The Sangguniang Bayan of Virac led by Vice Mayor Lemuel P. Surtida continues to demonstrate their commitment to public service by promptly acting on the pressing issues confronting their constituents.
Last week, it managed to drag the management and board of directors of the Virac Water District to a meeting of the Committee of the Whole to discuss short-term and long-term solutions to the recurring water crisis now being endured by more than 10,000 concessionaires.
Aside from this, it invited the representatives of the DPWH regional office and the mainland contractor undertaking the over P90 million flood control mitigation project at the Gogon area.
Former District Engineer Gil Augustus Balmadrid, who was responsible for convincing DPWH RO5 to consider including a storm drainage from the Gogon church area to an outlet at the mangrove area near the cemetery, had questioned the inadequacy of the drainage inlets at the left side of the road going to Palnab.
Based on the explanation of Engr. Jose Vargas of DPWH Catanduanes DEO Planning Office, the inlet holes at the concrete covers on the canal will not be enough to drain flooding at the area during heavy rains.
It was suggested that a seven-meter cross drainage be built towards the front of the church from the trap canal, with the cover made entirely of heavy-duty steel gratings so it would not only allow flood water to pass through but also carry the load of heavy vehicles.
A certain Engr. Rey Badulla of the DPWH regional office agreed to bring the concern to the ranking officials for approval and implementation.
Still, even if the installation of the cross drainage with steel grating cover, the DPWH said that the area will still experience flooding during extensive and long-duration rainfall but the floodwaters will subside in just two hours or so.
Pending action on the proposal by the regional office, the public is advised to monitor the project so that the contractor will not pour concrete on the uncompleted portion of the line canal near the church.
Otherwise, the contractor could claim the proposed cross drainage can no longer be done.
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Sources in Palnab area and inside the PNP have identified those arrested in last week’s anti-drug operation as Kris Subion, a newly identified drug personality, and his live-in partner Kimberly Panti, tagged as a High Value Individual or a big player in the local drug trade.
The woman has been reported to have been involved in the illicit activity but the family has insisted that she has already ceased doing so.
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Congratulattions to Mayor Vicente Tayam Jr., the local nutrition office and their partners for awarded second runner-up in Social and Behavior Change among 235 municipalities implementing the Philippine Multisectoral Nutrition Project (PMNP) in the Municipal Alagang Pinas Awards (MAPA) during the PMNP Mayors Forum held last June 10, 2026.
Four other towns in the Bicol region received awards for various categories, with the recognition given by the Department of Health for the vital role that local government units play in the campaign against child stunting and malnutrition.
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AGAINST DANCING. The clergyman had delivered a fiery sermon against the evils of dancing and made it clear that he was opposed to any kind of dancing. After the congregation had filed out, he was approached by a young dancing enthusiast.
“Just what’s wrong with dancing?” he asked.
“Well, for one thing,” said the minister, “it’s the close touching of bodies.”
“Not so,” protested the parishioner. “It is all in the mind of those who look at it with the wrong attitude.”
“Then let’s suppose,” argued the minister, “that you came home from work and found me holding your wife in that manner. What would you think?”
“It’d think that you’d better be dancing,” was the reply.