He also added that they already had requested the Coast Guard Maritime Environmental Protection Group – Central Eastern Visayas. The oil response team had been sent already to the Ro-ro port terminal in Barangay Benit, San Ricardo, Southern Leyte.

Last July 28, there are 147 passengers and crews of the M/V Ocean Kings II were rescued by the Philippine Coast Guard and San Ricardo Rescue Team after the roro vessel run aground in the coast of Barangay Benit, San Ricardo at early afternoon.

According to Master Chief Petty Officer Dancel, the ferryboat left  Lipata (Surigao City) Ferry Terminal at 12 noon on that day. When the vessel reached the Balongbalong point, it was hit by the 7 feet (estimated) high waves that caused the water to ingress.

It was learned that grounding the ship at the coast of the Barangay Benit is the decision of the ship captain, Captain Zaldy Angot, upon learning that his ship had problem in turning back and that the water had entered already the ship. So instead of going straight to Liloan Ferry Terminal the ship captain decided to revert its route to the Benit Roro Port but did not reach the port, instead run aground.

Out of 121 passengers, 2 of them are children and the ship was carrying 16 rolling cargoes including 2 buses.

It was also learned that the M/V Ocean King II was the one boarded by President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during the inaugauration of the Benit Roro Port of San Ricardo, Southern Leyte on April 2009.

(Report by Jade G. Nombrado/ English Translation by Sustines Laplana /Image credit to Southern Leyte Balita)

This was the disclosure of Engr. Fernando Moralde, the Provincial Engineering Office head, before the Sangguniang Panlalawigan members who invited him and his colleagues during their recent session held at the provincial capitol here (April 13, 2009) to shade light on the on-going project. He was accompanied by Engr. Nelson Tan, Assistant Provincial Engineer, who accepts the plan and preparation of work; Engr.Brigido Eway, in-charge of the planning division office and construction of vertical structures; Engr. Alfonso Bantug, project in-charged of the Legislative Building.

He told the SP members that since there were no immediate available funds of P18M at the time of the construction work of the building, they have decided to do it phase by phase. He said that phases one and two have already been done and that they are now on its third and last phase of construction works.

Asked about the details of their earlier works, the Engineer said that phase one has covered the construction of foundations, tie beams, columns, some of the beams of the upper portion of the building and masonry works.

While phase two involved the construction of concrete structures, completion of the beams and of the roof decks, skyline roofing, continuation of masonry works,walling,partitions,roof framing, electrical installations, plumbing system and tile works of all the rooms.

Moralde revealed that Congressman Roger Mercado has contributed P2M for the phase three construction works which is now undergoing. The scope of work has covered the tiling of the whole flooring of the building, excavation, construction of septic vaults, drainage around the building, some electrical works, continuation of plumbing and painting.

Another amount of P2M was also allocated for the construction of session hall, slabs and framings and for partial glass covers.

The project in-charge of the Legislative Building, Engr.Alfonso Bantug claimed that the building needs more or less 277 square foot of glass covers. This would amount to P850.00 per sq. foot, he said, based on their canvassing results conducted from various stores.

Moralde said that if ever there’s an additional works of glass coverings, he recommended that the scope of work be implemented thru the supply-and–install system. He said that by this scheme, “we can bill directly to the glass suppliers and not anymore to the contractors”.

On the other hand, Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo, 11, also divulged that he has set aside P1.5M from their 2009 capital outlay for the furniture fixtures and air-conditioning of the one-storey building.

When the PEO head was asked by the Vice-Governor how far they have gone in their works, he said that the Legislative Building is now 80% accomplish.

Other works to b e done in the building are wall cladding, lights installation,water proofing/roof slab, wood works and carpentry, stainless railings, landscaping and the making of parking area.

Further queried by SP Albert Esclamado why the one-storey Legislative Building cost more than the two-storey Provincial Disaster Management Center building, which was also constructed within the Capitol Site. Moralde explained that PDMC’s floor area is only 150 square meters with an estimated cost of P20,000.00 per sq.m.Whereas the Legislative Building has occupied an area of 800 square meters at P20,000.00 per square meter.

He also said that the kind of materials they were using in the construction of PDMC is “below par” compared to the materials they were using in the LB.

If there will be no interruption whatsoever in our third phase of construction, “we would like that the Legislative Building will be finished before July 1,2009,which is one of the “highlights” of the province of Southern Leyte’s 49th founding anniversary celebration”,Moralde said. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

Dr. Noel Lumen, IPHO?s Provincial Health Officer 2 disclosed that before the DOH-RO?s aforesaid declaration, a Regional Filariasis Team has conducted another random blood sampling extractions preferably to a total of 3,000 children ages from 6 to 7 years old in various municipalities of the province in May 2008. This is to see if there?s still a positive indication of the dreaded disease. Those children subjected to the random blood samplings were living in areas where their elders were the first to undergone similar blood sampling for laboratory exams. The Regional Filariasis team, however, found the blood smear examinations from the children to be negative.

