Gov. Mercado: I will focus on my work

No deals with Nabcor - Gov. Mercado

April 1-15, 2014

By Bong Pedalino

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MOVING ON: Gov. Roger Mercado faces the local media and the City officials at his office to air his side on an issue, saying he remained undistracted and committed on his job.

ALL IN FOR GK: Gov. Mercado poses with city officials led by Mayor Maloney Samaco and Vice-Mayor Effie Sabandal, along with some provincial officials and GK head Dr. Jerome Pal-er, right after the opening ceremonies at the pla-za for the 5-day Bayani Challenge in the City.

MOPA DEAL: Libagon Mayor Oliver Ranque takes his turn to sign the Memorandum of Partner-ship Agreement in a signing ceremony at the DENR provincial office. To his left is Camilo Aroy, Munic-ipal Planning Development Coordinator (MPDC) of Malitbog representing Mayor Allan Go, and a DENR Regional Official. Looking on, to Mayor Ranque’s right, is DENR Regional Director Leonar-do Sibbaluca and CENRO Maasin officer Edilberto Caidlang. (photo by Loloy Salazar)

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Media Center, 2nd Flr., Capitol Bldg. Vol. I, No. 19

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) through Regional Director Leon-ardo Sibbaluca and the local gov-ernment units of Malitbog and Libagon signed a Memorandum of Partnership Agreement (MOPA) Wednesday, April 2, at the DENR provincial office for the implemen-tation of a law that provides free ti-tles to residential lands. Malitbog LGU was represented by Camilo Aroy, the Municipal Plan-ning Development Coordinator (MPDC), while Mayor Oliver Ran-que of Libagon town was present for the MOPA signing. The MOPA document, the first formal signing ceremony so far held around Region 8 and a pilot activity for the province, spelled out specif-ic roles and responsibilities of the DENR and the concerned LGUs for the residents in the community, mostly in poblacion areas, to avail free services so their residential lands can be titled. Residential free patent titling has been covered by Republic Act 10023, a law passed on March 9, 2010, in which DENR was tasked to closely work hand-in-hand with LGUs for its smooth implementation with MOPA as basic link As stipulated in the MOPA, DENR will extend to the LGU all the tech-nical assistance desired to carry out the objectives, while the LGU was obliged to pass an ordinance to inte-grate titling in its governance agenda and create a local land titling office. The LGU will also provide a Land

MAASIN CITY, Southern Leyte, April 10 - Governor Roger Mercado said last week that he will go on with his daily grind in office, pouring more energy to the tasks at hand than be swayed by insinuating and unfounded reports.

In his days as a member of the House of Representatives representing the lone congressional district of this province, former Congressman now Governor Roger Mercado categorical-ly clarified he could not remember an instance that he had endorsed a proj-ect with the National Agri-Business Corporation (Nabcor) in 2007.

In a press conference with the local media at his office Thursday, Mercado showed a list of PDAF-driven projects from his former congressional office since 2007 to belie allegations he had channelled even a fraction of it to dubious non-gov-ernment organiza-tions as claimed by a Manila Standard report. Also last week, Mercado denied an ABS-CBN April 4 prime-time report naming him as among the eight lawmakers -- three senators, five former congress-men -- involved in endorsing Ginin-tuang Masaganang Ani funds from the Department of Agri-

culture to the Kapamilya’t, Kapuso Foundation through the National Agri-business Corp. (Nabcor). The ABS-CBN report was based on a document purported-ly submitted by Rhodora Mendo-za, former Nabcor Vice-President

Bayani Challenge in Maasin City continues. This was announced by May-or Maloney Samaco, a staunch Gawad Kalinga (GK) supporter and advocate, during the closing rites of the 5-day Bayani Chal-lenge Tuesday, April 15. Samaco said that instead of the regular Hataw exercises of the city employees every Friday afternoon, this will be devoted for the continuation of unfinished ten houses at Josefina II GK vil-lage in barangay Combado. During the Bayani Challenge from April 11, city heads of offic-es, city employees and other na-tional line agencies with offices in the city, along with provincial employees, comprised the bulk of the more than 8,000 volun-teers that showed up to build houses, repair chapels, beautify schools, paint bike lanes, plant mangroves, and conduct medi-

Friday Hataws replaced with GK Build

for Finance. However, the TV reporter, Dominic Almelor, texted Mercado to say the former Con-gressman’s pork funds was not involved. Despite the initial shock and bother these reports gener-ated, Mercado said he remained focused on his everyday routine, concentrating more on the upcom-

