Biliran, Philippines

Four inmates on Tuesday morning bolted their detention cell in the central Philippine province of Biliran, a radio report said.

The jailbreak took place in the small town of Kawayan, according to initial reports reaching the Philippine National Police headquarters in Camp Crame in Quezon City.

The radio report quoted police authorities as identifying the four escapees as Vicencio Reyes, Jonjie dela Cruz, Rickson Lipalam, and a certain Raymond.

Reyes has a pending case for charges of murder and serious physical injuries while the remaining three were put behind bars for robbery charges.

Investigation showed that the four detainees used a steel wire to break free from their cell then sprinted away from the back portion of the police station.by  Mark Merueñas

GMANews.TV

by Flor Jackson

Naval, Biliran (May 4) — The youth and the officers and members of the Biliran Peer Counselors Organization (BiPCO) in the entire province of Biliran are presently attending the 1st Provincial Youth and BiPCO Assembly held at the provincial capitol grounds in Barangay Calumpang, Naval.

The three-day activity that opened yesterday, Wednesday, May 1 is participated in by some 660 participants in the 132 barangays of the eight municipalities of the province.

In an interview with Ms. Flor Trani, Provincial Social Welfare and Development Officer (PSWDO) of Biliran and Chairman of the Provincial Technical Working Group (PTWG) of the Responsible Youth and Family (RYF), the holding of the assembly is aimed at enhancing the bonding and camaraderie of the youth in this particular area in Eastern Visayas. She added that the assembly also provides an opportunity for the youth to enhance their life as young members of the community where they live because during the assembly they will be attending lectures on leadership and team building, good communication, moral values on a purpose-driven life and basic peer counseling.

She informed that the youth will also be attending lectures that will hone them to become entrepreneurs later to be able to help augment family income.

The lecture topics that will teach the youth about business skills include entrepreneurship and financial stewardship to be given by the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI).

In order to prepare the youth towards adulthood and be properly guided in handling affairs of the heart, a lecture on “True Love Waits” will be given by Pastor Johnver Eblacas of the Evangelical Church.

During the opening of the 1st Provincial Youth and BiPCO Assembly shortly after lunch yesterday, the simultaneous trainings on various skills for the youth participants likewise started.

The skills trainings which include abaca stripping, shellcraft making, candle making, puto squash making, manicure and pedicure; ballroom dancing and hairstyling were spearheaded by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) through Provincial Director Loreta Banario, and the Fiber Development Authority (FIDA)-Biliran through OIC Von Joseph Salas.

Later, the officers of the BiPCO, PTWG-RYF and the heads of each of the municipal delegations met to set the ground rules of the assembly, management of the daily activities and other related concerns that will contribute to the success of the three-day activity.

In his welcome address, Francis Icain, the BiPCO Vice President, thanked Gov. Rogelio Espina for sponsoring the assembly of the youth which is the first time ever to be conducted in the province. He added that the assembly will provide the youth an opportunity to be incvolved in activities like this.

The youth delegations from the eight municipalities of Biliran were introduced by Ms. Trani.

For his part, Gov. Espina thanked the youth participants for their attendance as he said that the 1st Provincial Youth and BiPCO Assembly is only the beginning of a series of activities in store for the youth. He added that if plans will push through, he will sponsor another youth assembly in October this year.

“No other group can solve the problem of our country but the youth who will soon become future leaders,” he said.

The youth participants demonstrated their skills in music and arts in last night’s Musical Extravaganza and Cultural Night.

Except for the municipality of Caibiran, youth representatives from the rest of municipalities of the province to include the group from the Core Shelter of Naval participated in the talent show for vocal solo and the modern dance.

The crowd of youth participants and the general public were so impressed by the costumes of the performers which were made of indigenous materials.

“This is my first time to see dancers wearing this kind of native costumes,” said Daryl Hope Oliver, a youth delegate from the municipality of Culaba.

The youth assembly which ends tomorrow is sponsored by the Provincial Government of Biliran in coordination with the officers and members of the BiPCO and the PTWG-RYF.