When queried why the Regional Filariasis Team has preferred to extract blood samplings from the children instead of the adults, Lumen quoting the DOH-RO FT statement, explained: ?At the start of the seven-year duration of preventive mass treatment of filariasis in Maasin and in the entire province, these children (referring to those subjected to random blood samplings) were still 1 to 2 years old, whose age are susceptible to filariasis infection. The negative result of blood smears laboratory examination means that the conduct of yearly filariasis mass treatment was effective.However, there?s still the need for the people in the endemic areas to be alert about the disease.?

Blood Samplings

Earlier, Dr. Tan disclosed that Maasin was chosen in 1999 as the pilot area for the detection on the existence of filariasis disease. She said the local filariasis team chose to take blood samples of barangay folks whose areas were found to have abaca and banana plantations.

The physician revealed that blood smears from some chosen barangay inhabitants, were preferably taken during the night time because filariasis parasitic worms were clearly visible in blood. ?WE choose to take blood samples of folks during the night because the blood contents more oxygen at this period than in daytime?, she unfolded. ?Daytime blood examination will not reveal the presence of filariasis?, she said.

Barangays involved in the program included Matin-ao, Gawisan and some of Maasin?s neighboring hinter land barangays that have some abaca, banana, gabi and pandan plantations.

Mass Treatment

Provincial Filariasis Coordinator Celestial Francisco Plateros, Medtech 3 of the Integrated Health Provincial Office (IPHO) intimated that in 2000, after the blood samples were found to be positive of the thread-like parasitic worms, mass treatment was conducted in the entire province until the end of 2007.

Although in the blood examination there was only less than 15 percent that were infliction with filariasis, it was learned, the coverage of treatment was the entirety of a certain municipality and the province.

Plateros explained that whether filariasis infection in a certain barangay or barangays were above or less than what they?ve expected, the entire population of all barangays under a municipality will undergo mass treatment.

Likewise, if one municipality in a certain province like Southern Leyte has a manifestation of filariasis infection, the whole province will also undergo mass filariasis treatment.

The IPHO Medtech said that the abovementioned plants were the habitat of the filariasis-carrier mosquitoes called aedes poicillius.These night-biting mosquitoes, she said, will be transmitting the thread-like filariasis parasitic worms to its victims during the night to those whom they?ve bitten.

She advised that as a form of prevention, people living in the areas where there are abacas,bananas,gabi and pandan plantations, must start wearing long pants and long sleeves shirts at 5:00 p.m. and to use mosquito nets and insect repellants during sleeping time.

Endemic Disease

Dr. Lumen also divulged that filariasis is endemic in Southern Leyte, Davao, Bukidnon, Sorsogon, Bicol and in some regions, affecting more than 50% of the country?s provinces. It was learned that filariasis known as ?Elephantiasis? is a chronic parasitic infection that put at risk more than One Million people in 73 countries including the Philippines. The disease is caused by thread-like parasitic filarial worms, which lodge in the nodes and vessels of the lymphatic system. These worms live for about 10 years producing millions of immature microfilariae that circulate in the blood.

Plateros explained that the convergence of filarial parasitic worms in the lymphatic system have served as a blockade in the normal circulation of the blood, the reason why some people?s legs and other parts of their bodies afflicted by filariasis were having an edema or abnormal growth.

Symptoms

Some early symptoms of filariasis disease are fever, chylous urine (buot ipasabot pariho sa kolor sa kinilis sa bugas), headache. For those who have advanced infection of filariasis are edemas either in feet, legs, hands, arms, and the genital organs of both male and female.

Treatment

According to our source the mode of treatment for those who were afflicted with filariasis is a regular taking of two kinds of medicines (Diethyl Carbamazine and Abbendazale) for 2 weeks or more, depending upon the condition of patients. Aside from this process, re-examination of the patients? blood smears are also to be conducted to see if these patients still need further treatment for complete healing. Nevertheless, the formation of the patients? deformities on different parts of their bodies can no longer be vanished and will remain as the patients?indeligible stigmatic mark, except perhaps by some kind of operations.

