Wednesday, September 30, 2009

The 61st Calbayog Charter Day Celebration

The schedule of activities for the 61st Calbayog Charter Day Anniversary is out. The 5-day celebration will commence on October 12, 2009 with the Opening Salvo at 6:00 pm.

Here's a detailed list of Activities:

October 12, 2009
  • 6:00 pm: Opening Salvo. To include the opening of the Fun Center, Agri-Fair, Food Booths, Beer Plaza and Tiangge-kiosks.
  • 8:00 pm: Street Beat Party Mix with International DJ, Strakatz and Voyztag Bands.

October 13, 2009

  • 5:00 pm: Tinapa Foodfest
  • 6:00 pm: PBA Legends vs. Calbayog Selections. Expected to participate are Nelson Asaytono, Benjie Paras, Noli Locsin, Rey Evangelista, Ronnie Magsanoc, Alvin Patromonio and Allan Caidic.
  • 8:00 pm: PBA Legends photo ops / clinic

October 14, 2009

  • 9:00 am: Math Olympiad / Quiz Bee
  • 7:00 pm: AEGIS Live in Calbayog

October 15, 2009

  • 9:00 am: Medical / Dental Mission
  • 7:00 pm: Sabado Boys Live in Concert

October 16, 2009

  • 7:00 am: Charter Day Parade
  • 9:00 am: Calbayog City Sport Center Inauguration; Awarding of The Most Outstanding Calbayognon.
  • 10:00 am: Pa-raffle sa Barangay
  • 7:00 pm: Renz Verano, May Rivera and Jackston Brothers Live!

Calbayog City to celebrate Senior Citizens' Week

The City of Calbayog through the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Federation of Senior Citizens Associations of Calbayog City, Inc. (FSCACCI), will observe the Senior Citizens' Week from October 1 - 10, 2009.

The celebration will commence tomorrow, October 1, 2009 with an Opening Program at the Brgy. East Awang Covered Court. Said program will be followed by a parade. Mayor Mel Sarmiento and Councilor Susano Salurio, the Chair on the SP Committee on Elderly Affairs have been invited to deliver their messages.

Other activities on hand are the following:
  • October 2, 2009: Clean and Green Activities in the FSCACCI members' respective homes and barangays.
  • October 3, 2009: Mass / Worship at the Sts. Peter and Paul Cathedral.
  • October 5, 2009: Participation in the Flag-raising Ceremony at the Calbayog City Hall. (Other activities will announced at this point)
  • October 10, 2009: Culminating Activities at the Brgy. East Awang Covered Court

This year's celebration is anchored on the theme: "NAKATATANDA: Dangal at Yaman ng Bansa Noon at Ngayon".

Monday, September 28, 2009

Mayor Mel Sarmiento meets with JICA representatives

Mayor Mel Sarmiento with JICA's Masashi Watanabe and Masaharu Takasugi (CSWMO photo).

Mayor Mel Sarmiento on Friday met with Mr. Masashi Watanabe and Mr. Masaharu Takasugi of JICA Philippine Office.

Among the matters they discussed were the details of the LGU Sanitary Land Fill (SLF) Project in Brgy. Dinagan. Said project will commence immediately after the release of the DBP loan. Also tackled was the plan on the closure of the dumpsite at Tomalon Estate once the Dinagan project is in place. The Dinagan SLF will commence its operation on June 2010. By that time a segregated garbage collection system is expected to be in place in the City of Calbayog.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

5 Barangay in Calbayog City Receive KBP Projects

Calbayog City_/As the rest of the country marked the 37th anniversary of Martial Law, 5 barangays in the northern part of the city received the fruits of their “liberation” from being affected by the insurgents: the Kalayaan Barangays Program or KBP Projects of the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

In a simple ceremony at Brgy. Peña in Tinambacan district, Col. Arnaldo Fernandez, Jr., commander of the 53rd Engineering Brigade, together with Col. Arnolfo Atendido, commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade, turned over to city mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento and the 5 punong barangays the fully-accomplished KBP project packages consisting of a 2-room school building, a health center and street lights. The projects which cost around Php1.5 million per package were warmly received by the Barangay officials, health workers and teachers of Barangays Peña, Cagmanipis Norte, Malaga, Tinaplacan and Bugtong.

According to Lt. Col. Rizalito Tibon, the commanding officer of 543rd Engineering Construction Battalion which erected the said projects, the Kalayaan Barangays Program of President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was intended for conflict-affected communities all over the country. It is specifically given to such barangays who lack the basic infrastructure projects such as school buildings, water system, and the like.