The activity carries the theme “Maayong Lihok sa Batan-on Karon, Kahayag sa Kaugmaon”. (PIA-Biliran)

by Fred Padernos

Tacloban City (1 May) — Rice traders in the Province of Biliran will find rice a saucy business these days, as the place is on the top in the rice sufficiency share for the whole region. Because of the reported rice shortage, rice is selling like hot cakes which mean more profit to the small and big rice business operators.

The Department of Agriculture rice sufficiency index show that Biliran has 238 percent share of the region’s rice supply, followed by Leyte province at 171 percent, and third, Southern Leyte with 102 percent share. Other provinces such as Eastern Samar, Samar, and Northern Samar are positioned in the lowest three share based on the index with only 55.3%, 50.8%, and 37.6% respectively.

Very recently the alleged rice shortage created a panic buying effect among consumers that even prompted the national government conduct raids among giant rice warehouses in the national capital region reportedly due to hoarding which they (hoarders) intends to sell later at a blotted price.

In a related story, Robert Hernandez, National President of the Alyansa Ng Industriyang Bigas (ANIB) disclosed that there is no actually rice crisis- but price crisis. He said, the country has enough supply of rice, only that these are commercial rice that are sold from P33.00- P44.00 compared to the NFA rice at P18.25 per kilo or from P1,400-P2,000 per sack depending on the variety and quality. What is in shortage now, he said, is the cheap rice such as NFA , that low income earners could afford to buy on a daily basis. (PIA

Naval, Biliran  — As the entire country and the whole world celebrates Earth Day on April 22, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the lead agency in the celebration, highlighted the occasion here in Biliran with the preparation of individual plastic bags wherein some 2,000 to 5,000 seeds of various trees including the ornamental ones will be propagated for future tree planting activities that will be undertaken by the office in various parts of the province.

This was learned from Robin Tumolva, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer (PENRO) of the island province of Biliran in a mobile phone interview with PIA.

He said, the potting activity which was done at the DENR compound was started a few days before the Earth Day celebration by the employees of the said agency together with seven students from the Biliran National Agricultural College (BNAC) who are doing office practice this summer.

Part of the activities lined-up by the DENR to highlight the Earth Day celebration here today was a clean-up activity at the DENR compound in Brgy. Larrazabal in Naval town.

The clean-up activity which was done at the DENR compound today was followed by the planting of ornamental shrubs and trees also in the same area as part of the greening program of the office.

Tumolva added that the DENR employees conducted a mini beach clean-up activity along the shorelines of Brgy. Talahid in the municipality of Almeria.

He informed that as soon as the 5,000 seedlings are ready for transplanting, DENR-Biliran will initiate a tree planting activity at the Anas watershed area here in the municipality of Naval to protect the source of potable water and also along the national highway of the three barangays namely: Barangays Atipolo, Agpangi and Sabang of Naval.

“The celebration of Earth Day today calls for all the people including the Biliranons to work together for the conservation of the environment”, he said.

He added that the DENR in the province is strictly monitoring the wildlife resources in the area saying that a team was organized to conduct periodic monitoring of the forests in Biliran.

Republic Act 9147 otherwise known as the Wildlife Resources and Protection Act strictly prohibits anybody to kill wildlife especially the endangered species or those rare animals that are heading towards extinction.

For his part, Cristy Santos, the Chief of the Wildlife Management Section of the DENR informed that the monitoring team from her section is regularly conducting a quarterly monitoring of the wildlife in Biliran forests to protect them from hunters.

She added that tarsiers, considered as the smallest monkey in the world, the Philippine Eagle and other rare species of forest animals can still be found in Biliran forests, an indicator that forests in this particular area in Eastern Visayas are still teeming with wildlife resources.

“Conservation of our environment, forests as well as the protection of our wildlife resources in the province are assured because the Biliranons have joined hands and are committed to do their share of the job as members of their respective community. (PIA-Biliran)By Flor Jackson