice and foodstuff, because COA did not approve it. It was also the reason why her office decided to purchase the goods through credit. She also revealed that the payments from the goods purchased by her office will come from the provincial government’s Calamity Fund.

Esclamado asked another colleague Abelardo Almario, Chairman Committee on Laws if confirming PSWDO’s action would not be inconsistent with COA’s ruling considering that the goods were already taken and the legal action has come later.

Almario explained to him that the august body must give legality to what the Governor and the PSWDO head have done in connection with the purchase on credit foodstuff because in times of emergency the concerned office could not arrange an agreement like MOA with the suppliers as required by COA. “Emergnecy situations call for an immediate reaction or activity to mitigate or assist the victims of calamity,” he stressed.

Rojas then moved to pass a confirming resolution no.183-s.2011, which was seconded by Roberto Lagumbay, with instruction that Gomez should substantiate the distribution of the purchased goods and foodstuff.

Gomez told them that she had already submitted the Requisition Issue Slip to the Provincial Administrator Crispin Arong,Jr.

It was noted that the continual heavy rains last January 2011 have brought havoc to the municipalities of St. Bernard, San Francisco, Sogod and Bontoc with floods and landslides. It damaged several houses, drowning 4 children and badly affecting hundreds of families and thousands of individuals. The victims of the calamities were temporarily housed in various evacuation centers in each aforesaid municipality.

Some government agencies, private companies and some individuals have come to provide relief goods and foodstuff like sacks of rice, canned goods, noodles, laundry and bathing soaps, clothings, containers of drinking water, medicines, kitchen untensils, toiletry products, financial assistance, among others. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)