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DENR, 2 LGUs sign MOPA for free

residential land titling

Vol. I, No.19

Page 2 April 1-15, 2014

It is AWESOME to note that learning can mix with relaxing. Listening to radio broadcasts and viewing televi-sion news programs in the US reinforce our credo that repe-tition of developmental events is the essence of news in print and broadcast media. Here, news is repeated and reported exhaustively with fresh developments as they come in, not in one final stroke and is heard no more. There is no such thing as old news that become history as many practicing Filipino journalists tend to adhere to. It is in the manner of enlivened presentation or production that keeps news events fresh even after a week of reporting or even months after breaking out in media. Take it after such giants if news institutions like CNN in its world headquarters at At-lanta, Georgia including ABC and Fox, among others. The same goes for radio and newspapers as a general practice. Appreciation of American literature and history especially in the Civil War is greatly enhanced by a must-visit to the museum of Margaret Mitchell’s epic “ Gone With the Wind” starring Clark Gable as Rhett Butler and his Scarlett O'Hara on the road to Tara with Georgia in the mind. Also in Atlan-ta, Georgia is the history of giant beverage Coke, a tour of which is as highly commercialized as most landmarks in toll and entrance fees that must be booked in advance, no free-bies after all. Frankly, my dear, I don’t give a damn about long hours on the road for a piece of paradise in a log cabin by the creek of rippling brook, chirping birds and nature’s symphony. In a mountain resort and retreat up the hills of Ellijay, Georgia, our two daughters Wylla and Wynette with their families from Florida and Maryland met halfway to bond together. It’s a lifetime experience never to be forgotten. Thanks Parker Lee and Natalie, our grandchildren in the US. Ditto for Universal Studious in Orlando, a melting pot of race and breed the world over to see and enjoy the sights and sounds. And, of course, the beach at New Smyrna as another place to relax with sea and sun bathers in various state of undress. What impressed this writer the most is the counterpoint to this country as not for old men. Aptly, Florida is the US sunshine state and retirement haven. You see seniors all over dominating malls, churches, restaurants and citicenters in pairs and groups in a world of their own, happy and contented in retirement villages and care homes attended to by doting caregiver. Nature is very kind to them with plenty of sunshine reinforcing maintenance medicine and daily exercise to lengthen their remaining lease in life and perhaps it would promote longevity like the sun that al-most never sets in Florida, shining upon them from morning up to evening vespers at 8-9. Maryland is next zeroing in on the political capital Washington DC and perhaps Las Ve-gas, mother of frolies and fun or so they say. Travelling is learning while relaxing from cares no matter how temporary.

No deals with... (from page 1) Mercado made the clarifica-tion in reaction to news reports linking his name as among the fresh batch of lawmakers who allegedly referred a questionable non-government organization (NGO), the Kapamilya’t Kapu-so Foundation, as beneficiary of a project affecting farmers, the funds coming from the Ginin-tuang Masaganang Ani (GMA) program of the Department of Agriculture (DA). “I have still to wait for the doc-ument,” Mercado told local me-dia in a hastily-organized inter-action. He was referring to the purported Nabcor file that was made as basis of the report, say-ing he wanted to see it to verify its contents. Mercado branded as unfair the

airing of the report in a nation-wide primetime TV newscast Friday night, April 4, coming as it is at a time when his admin-istration is trailblazing momen-tous gains. These gains included the inau-guration and blessing of the new provincial hospital at baran-gay Dongon with no less than Department of Health (DOH) Secretary Enrique Ona as guest, the continued concreting of cross-country roads in the prov-ince, an on-going construction of an alternate shipping port at barangay Guadalupe, and ex-pansion of the Panan-awan air-port runway and construction of terminal building. Both the Guadalupe pier and Panan-awan airport are expect-

ed to be operational by next year, developments that can boost tourism and business in the province. He said he smelled some-thing foul in the deliberate at-tempt to drag his name in the raging controversy that has riv-eted the nation regarding the now junked pork barrel funds. However, the supposed source of funds in the latest report did not come from the abol-ished Priority Development Assistance Funds (PDAF) but from DA’s Ginintuang Masa-ganang Ani, and its utilization can proceed with or without his alleged endorsement, Mer-cado explained. In previous reports directly involving the PDAF of Con-gressmen, his name was not listed, Mercado also said.

