NEW ROAD. A portion of the completed Samar Pacific Coastal Road in Northern Samar. The opening of the Simora Bridge in Northern Samar and the 8-kilometer concrete road on Tuesday (June 28, 2022) will benefit over 5,000 poor residents in remote communities of the province, the Department of Public Works and Highways reported.(Photo courtesy of DPWH) TACLOBAN CITY - The opening of the Simora Bridge and the 8-kilometer concrete road in Northern Samar will benefit over 5,000 poor residents in remote communities of the province, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has reported. The newly completed bridge and road section, part of the foreign-funded Samar Pacific Coastal Road, will benefit coconut and rice farmers in nine villages in the coastal towns of Palapag, Laoang, and Catubig in Northern Samar. The PHP1.12 billion coastal road project will link the Pacific towns in Northern Samar. "After four years of challenging construction, the partial opening of the Samar Pacif
FRESH MANDATE. Governor Edwin Ongchuan of Northern Samar speaks during the province's 57th founding anniversary at the provincial capitol grounds in Catarman town on June 19, 2022. He and other key elected officials of the provinces took their oath of office during the event, vowing to strengthen the cluster approach to improve the lives of poor families. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government) TACLOBAN CITY - Local elected officials of Northern Samar vowed to strengthen the province's cluster approach to improve the lives of poor families during their three-year fresh term. During his oath-taking on Sunday, Governor Edwin Ongchuan said his second term as a local chief executive will focus on the cluster approach that has been proven to strengthen coordination and collaboration among concern government offices with similar programs and services. The approach, he said, aims to provide high impact projects and increase the local budget utilization rate. The main
SAME LEADERS. The Samar provincial capitol in Catbalogan City, Samar. More members of political families won in this year's elections.(Photo courtesy of Heritage Conservation Society) TACLOBAN CITY - This year's elections saw more members of political families in Samar province beating their opponents. For the Tan family, the number of their clan members holding elective posts has doubled. Incumbent 2nd district Rep. Sharee Ann Tan succeeded in her attempt to swap posts with his younger brother, Reynolds Michael, the current governor. This is Sharee Ann's return to the provincial government after serving as governor from 2010 to 2019. She defeated Gemma Zosa, the outgoing mayor of Santa Margarita town. Their uncle, Arnold Tan, will be the new vice governor of the province after defeating Board Member Alma Uy. In Samar's 1st District, this is the first time for the Tan family to win in the congressional race after failed attempts in past elections. Sharee Ann's young
FOUR-DAY WORKWEEK. The Northern Samar provincial capitol in Catarman, Northern Samar. The Northern Samar provincial government has adopted the four-day workweek policy, in combination with one-day work-from-home alternative work arrangement starting April 1. (Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government) TACLOBAN CITY - The Northern Samar provincial government has adopted the four-day workweek policy, in combination with a one-day work-from-home alternative work arrangement starting Monday. In a memorandum issued by Governor Edwin Ongchuan on April 1, the latter officially endorsed the hybrid work scheme. "The order requires employees to still work on an eight-hour a day basis, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. with one day allotted to work from home," Ongchuan in a statement issued on Monday. The surge in fuel prices prompted the governor to issue the policy in a bid to help reduce the daily transportation cost of employees and other incidental expenses entailed in heading to
SERVICE CARAVAN. Residents from rebel-infested communities in Las Navas, Northern Samar availing government services during a caravan in this March 23, 2021 photo. The Northern Samar provincial government is bringing its service caravan to more conflict-stricken communities in the province to end insurgency in remote areas.(Photo courtesy of Northern Samar provincial government) TACLOBAN CITY - The Northern Samar provincial government is bringing its service caravan to more conflict-stricken communities in the province to end insurgency in remote areas. The local government will hold a caravan in Palapag town on March 10. This is the 10th round since its launch in November 2019 in San Isidro town, Northern Samar provincial information officer John Allen Berbon said. "The Kauswagan (progress) caravan is one of the flagship programs of the province under the stewardship of Governor Edwin Ongchuan with a goal of bringing government services closer to the people. The program is also i