and the work goes on

This was the scene at the rotonda at around 5 this afternoon. Asphalt overlay which is part of the project to rehabilitate the National Highway has reached the said area.

One of the heavy equipments doing the "finishing touches" on the road job

That's the City Mayor (2nd from the right) taking time to do an occular inspection of the project.

signs of the times (?)

Seen in Calbayog City . . .

This streamer was hung at the LMA entrance on Monday, February 25, 2008 when the LGU spearheaded a program in observanvce of the 22nd EDSA Anniversary

On Wednesday, or a day after the CBCP statement on the ZTE scandal, this streamer was put in place at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral as the local priests held a Mass for Truth

Today, the LGU had this streamer in time for LGU-sponsored Mass for Truth at the Cathedral

work still ongoing

I went around the city today. There were no rallies condemning PGMA or celebrating EDSA 1. Instead I saw these heavy equipments lined up near the Rosales bridge. It turns out, asphalt overlay has been done on Senate President J. D. Avelino Avenue. Today they expect to continue working on the area from the Rosales bridge going to the rotonda in Obrero.

That's the Centennial Pastoral Center and the newly asphalted road. Pix below shows the same buidling with the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral in the background.

Now for a twist (or something to make you smile). As I took the pictures shown above, a funeral hearse (pix below) conked out (read: tumirik). What if it happened during a funeral with a coffin and flowers on board? Most likely old folks would say: "na-awil pa gad man". Just like what they say during funerals done on a rainy day.

A Post-Valentine Mass Wedding

Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento presided over the Civil Wedding of 26 pairs of amancebados today. The activity was held at the GSP Home where the couples (with grooms who are mostly tricylce drivers) also received gifts from the City Mayor.

In his message, Mayor Sarmiento qouted a message by Bishop Isabelo Abarquez by calling on the couples to practice responsible parenthood. One important line from that messge said, "... paglarang kam nga hinga-upay an iyo mga anak nga lahusan pa nira an iyo nahimo ..."

The activity was made possible by the coordination of the City Mayor's Office through the Community Affairs Divison, the National Census and Statistics Office and the Local Civil Registry Office.

one rainy day the the Airport

I took these pictures more than a week ago (February 13, 2008 to be exact) when we sent off a guest of the LGU. The flight was delayed for more than two hours (yes 2 hours, thanks to the rain) it gave me more than enough time to roam around the place. And thus these pix.

That's the ATO office

They still have these old baggage carts (is that the right term?)

Chicken wire is all that separates the arriving passengers and the well-wishers or the motorcab drivers (whoever comes first)

That's the pre-departure area which thankfully is airconditioned (courtesy of the LGU) and has a television set

Don't look now. That's the only airline plying the Manila-Calbayog route announcing its new flight schedule. Any comment?

One good news, they managed to make the floor of the airport lobby look shiny even on a rainy day.

But sadly, they scored bad on the restrooms. This area near it was the last one the wellwishers and passengers would have wanted to stay on that day 'coz it did not smell good, thanks to the odor coming from the rest rooms. And on that day, this is what I saw in the male restroom:

To be fair about it, we called up the attention of the airport personnel assigned to the area. They admitted their shortcoming and promised to to something about it.

crossing Mabagdoc Creek

As I posted these pictures, the rains have stopped, but not the flood at the left river, specifically along Mabagdoc Creek. These pictures were forwarded to me by Efren Jordan. He took these as they crossed the area at midday yesterday. It is along the boundary between Brgy. Cag-Anibong and Brgy. Pilar. Some enterprising locales raked it in that day. One crossing cost each person 20 pesos while a motorcycle can go as much as 50 pesos.

an sungkaan

I've got a good number of titles in mind for this blog update: "sungkaan", "hell roads of Samar no more (almost)", "mabalud", "the good news and the bad news". I guess sungkaan would be the best choice.

So, what about it?

First the good news. Part of the rehabilitation of the Highway in Samar is "asphalt overlay" or something to that effect. And when I took these two pictures last week (February 10, 2008 to be exact), they have put asphalt on the portion in Brgy. Bagacay. I still need to know about the portion from Catbalogan to Calbiga, but I heard that the section from Hinabangan to Calbiga is now okey. Anyway, when we traveled to Catbalogan last Saturday, I found out that the portion with asphalt on it extends from Bagacay to Ilo. And that's where the good news ends (so far).



Now for the not-so-good news. I have featured below two videos I took when we traveled to Catbalogan last Saturday. The first one was taken while on board a van to Catbalogan. The second one was taken while on board a bus going back to Calbayog. I guess I took it while we were plying the highway between San Jorge and Gandara.

T'was an uncomfy ride, no question. But knowing that rehabilitation work is being done or is ongoing makes one give a sigh of relief.

The Civil Registration Quiz Bee

In celebration of February as Civil Registration Month, the LGU thru the Local Civil Registry Office conducted the Civil Registration Quiz. I was a member of the panel of judges which included DepEd's Edita Paculan, CTIO's Linda Calesa and DYOG's Eleen Lim.

The activity was participated in by 13 students from from the various High Schools of Calbayog, namely: San Policarpo National High School (SPNHS), San Joaquin National High School (SJNHS), La Milagrosa Academy, CKC Boys' High School, Calbayog City National High School, CKC Night High School, Mag-ubay National High School (MNHS), CKC Girls' High School, Pilar National High School (PNHS), Trinidad National High School (TNHS), Rafael Lentejas Memorial School of Fisheries (RLMSF)and Tarabucan National High School (TNHS).

Declared as 1st-placer was Julia Frea Catorce (CKC Girls' High). Ronelo Suzara and Angelie Ann Anollado of SPNHS and TNHS respectively, tied for the 2nd place. Ms. Catorce will be Calbayog's representative to the Provincial level.

Let me share some pix I took during the event. (my apologies I used a different phone which explains for the dark shots)

The winners and their coaches with the panel of judges

The contestants with the panel of judges

People's Day

Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento through Executive Order No. 5 s, 2008, declared Wednesday of every week as PEOPLE'S DAY ".... in consonance with the present dispensation's effort to maximize its accessibility to constituents..." It is aimed at attending the needs of walk-in clients and personally address other concerns of the City's clientele.

The activity commenced last week when the City Officials and Department Managers converged at the City Hall Lobby and entertained various concerns from 8:00 am to 12:00 pm.

Today is the second People's Day. Let me share some pictures I took during the activity.

Mayor Mel Sarmiento listens as Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino is interviewed

Some Department managers get interviewd by DYOG

Mayor Sarmiento with the BPLO head as he listens to the concerns of some clients. In this case it's the fried chicken vendors in the city whose concern is their relocation site

Vice Mayor Aquino (pix above) and Councilor Ver Porlares (pix below) as they entertain their clients

(seated l-r) City Legal Officer Juan Daguman, Councilor Danny Bernate and UHD Head Bebot Oquendo. (standing l-r) Councilor Noel Sermense, BPLO head Bong Galang and General services Officer Gani Togonon