Gov. Mercado ... (from page 1)

Information Office where people can seek information and guidance, establish a Cadastral Council, and assign a permanent employee as a DENR-deputized personnel to handle transactions on resi-dential land titles. In his message, Director Sibbaluca said this will be an added opportunity for those who had been clamouring for a long time to have their residential lands titled, to fast-track the process through the LGUs instead of the Courts. “Let us give our people a chance to have their residential lands titled for free,” Sibbaluca told DENR field men, rallying them to exert best efforts so the MOPA can spread to the rest of the 16 municipal-ities and one city of the province. Libagon Mayor Oliver Ranque said he accepted the challenge even as he emphasized he was hon-ored his town was selected as a pilot site for the program. Malitbog MPDC Camilo Aroy said he will relay everything to Mayor Allan Go, adding that the Mayor was already very eager to support the program when he learned about it last year.

DENR, 2 LGUs ... (from page 1)

ing Environment Summit slated on April 22, a date coinciding with the international ob-servance of Earth Day. This will be the first time environmen-talists in the province will be gathered to share best practices and discuss, map out ways to mitigate the effects of climate change. During the presscon, which was also attended by Mayor Maloney Samaco, Vice-Mayor Effie Abiera SAbandal and sev-eral City Councilors, Mercado announced that the Bureau of Local Government Fi-

nance, an agency under the Department of Finance (DOF), had determined that the approved lending capacity of the province was pegged at P 288 Million. As this developed, the provincial LGU is now negotiating a loan with the Devel-opment Bank of the Philippines (DBP) to finance various unfinished projects. Last month, Mercado had said the DBP loan, once realized, will serve as a standby counterpart fund for the World Bank-fund-ed Philippine Rural Development Program (PRDP).

(Left photo) CNN World Hq, Atlanta Georgia

(Below photo) At New Smyrna Beach, Florida with family

(Left and above photos) At Ellijay, Georgia mountain

resort

TRAVEL AND LEARN

Adventures of Willy J.

ESTORYAHI!Willie Justimbaste

Vol. I, No.19

Page 3April 1-15, 2014

Maasinhon Pagara brothers TKO Indonesian foes Two promising Filipino world champion boxers whose roots are traced as natives of Maasin City showed more promise Friday, April 11, at the jam-packed city gym as both outclassed their In-donesian opponents one after an-other. “Prince” Albert Pagara, rated number 8 of the World Boxing Or-ganization (WBO) and rated num-ber 5 by the Orient Pacific Boxing Federation (OPBF), won a lopsided technical knockout (TKO) triumph against Indonesian Skak “Check-mate” Max in the third round of their ten-round featherweight match. His elder brother, Jason “El Nino” Pagara, the WBO rated number 3 and the current WBO International Light Welterweight champion, faced a much tougher fighter in Rusmin Kie Raha. But in the seventh of the 10-round light welterweight bout the elder Pa-gara managed to sneak a right cross over Raha’s mid left section, sending the Indonesian to the canvass gri-macing in pain, and the fight stopped. Had the fight, billed Maasin Pride V, gone the distance, local boxing analysts tended to favour Raha due to his fast counterpunch that also hit Jason.

By Bong Pedalino

In an interview after the fight, however, Jason told TSS he was not hurt by the countermoves, and he said he had expected the Indonesian to cave in as he had noticed early on the weakness on his left side. The victory improved Jason’s record to 21 fights, 20 of them by knockout, 1 loss, 0 draw. His younger brother Prince also improved to 20 fights, no loss, no draw. During the presscon shortly be-fore the official weigh-in Thursday at the bus terminal, a lady staff of the ALA Promotions said Friday’s fight was a tune-up one for Jason’s June 20 Dubai fight. But Games and Amusement Board (GAB) Supervisor Rolando Mendoza begged to disagree, saying the fight was not a tune-up but a step upward for Jason. City Mayor Maloney Samaco said it may be the first and last time the two Pagara brothers can be seen in action as they are heading for the world’s stage. It was Albert’s fifth professional fight in the city and Ja-son’s first. But Samaco, who raised the de-fending champion’s hands after the fight, remained hopeful the city gov-ernment through the Sports Council, can still foot the bill for either of the Pagara bouts in the future.

PAGARA BROTHERS IN ACTION: Jason, above, lands a solid right on the side of Raha, while his younger brother Prince Albert, below, also scores a hit against checkmate Max.

HEROES ALL: Volunteers (above and below) endure the sun as they go about the dirty-nitty business of building houses during the 5-day Bayani Challenge, April 11-15, at Josefina II GK Village, Barangay Combado, Maasin City.

