Leyte-Samar POSITIVE l FAIR l FREE VOL. XXXIII NO. 007 SATURDAY, JANUARY 16, 2021 P15.00 IN TACLOBAN Holiday season factor on the spike of COVID-19 cases DOH reports 13 deaths thisLIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA week TACLOBAN CITY- At least 13 persons were reported by the Depart- ment of Health(DOH) this week to have died due to the complications caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in the region. And as the number of ported by the DOH this 60- year old woman from deaths due to COVID-19 week, three of them were Guiuan, Eastern Samar complications rises in the reported on Jan 12; five were who died on Jan. 4; and region, its number of cases logged on Jan.13 and four a 71-year old man from due to the deadly virus con- the following day, Jan.14. Baybay City who died on tinue to spike as the DOH One death was record- Jan.9. claims family gatherings ed by the DOH on Friday, On the other hand, the and other activities relative Jan.15. COVID-19 related deaths to the Christmas and New The Jan. 12 deaths in- recorded on January 13 in- Year celebrations as the cul- volved a 71-year-old, male cluded a 31-year-old wom- prit. from Pinabacdao, Samar an from Sta. Rita, Samar WATER WORLD. The bad weather experienced by Eastern Visayas this week has re- Of the 13 fatalities re- who died on January 10; a see DOH /page 22 ... sulted to flooding and landslide incidents in the different parts of the region, displacing thousands of families and damaging houses, road and bridges in the process. Photo shows families in Jipapad, Eastern Visayas being rescued by local police after their Tacloban city government resumes houses were submerged by rainwater.Story on Page 21. (JIPAPAD MUNICIPAL POLICE STATION) clearing operations of road obstructions Priest lead in forming TACLOBAN CITY-Per- sonnel from the Traffic cooperative aim to improve Operation, Management, farmers living condition Enforcement, and Control Office (TOMECO) and Ta- TACLOBAN CITY- Msgr. Damayo added cloban Philippine Nation- The farmers associa- that when he was assigned al Police (PNP), in a joint tions in Villaba town are in the parish, one of things operation, cleared some thankful to the provincial that we wanted to accom- obstructions on roads and government of Leyte for plish was how to help the sidewalks along Maharlika providing them assistance people improve their liv- Highway and at San Jose. through technical knowl- ing condition. The team also issued notic- edge in farming that re- He then looked for es of violations and citation sults in increase of income. people who can help him tickets to some violators, Msgr. Manuel Damayo, achieve this plan which during the said operation. Villaba More Income in lead for him to be intro- The implementation of the Countryside Agri-Co- duced to MIC farming, a Road Clearing Operation operative (VILMICAP) high-value crops program 2.0 exempts parked ambu- chairman, said this to Gov- under the LeyteEconomic lance and public emergency ernor Leopoldo Dominico Program of the provincial vehicles, checkpoints estab- Petilla during the turnover government. lished by the Inter-Agency of the cooperative market “Some people are say- Task Force for the Man- stalls in the town. ing that there is a conflict agement of Emerging In- “We started this with a because I am with the fectious Diseases, LGUs, plan, with a dream. Now Church and they are from the police and the military this is realized with the the government. But we from being removed or ap- help of all members and are providing services to prehended. All LGUs im- farmers association in the same group, the peo- plementing RCO 2.0 are Villaba. Hopefully, this ple,”Msgr. Damayo said. expected to abide by the The city government of Tacloban under Mayor Alfred Romualdez resumes its will not only happen in “Since we are both pro- prescription of DILG MC clearing operations on road obstructions in compliance to order of the national this district but in the viding services to the peo- 2020-027. government through the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). whole part of Leyte,”Msgr. ple, we can help them… (TACLOBAN CITY INFOR- (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE) Damayo said. see Priest /page 21 ... MATION OFFICE) 2 Leyte Samar Daily Express NEWS Saturday, January 16, 2021 Elderly woman killed over Villar: Fast-tracking distribution of solid personal grudge by her daughter’s common-law husband waste management equipment will help ORMOC CITY-A 70- spent bullet of uncon- year old woman was shot firmed caliber .45 gun. LGUs achieve zero waste goals to death inside her house The police is preparing Amendment of RA 9003 (Solid Waste Management Act of 2000 and this city by the live-in a case of murder