A soft opening for the Calbayog City Sports Center

The Calbayog City Sports Center had a soft opening today. A simple blessing was led by Fr. Erwin Rodriguez. Mayor Mel Sarmiento was on hand for the ceremony together with some City Officials and Department Managers.

The Center will be the venue of all the activities slated during Hadang 2009, the Culture and Arts Festival of Calbayog which the City Government spearheads during the City Fiesta.

Here are some pictures from today's activity:

Fr. Erwin Rodriguez saying the prayer of blessing.

Update on the Calbayog City Sports Center

We chanced upon Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento at the soon-to-be-finished Calbayog City Sports Center. He was on hand to do an ocular inspection of the work being done at the center. Today the workes were busy putting in place taraflex material on the floor. With the City Mayor were City Admininstrator Arnol Trani and some employees from the City Engineer's Office. The Calbayog City Sports Center is set to open on September 1, 2009 in time for the various events slated during the Hadang Festival 2009.

Mayor Mel Sarmiento with Engr. Arnol Trani.

New street signs in Calbayog

For the past so many days, workers got busy replacing the old street sign in the City. A good number of the old street signs with the names of the street in black painted over a white background has been replaced by something which looks like this one (pix below) near the Cathedral:

Mobile Passporting Service to be held in Calbayog

The City of Calbayog through the Local Civil Registry Office, in cooperation with the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) RO 8 will once again offer a mobile passporting service.

This service will be held on September 12 - 13, 2009 (Saturday and Sunday) at the Old Barracks Building (Handumanan) Conference Hall.

In line with this, authentication of Civil Registry documents will be conducted by the National Statistics Office (NSO) Provincial Office at the Calbayog City Hall Sala on September 10, 2009 (Thursday).

Basic Requirements for Mobile Passporting are:

1. Four (4) Passport size photo
2. Two (2) valid IDs
3. Marriage Certificate (applicable only to married women)

Shooting incidents in Calbayog go down

(This report came out in the August 22, 2009 edition of the Leyte-Samar Daily Express)

CALBAYOG CITY - The shooting incidents in this city had gone down significantly with the continuing effort initiated by the Calbayog City Police Station and its counterparts.

To address the pressing need to stop the series of shooting incident that transpired in the City recently, the Calbayog City Police Station together with its complementing forces from the Samar Police Provincial Office, Police Regional Mobile Group 8, 20th and 34th Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army and the Barangay Tanods have tightened its relentless campaign against lawless elements that resulted to the decline of shooting incidents in the city proper for the month of July up to the present which recorded zero incident.

On the other hand, the Local Government Unit of Calbayog City through its City Mayor Mel Senen S. Sarmiento had donated seven units of motorcycles and flashlights to be used by the PNP and PA elements in the conduct of patrol in the three clustered areas within the city proper. The motorcycle team (TRACKER) patrols the entire area of the city proper and its neighboring barangays while each of the three clustered areas are being patrolled on foot by a composite team of PNP, PA and Tanods in the respective areas.

The new patrolling scheme, which was initiated and implemented to address the issue, had resulted in the confiscation of two Cal. 45 pistol, one .38 cal. revolver, two homemade firearms (sumpak) and eight bladed weapons where all cases were filed in court.

With the forthcoming fiesta celebration of the City, Calbayog PNP is contemplating to maximize its efforts to ensure the safety and security of the constituents as well as those visitors who will come to witness the festivity.

Calbayog City Police Station is appealing to the general public to understand and cooperate with the effort initiated by the law enforcement units in the area and further play an active support in policing once self, our home and our community for the betterment of Calbayog City. (LITO TURALBA BIGOY, Police Supt., Chief of Police)

Hadang Festival 2009

Hadang Festival 2009 will commence in a week's time. Here is the list of events slated in line with the Festival which is held annually in time for the Calbayog City Fiesta:

• September 1, 2009: Opening Ceremonies (at 6:00 p.m.); Hadang Ritual Competition (at 7:00 p.m.); Strakats and Voystag Bands in Concert (at 8:00 p.m.)
• September 2, 2009: UV Green Lancers vs TTMIST Kings (at 4:00 p.m.); SMB/ PBA Fans' Day (at 6:00 p.m.); SMB Concert (at 7:00 p.m.)
• September 3, 2009: "Himig Nating Pag-Ibig" with Noel Cabangon (at 7:00 p.m.)
• September 4, 2009: Search for Ms. Anyag 2009 (at 7:00 p.m.)
• September 5, 2009: Ladine Roxas Voice of Asia 2001 Grand Champion (at 7:00 p.m.) with Strakats and Voyztag Bands
• September 6, 2009: MYMP in Concert (at 7:00 p.m.) with Strakts and Voyztag Bands
• September 7, 2009: All-Star Basketball Game (at 7:00 p.m.); Pop Dance Competition (at 8:00 p.m.)

Except for the Ms. Anyag Beauty Pageant, it will "free admission" for all events which will be held at the Calbayog City Sport Center (Brgy. Capoocan, Calbayog City)

RDC-8 cites Mrs. Lourdes Matan

A citation for an Outstanding teacher. Calbayog City Mayor and RDC-8 Chair Mel Senen Sarmiento hands a plaque citing Mrs. Lourdes Lauders - Matan for her achievement as one of the Metrobank Ten Outstanding Teachers for 2009. Looking on are Presidential Assistant Cynthia Nierras and NEDA RO-8 Director Junie GoSoco. Mrs. Matan will receive her gold medallion from President Gloria Arroyo during the awarding ceremonies at Malacañan Palace on September 3, 2009. She will also receive a cash prize of 300,000 pesos during the MBTC anniversary program on September 4, 2009.

DOST Secretary in Calbayog

DOST Secretary Estrella Alabastro was in Calbayog City yesterday. She made a brief stop in the city on her way to Leyte for her various engagements.

On hand to welcome the Secretary at the Calbayog Techno Gabay Center was the staff of the City Agriculture Office headed by City Agriculturist Adela Ocenar. Also on hand were some member of the CAFC led by its president Mr. Esteban Conchas.

Secretary Alabastro was given a briefing on the Techno Gabay project and other related programs of the City of Calbayog.

PGMA explores Sohoton Cave

President Gloria Arroyo was in Region 8 last Sunday. Mayor Mel Sarmiento who is also RDC Chair was among the guests invited to the various engagements of the President which included among others, the inauguration of the Agas-agas Bridge in Southern Leyte and a tour of Sohoton Cave. In photo with President Arroyo in Sohoton Cave are (l-r) PA Cynthia Nierras (to the President's right), Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Bassey Mayor Wilfredo Estrorinos, Secretary Gabby Claudio, Secretary Ebdane (partly hidden). (Photo courtesy of PIA-8 /Lulu Cuazon)

The Calbayog City Gymnasium

The Calbayog City Sports Center in Barangay Capoocan as it got a fresh coat of paint. Finishing touches are being put in place in time for the center's opening which is tentatively set on August 31, 2009. If plans will push through, the Center will be the venue of all fiesta-related events which will include the concerts of MYMP and Noel Cabangon. (Photo by Henry Puyat)

Helping PNP Calbayog fight crime

(31 July 2009) Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento shakes hand with PSrInsp Delfin Jaropojop after turning over to PNP Calbayog seven (7) brand-new motorcyles. These vehicles will be utilized in the patrol that PNP Calbayog police will be conducting in the city. It's another measure which the LGU and PNP Calbayog will add to the checkpoints, foot patrol and police officers stationed at various points in the city - all aimed at curbing the series of shooting incidents which hit the city in last few months.