The recipient barangays in Calbayog according to Col. Tibon, were selected when the Special Operations Team from the 20th IB conducted a pulong-pulong with the people of the communities to know what their basic priority needs are. These needs were submitted to the National Development Command, which in turn, requested funds from the President.

During the ribbon cutting ceremonies in the barangay, there were observations made about the good quality of work done on the buildings by the engineering battalion. To this, Col. Tibon said, “Iyon lang po talaga ang gawain naming mga army engineers, lahat ng gawin namin, kailangan matibay, para hindi na magkaproblema ang ating mga communities, at hindi masira ang gobyerno.” Col. Tibon also added that army engineers are not “profit oriented but service oriented,” hence whatever funds allocated for the project are being spent for it. In case there are savings, like what happened to these KBP projects, they use it to buy tables and chairs for the teachers.

The savings must have been quiet big because after the blessing of the buildings, Col. Fernandez promised to provide lavatories for the health centers and, to the applause and cheers of the teachers and students, a complete set of computers for each of the school buildings. (Eleen Lim / DYOG Calbayog)

Mayor Sarmiento attends 4-Ps Program

Mayor Mel Sarmiento was present during today's assembly of some beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilya Pilipino Program (4-Ps) of the Office of the President. Said program was launched on the local level through the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The assembly which was held at the Joggers' court in Brgy. East Awang was the first of a series of assemblies that the CSWDO will be spearheading in various barangays of Calbayog up to September 28, 2009. It is part of their effort to orient 10,821 indigent-beneficiaries from the districts of Calbayog who have been identified by the DSWD Regional Office.

Among the benefits that the beneficiaries will get is monthly financial assistance for their medical, school and other needs as the case maybe. The assistance could be availed from at least one year to a maximum of five years.

Monday, September 21, 2009

Eid al'Fitr

Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento,
Vice Mayor Ronaldo Aquino,
the City Officials
and the People of Calbayog

join their Muslim brothers and sisters in the observance of

EID AL'FITR

Friday, September 18, 2009

Sports Forum at DepEd

DepEd Calbayog in coordination with the City Government will be holding a Sports Forum at 2:00 p.m. today at the DepEd Conference Hall.

This event will be attended by youth leaders from the various barangays of Calbayog. Expected to deliver their messages are Councilor Rey James Uy, SDS Edita Paculan and ASDS Angelo Gelera. Mr. Ubadlo Diomangay, Division PESS Supervisor will give the PESS Supervisor's Report.

After the program preliminaries, there will be an open forum and action planning. The program will be hosted by Mr. Ramon Miano.

Thursday, September 17, 2009

People's Day sa Tarabucan

This week's People's Day was held in Brgy. Tarabucan. Now on its third year, People's Day is a program of the LGU aimed at bringing the government closer to the people. Done on Wednesdays, the City Officials and Department Managers would gather at the City Hall sala or any identified barangay to attend to the various concerns of their constituency.

Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino dleivering a message. With him are (l-r) Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Councilors Arturo Pasacas, Mon Uy and Noel Sermense and some Department Managers.

Friday, September 11, 2009

NGCP President attends briefing on the 1-B peso Power Transmission Project

As reported, NGCP President and CEO Walter Brown was in Calbayog this morning. He was on hand for the briefing on the 1-billion peso Wright-Calbayog 138kV Power Transmission Project.

On hand for the program were Congressman Reynaldo Uy, Mayor Mel Sarmiento, the City Officials and various sectoral representatives.

For details about the project, please check an earlier blogpsot. Let me give you some pictures taken by Henry Puyat during the program.

Mayor Mel Sarmiento giving the welcome remarks.

Congressman Reynaldo Uy giving his message.

Dr. Walter Brown giving his message after the project briefing.

The officials signing the Covenant of Mutual Support.

NGCP President and CEO Walter Brown (seated 2nd from the right) with (l-r) Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino,Mayor Mel Sarmiento, Congressman Reynaldo Uy and Mr. Roel Castro, Special Assistant to the NGCP president. Standing are (l-) Councilors Susano Salurio, Julius Mancol, Noel Sermense, Regina Rabuya, Ver Porlares, Virgil Clemens, Danilo Bernate and Rey James Uy.

1-B peso transmission project in Eastern Visayas to be completed by March 2011

The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) gave a briefing on the Wright-Calbayog 138-kV Power Transmission Project this morning. Congressman Reynaldo Uy and Mayor Mel Senen Sarmiento led local officials and sectoral representatives in the activity which was attended by no less than NGCP President and CEO Walter Brown.