Origin

Plateros further divulged that according to information that she has gathered the thread-like parasitic filarial worms are found in some animals in Africa, where the disease was first discovered and spread to other countries ?When the mosquitoes like aedes poicillius will bite infected animals or persons with filariasis, it becomes its carrier and would be transmitted to some people who will be bitten by them, thus there?s an inevitable spread of the disease?, she added. (Quirico M. Gorpido,Jr.)

This was the disclosure of Evangeline Andrade Alvarez, Aquaculturist 2 of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) whose office is located within the two-storey building of the Provincial Capitol here.

She implied that prior to the distribution of the mangroves or beach forest plantlets, municipal, barangay officials, and other participating sectors have undergone orientations on how to plant the seedlings, the distance between them and the system on how to take care of the newly-planted trees in their respective areas of jurisdiction.

Alvarez said that the 12 municipalities involved in the project were Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Malitbog, Tomas Oppus, Sogod, Libagon, Liloan, St.Bernard, San Juan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan and Silago. These are the places where there are existing mangrove areas suitable for rehabilitation, she said.

The Aquaculturist informed that each municipality has received 2,000 mangrove seedlings consisting of 3 species of bungalon (Avicennia specie), bakhaw (Rhizophora specie) and pagatpat (Sonneratia specie) with a total cost of P120, 000.00. She explained that the numbers of mangrove seedlings given is for each municipality?s 2 barangays? mangrove areas.

For her part Eva Abad, PENRMO head, said that in barangays where some mangrove seedlings are still needed to fill up a vacant lot intended for the plantation, the barangay officials concern can still make requests for additional plantlets.

She informed that PENRMO?s coastal greenbelt project is intended to be expanded to wider areas of the province where some coastlines suitable for the plantation of mangroves or beach forest trees are not yet being undertaken.

The PENRMO head further said that her office?s project is in partnership with the Provincial Government, GTZ (a German acronym which means in English, German Technical Cooperation), Environment Rural Deve- lopment, DENR?s Coastal Management Division and the LGUs.

Abad disclosed that her office also urged the project?s 12 recipient-municipalities to make its respective municipal nurseries for mangroves and other beach forest trees like bitaog, talisay, bani, abgao, nino, anonang, lagundi and other associated species that will thrive along the coastlines.

She added that the perennial availability of these seedlings/plantlets is needed as future replacements for those plants that might die or have not grown into maturity. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr.)

Hon. Jason Calva, Chairman Committee on Finance, told the august body during their recent session at the Provincial Capitol that Hinundayan Mayor Evelyn Lee,? Sogod Mayor Shefferd Tan, and San Ricardo Mayor Virginia Mejia have sent their requests to Vice-Governor Miguel Maamo, III who has already given his imprimatur.

Calva, who represented Southern Leyte?s 2nd District, said that the P3.3M requested funds for Hinundayan Mayor Lee is for the construction of a steel bridge in Brgy. Sabang. He said that the funds are chargeable against the non-office 2008 appropriation of the Calamity Fund.

He clarified that the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) has earmarked 30% specifically for the pre-disaster programs and projects which is part of its Calamity Fund. Of this percentage, he said, only 5% will go to the steel bridge construction. He informed that bridge construction in Brgy. Sabang is part of Hinundayan?s pre-disaster project.

There?s also the need for the construction of a river control in Brgy. Tampong in Sogod town, which according to Mayor Tan?s estimate, would need P1M financial assistance for the said project..

Finance Chair Calva said that Mayor Tan?s request which was already signed by Vice-Governor Maamo will be made chargeable also against the non-office 2008 appropriation. He said that the 5% needed money will also be slashed from the SP?s Calamity Fund for Sogod?s construction of its river control.

Mayor Mejia of San Ricardo, who succeeded her husband who went missing during the Dec. 19, 2003 evening massive mudslides that hit Panaon Island, needs P950, 000.00 for the rehabilitation of a road in Brgy. Camang, San Ricardo.

The Committee on Finance chair further said that Mejia?s requested amount will be made chargeable against the 20% of the Economic Development Fund (EDF) 2008 appropriation. The appropriated funds for each Chief Executive?s project will be released soon.

Those who seconded Calva?s motions pertaining to the approval of the three requests were the Sanguniang Panlalaliwagan members in District II: Roberto Lagumbay, SP Daisy Gumale and SK President Joyce S. Mejia.? The Second District of Southern Leyte covers the municipalities of Sogod, Libagon, St.Bernard, SanJuan, Anahawan, Hinundayan, Hinunangan, Silago and the Panaon Island’s four municipalities of Liloan, San Francisco, Pintuyan and San Ricardo. The First District of Southern Leyte comprises Maasin City, Macrohon, Padre Burgos, Limasawa Island municipality, Malitbog and Bontoc. (Quirico M. Gorpido, Jr)