against law on single-use plastics among the legislative priorities for 2021) partner of her daughter Pelayo who will undergo an last Jan.12. inquest proceeding. Senator Cynthia Villar, Villar’s Senate com- celebration is “Bouncing Milagros Toralba, who Based on information, chairperson of the Senate mittee also intend to pass a Back from the Pandemic was shot on her head died Toralba was that time rest- Committee on Environ- law against single-use plas- to a Greener and Healthier immediately with the sus- ing with her great grand- ment and Natural Resourc- tics. One of the bills that Environment”. pect, Jochel Pelayo,26, ar- daughter while having an es, said that while long-de- will be consolidated with Zero waste is an ad- rested hour after he com- early evening chat with De- layed, the turnover of solid other bills is Senate Bill vocacy that promotes the mitted the grisly crime at rain at her home’s entrance waste management (SWM) No. 333 or the Single-Use designing and managing the victim’s house locat- when Pelayo suddenly ap- equipment to local govern- Plastic Product Regulation of products and process- ed in Barangay Cagbu- peared and without provo- ment units (LGUs) will re- Act of 2019 that she au- es to avoid and eliminate hangin. cation, took a gun and shot ally help in attaining zero thored. It seeks to regulate the volume and toxicity of Pelayo, who was ar- the victim on the head at waste targets of cities and the manufacturing, impor- waste and materials. rested by the police at his close range causing her in- municipalities. tation, and “single use” of The senator also prac- house in Brgy. Masarayao, stant death, Caldona added. “The distribution of the plastic products. tices what she preaches. Senator Cynthia Villar Kananga, was pinned by Pelayo, a common-law equipment is long overdue Moreover, Villar is She has established baran- the victim’s daughter, No- wife of Julieta for more because the budget for it their wastes. also asking DENR-EMB gay-based livelihood en- ela Derain and her 8-year than a year now, denied any has been made available Coincidentally, 2021 to fast-track also the pro- terprises that are models old great granddaughter responsibility of the crime. since 2017 but is only last is the 20th Anniversary of curement of the 25 units of of proper waste manage- who witnessed how he, The police chief also said month when the turn- the signing into law of Re- equipment that will recycle ment and good examples without any face mask on, in an interview that the vic- over started. It needs to be public Act (RA) 9003, or plastic wastes into school of how garbage or wastes gunned down the senior tim and her daughter had a fast-tracked because the the Ecological Solid Waste chairs, which will be given can be used as raw mate- citizen once on the head previous misunderstand- country’s waste problems Management Act of 2000. to LGUs also. Plastic make rials. and fled, Lt. Ramil Caldo- ing after she purportedly even worsened during the Villar has filed a bill up a significant amount of These are water hy- na, chief of Ormoc City did not gave Julieta a share Covid-19 pandemic, when that will amend the law by solid wastes and one of the acinths for the waterlily Police Station 2, said. from an insurance money healthcare-related wastes institutionalizing the prac- most damaging to the envi- handicraft-weaving en- Members of the scene that she received from her such as face masks added to tice of Extended Produc- ronment. terprise and the hand- of the crime operatives late husband. the pile of garbage we have ers Responsibility (EPR). “The ultimate goal of made paper factory; (SOCO) recovered one (ELVIE ROMAN ROA) to deal with,” cited Villar. It will mandate companies our solid waste manage- coconut husks for the co- The whole country, ac- especially in industries ment efforts and legisla- conet-weaving enterprise Leyte Samar cording to estimates from that generate plastic wastes tions is zero waste and we and the charcoal-making environmental groups, to be responsible “for the have to give the people and factory; kitchen and gar- DailyDaily ExpressExpress generates over 40,000 tons proper and effective dis- the LGUs the capability and den wastes for the organic of garbage per day. The posal of their products after capacity to really manage fertilizer composting fa- is in need of composting equipment be- they have been sold to and their own wastes. We have cility; and plastic wastes Writers, Correspondents, ing distributed by the En- used by consumers with to get really serious about for the waste plastic recy- vironmental Management the objectives of reducing achieving zero waste,” said cling factory that produc- Account Executives Bureau of the Department waste generation and of Villar.