The National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) has started pre-construction works on the 1.189 billion-peso Wright-Calbayog 138 kV Transmission Project in Eastern Visayas.

Scheduled for completion on March 2011, the project is expected to enhance the reliability and quality of electric power by extending the 138-kV backbone transmission system to the northern part of Samar Island.

Electric power in Northern Samar is presently transmitted through the 69-kV line supported by wood poles which are susceptible to tripping causing outages and frequent electric power service interruptions.

Aside from upgrading the line, NGCP will also expand Wright substation and install improvements on transformers as well as protection and communication equipment. A new substation will also be constructed in Calbayog City.

Upon the completion of the project, the power customers in Northern Samar and nearby localities would be the direct beneficiaries of the stronger transmission network.

Maintaining the stability, reliability and efficiency of transmission of power in the Visayas Grid remains as NGCP's priority. NGCP hopes that the project would jumpstart economic progress in the area which has been hampered through the years, primarily by the underdeveloped basic infrastructures including reliable electric power service.

This project is also implemented as part of NGCP's commitment to the technical provisions of the Philippine Grid Code.

The transmission line component of the project was awarded to Xian Electric of China on August 7, 2009 after an open public bidding. The substation component, on the other hand, was awarded to ABB Philippines on August 17, 2009 after a similar public bidding.

NGCP has already acquired the right-of-way (ROW) on 97% of the identified tower sites.

Since January 15 of this year, the privately-owned NGCP has been the official holder of the franchise to operate and maintain the country's power transmission grid, formerly the domain of the government-owned and controlled National Transmission Corporation (TransCo).

Monday, September 7, 2009

The Fiesta 2009 parade

The annual fiesta parade was held at 7:oo am today. Mayor Mel Sarmiento and Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino led the City Officials during the event. Also present were the three Hermanas Mayores namely, Emma Yangzon - Fortuna, Edelle Romano - Alegria and Venancia Yangzon.

Here are some pictures from the said activity.

Mayor Mel Sarmiento with Mrs. Prima Fortuna, Ms. Venancia Yangzon, Mrs. Ideltrudes Alegria, Councilor Regina Rabuya, Councilor Danilo Bernate, Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino and Councilor Susano Salurio.

Mayor Sarmiento takes time to talk with City Administrator Arnol Trani and some Department Managers before the parade.

(r-l) Engr. Arnol Trani, Mr. Reynaldo Lim, Mr. Cecinio Oquendo and Ms. Adela Ocenar.

Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino taking time to greet the hermanas mayores.


Marc Logan and his crew during the parade.

Mayor Mel Sarmiento about to be interviewed by Marc Logan.

The Iskolars and their Daragangan Ritual.



Friday, September 4, 2009

PBA cagers in town for SMB Fans Day

PBA players JC Intal, Doug Kramer, Chris Calaguio and Bonbon Custodio were in Calbayog last Tuesday for the SMB Fans’ Day. They were also on hand for the basketball game between UV Lancers and TTMIST Kings officially the first basketball game to be held at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

Prior to their engagement at the Sports Center, the four basketball players toured the various schools in Calbayog.

The cagers' visit which was sponsored by SMB was one of the official events of Hadang Festival 2009.

Vice Mayor Ronald Aquino with Chris Calaguio, Doug Kramer and JC Intal during the game between UV Green Lancers and TTMIST Kings.

Bonbon Custodio with some students at the Calbayog City National High School

Doug Kramer at Christ the King College

Mayor Mel Sarmiento with Bonbon Custodio, Chris Calaguio, Doug Kramer and JC Intan after their dinner at Kamayan sa Carayman.

Thursday, September 3, 2009

Noel Cabangon in Calbayog

Noel Cabangon and his band arrived in Calbayog this morning. He is in town for his one-night engagment dubbed "Himig Nating Pag-Ibig" which will be held at the Calbayog City Sports Center.

Tonight's concert is the highlight of Day 3 of "Hadang Festival 2009", the culture and arts festival which the City of Calbayog spearheads every first week of September.

Mr. Cabangon was met at the Airport by CTIO Linda Calesa and CACO Jonas Lim.

Noel Cabangon (left) with Jonas Lim and Linda Calesa.

Tuesday, September 1, 2009

Securing the events at the Sports Center

Immediately after the blessing of the Calbayog City Sports Center, Mayor Mel Sarmiento had a final meeting with the PNP officers and the officials of Barangay Capoocan for the security arrangements and other details during the events which will be held at the Center.

The Sports Center is the venue of all events during Hadang 2009, the annual arts and culture festival spearheaded by the LGU.