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Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 24, 2025
131 views

Modernize coconut industry; oil mill eyed in Eastern Samar

Tacloban City-House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales has filed a bill seeking the creation of a state-of-the-art coconut oil milling and refinery plant in Quinapondan, Eastern Samar. Gonzales said the measure complements President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s campaign to modernize the coconut industry, as outlined in his fourth State of the Nation Address (SONA). “The President has made it clear: millions of Filipinos depend on the coconut tree for their livelihood, and government will plant 15 million high-quality coconut seedlings every year until we reach 100 million trees. Our bill ensures that Eastern Samar is ready to translate this vision into real benefits for our farmers,” Gonzales said. House Bill No. 121, co-authored by House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan, identifies the Municipality of Quinapondan as project site due to its strategic location and existing port facilities, which will speed up and lower the cost of moving coconuts and finished products. With…

Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 24, 2025
235 views

DENR, two Samar firms launch up reforestation project in Samar

By Miriam G. Desacada Tacloban City-‘The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Samar BioSPV (a company established by French-firm aDryada and Samar Bamboo Corporation) signed a partnership agreement for the implementation of the Green Samar Project (GSP) in the 3 provinces of Samar. This will be the country’s biggest reforestation project. The GSP is set to restore 90,000 hectares of denuded forest in the northwestern portion of the Samar Island Natural Park. The historic signing of the most ambitious environmental initiative ever set in the Philippines was done in Manila on May 29, 2024. The project was born out of the need by Taff Hydroenergy Corporation which has two operating hydro plants and building more in Samar, to preserve its watershed. Taff Hydro’s president Benjie Picardo says “water is our power plants’ fuel. We need a healthy forest cover to ensure consistent flow of water through our turbines”. Signatories for the memorandum of understanding (MoU) for GSP implementation…

Gonzales, Libanan seek full Eastern Samar State University campuses in Balangiga, Arteche

By MGD Tacloban City–House Assistant Minority Leader and Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales has filed two priority bills seeking to expand access to higher education by establishing regular campuses of the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) in the municipalities of Balangiga and Arteche. The neophyte Congressman said that House Bill No. 3135 calls the creation of the ESSU–Balangiga Campus, while House Bill No. 3136 seeks to convert the existing ESSU–Arteche extension unit into a full-fledged campus. Both bills are co-authored by House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan. “These measures are anchored on our constitutional duty to make quality education accessible to every Filipino. By upgrading the ESSU units in Balangiga and Arteche, we open more doors for our youth to pursue higher learning without leaving their hometowns,” Gonzales said. “Education is the most sustainable form of development. By bringing ESSU closer to our people, we are investing in human capital that will drive Eastern Samar’s…

Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 19, 2025
285 views

Libanan: Stop drug test theater

Tacloban City–House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan on Tuesday urged lawmakers to uphold the dignity of the Office of the President, rejecting proposals to compel the country’s highest leader to undergo mandatory drug testing. Libanan made the appeal after Senator Robin Padilla filed a bill seeking annual drug tests for the President and other government officials—a proposal lodged just days after one of Padilla’s own staff members was embroiled in a marijuana controversy inside the Senate. “The timing speaks volumes. Instead of cleaning up his own backyard, somebody is trying to deflect attention by dragging the Office of the President into a spectacle. The presidency is not a stage for gimmicks or stunts,” Libanan said. Libanan stressed that his opposition is not about shielding any individual, but about safeguarding the institution itself. “Whoever sits as President—past, present, or future—must be spared from the indignity of being forced to undergo a drug test. To subject the presidency to such procedures diminishes…

Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 19, 2025
256 views

Two lawmakers push bills to build Eastern Samar fishports

Borongan City–Eastern Samar Rep. Christopher Sheen Gonzales has filed two priority measures in the House of Representatives seeking the construction of modern fishports with ice plants and cold storage facilities in the coastal towns of Dolores and Oras in his home province. Gonzales said the proposed facilities will help fisherfolk reduce post-harvest losses, preserve the quality of their catch, and improve access to wider markets. The measures are co-authored by House Minority Leader and 4Ps Party-list Rep. Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan. “These fishport projects are long overdue investments in our seaside communities. Our fisherfolk deserve the same level of infrastructure support that we provide to farmers. We owe it to them to ensure their hard work does not go to waste,” Gonzales said. He added: “Coastal towns like Dolores and Oras have immense potential. What’s lacking is the support infrastructure to unlock that potential. Our bills are designed to provide exactly that.” Under House Bill No. 123 or the Dolores Fish…

Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 19, 2025
100 views

𝐎𝐧𝐠𝐜𝐡𝐮𝐚𝐧 𝐖𝐞𝐥𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐬 𝟏 𝐁𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐏𝐞𝐬𝐨 𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐫 𝐏𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐑𝐨𝐚𝐝 𝟐

by Ma.AG Tacloban City- The first termer Congressman Edwin Ongchuan of the second district of Northern Samar, has expressed his enthusiasm for the inclusion of the Samar Pacific Coastal Road 2 (SPCR 2) in the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for 2026, which secures an initial funding allocation of 1 billion pesos. On October 7, 2024, the Government of the Philippines formalized a loan agreement with the Export-Import Bank of Korea for the SPCR 2 project, amounting to USD 111.43 million (approximately PHP 6.34 billion). This big-ticket project aims to construct vital bridges that will enhance connectivity between the Pacific towns, Laoang, and the broader Samar Island. SPCR 2 will feature the construction of two significant bridges: the 800-meter Laoang Bridge 2, which will connect Talisay village to Poblacion Laoang, and the 605-meter Laoang Bridge 3, linking Calomotan to the Pangpang villages in Palapag. Originally proposed by the late former Congressman Emil L. Ong, the project received endorsement from the Regional…

Eastern Visayas Media Without Borders
National
August 10, 2025
168 views

House minority leader rejects call to scrap 4Ps, cites proven success in lifting families out of poverty

Tacloban City–House of Representatives Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan has rejected proposals to abolish the government’s Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), stressing that conditional cash transfer programs—both in the Philippines and abroad—have long been proven effective in reducing poverty and improving health and education outcomes in disadvantaged communities. “The 4Ps has consistently proven to be a powerful tool for building human capital—encouraging school attendance, promoting preventive health care, and ensuring better nutrition for children,” Libanan, a 4Ps Party-list representative, said in a statement on Sunday. “The program works. We just need to give our poorest families a stronger push so they can stand on their own permanently,” Libanan added. Libanan emphasized that the 4Ps cash grants are not handouts but incentives tied to conditions such as keeping children in school, undergoing regular health check-ups, and attending family development sessions. His remarks came after Senator Erwin Tulfo urged the government to discontinue the program and instead provide livelihood capital to beneficiaries.…

PSA Conducts 2025 National Migration Survey

by Malene Caya Tacloban City–The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA–RSSO 8) will conduct the 2025 National Migration Survey (2025 NMS) from August 4 to September 5, 2025. This nationwide survey aims to gather vital data on the mobility of the Philippine population. PSA regional director Wilma Perante said that the data on flows understanding internal Methodology: Importance:

PSA Conducts Nationwide Update of Agriculture Farm Operators and Fish Landing Centers

by Ma.Arlene Gabon Tacloban City–The Philippine Statistics Authority – Regional Statistical Services Office VIII (PSA – RSSO 8) will conduct the 2025 Updating of List of Agriculture Farm Operators and Inland Fishing Households, and the 2025 Listing of Marine Fish Landing Centers (2025 ULAFO-LMFLC) from August 11 to October 13, 2025. Objectives: Methodology: Importance: In this regard, PSA–RSSO 8 enjoins everyone to support the 2025 ULAFO-LMFLC by providing accurate information to our authorized Statistical Researchers who will be visiting sample respondents. We assure the public that all personnel involved in the 2025 ULAFO-LMFLC are bound by the Data Privacy Act of 2012 (RA 10173) to keep all information obtained during the listing and enumeration in strict confidence. Individual data provided to PSA for statistical inquiries, surveys, and censuses are considered privileged communication and cannot be used as evidence in any court ofsound design, promotes economy, eliminates duplication in data collection, and minimizes respondent burden. In this regard, PSA–RSSO 8 enjoins…

Oceana Appoints Von Hernandez to Lead Campaigns in the Philippines

Tacloban City–Oceana, a global ocean conservation organization, has appointed Von Hernandez to lead its campaigns in the Philippines. Hernandez, a Goldman Prize-winning environmental leader, will focus on protecting marine biodiversity and supporting local communities. The Philippines sits at the heart of the world’s richest marine biodiversity, which feeds and sustains the livelihoods of millions of Filipinos. But artisanal fishers, who provide nearly half of the country’s fish, are under tremendous pressure from many threats. These include illegal fishing by commercial vessels, climate change, pollution, and challenges in keeping their catch fresh,” said James Simon, CEO of Oceana. “Von’s lifelong commitment to people and the environment makes him the perfect choice to help us deliver real, lasting change for local communities and oceans alike.” Over two million small-scale Filipino fishers are among the nation’s most vulnerable and food insecure. Oceana has been supporting fisherfolk in their struggle against illegal commercial fishing in municipal waters for over a decade. This includes in…