REGIONAL 4H CAMP: Young delegates pose for a souvenir shot in front of the Provincial Capitol (above) moments after Gov. Mercado cut the ribbon to open the 3-day regional gathering (below).

Page 4 April 1-15, 2014

DOH Sek Ona Mihatag og Ayodang Salapi, para ipa repair sa mga Tambal-

anan

Dili mahobit sa mga pulong ang gibati sa mga opisyal sa lalawigan sa pagbisita ni DOH Secretary En-rique T. Ona sa miaging semana. Ang pag-anhi niya sa atong dapit mao ang pagha-tag og "go signal" para sa pag-abli na sa Southern Leyte Provincial Hospital, nga nahimotang sa brgy. Dongon, sakop sa dakbayan sa Maasin. Mitabok usab siya sa isla sa Limasawa bisan paman sa kapit-os sa oras na sa ka-haponon. Nahiatol ang iyang pag-anhi sa paghandom sa ika 493rd nga pagsaulog sa unang misa sa Limasawa og sa tibook Asya, nga diin nagatanom kini og mga punoan sa kahoy didto sa isla. Kauban niya ang iyang mga under secretary ug ang Regional Director sa DOH, Tacloban City. Sa panagtigom niini sa panihapon nga gipaloyo-han sa mga doktors sa provincial hospital, gitunol niya ang tseke nga kantidad og 11 milyones aron ipa-repair sa mga Distric of Community Hospital dinhi sa lalaw-igan. Ang maong salapi dili gamiton sa pagpamalit og tambal para sa hospital, sukwahe sa gipamahayag sa usa ka politisyan nga babaye atol sa programa niya sa radyo.

GOB. ROGER MERCADO, WALA MATANDOG SA DEMOLITION JOB

Sa usa ka eksklosibong lugar nakig-kita si Gob. Rog-er G. Mercado sa pipila ka sakop sa media nga nagkabasi sa dakbayan sa Maasin. Sa maong panagtigom gihimakak niya nga migahin siya og salapi sa iyang PDAF. Atol sa naasoy nga meeting gipakita niya ang mga records sa iyang PDAF allo-cations, gunad sa tuig 2007-2010. Dinhi napamatud-an sa mga mamahayag nga walay salapi nga gigahin si Gobernador Oging Mercado ngadto sa NABCOR. Ang mong dokumen-to nagagikan sa opisina sa Committee on Appropriations sa Kongreso. Gumikan niining pag-apil sa pangalan niya sa "PDAF SCAM", adunay mga espekolasyon nga kini usa ka "demoli-tion job" sa iayng mga kontra sa politika, aron pakauwawan ilabina kay nagkaduol na ang 2016 nga eleksyon.

cal missions. An early morning fun run around the city would have capped the 5-day event, but this was waived because of the rains and substituted by light calisthenics at the central school gym, followed by a boodle meal among the volunteers in the beach behind the city hall, Samaco reported in the city-paid radio program. Also at the radio program, Samaco disclosed that the city government had donated P 1 Million for the con-struction of ten housing units at the Combado GK site, the beneficiaries of which will be screened by the city social welfare office. Even with a surplus of manpower, the ten housing units were not completed in five days because of lack-ing materials, hence the decision to continue the work on Fridays during Hataw time until all the houses shall be finished, Samaco explained. The count on the first of several Friday afternoons for use at GK henceforth started on Friday April 25.

Friday Hataws... (from page 1)

67th RED CROSS ANNIVERSARY AT LILOAN: Gov. Roger Mercado gives a citation to Board Member (and TSS Columnist) Atty. Abelardo Almario while Liloan Mayor Shirlita Chong, right, claps in approval. Looking on, and equally approving, are Red Cross Southern Leyte officials. From left: Jonas Maco, OIC Administrator, Erna Sy Gorne, PIA Infocen Manager, Danilo Atienza, PDMO, Gloria Reyes, SLSU President and Board Member Aileen Estrera.

BLOODLETTING: More than 100 bags of blood are collected during bloodletting at Liloan Gym to mark Red Cross’ 67th year. The blood donors are all members of 4P’s (above).

GIFT-PACKED ASSISTANCE: A recipient receives a standard Red Cross gift pack (below) con-taining a few kilos of rice and canned goods. Governor Mercado, Local Chapter Board Chairman, hands over the pack assisted by Mayor Chong, left, and Mrs. Reyes, right. (photos taken from Gov. Mercado’s facebook.)

Vol. I, No.19