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3ID chief orders new battalion chiefs to finish insurgency in Panay

Major General Marion R. Sison, the Commander of the Army’s 3rd Infantry (Spearhead) Division, has directed the newly installed commanding officers of the 82nd Infantry (Bantay Laya) and the 12th Infantry (Lick ‘Em) Battalions to finish the insurgency on Panay Island.
MGen. Sison issued this directive during separate change of command ceremonies for the two battalions which he presided.
On Monday, February 05, 2024, Lieutenant Colonel Jovert Pimentel assumed the post as new Commanding Officer of the 82IB at Camp Colonel Quintin D. Salas in Sitio Asinan, Barangay Jibolo, Janiuay town, replacing Colonel Cliford Catubigan. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Colonel Vicel Jan Garsuta took command of the 12IB at Camp General Ceferino S. Careon in Sitio Guimbunyugan, Barangay Libot, Calinog, Iloilo, succeeding Lieutenant Colonel Antonio Timbal on Tuesday, February 6.
Both ceremonies were attended by Brigadier General Michael Samson, Commander of the 301st Infantry Brigade, other key officers from the 3ID, as well as the respective local chief executives and stakeholders of the said units.
MGen. Sison commended the outgoing battalion commanders for their unwavering contributions to shaping the success of their respective battalions. He acknowledged their tireless commitment, dedication, and guidance, which resulted in commendable milestones, reflected in the numerous awards and commendations bestowed upon their units and the 3ID as a whole.
“The Change of Command Ceremony marked a milestone for the Army Officers in upholding commitment and dedication to the organization. Thus, the Army officers must maintain organizational dynamics and professional growth,” said MGen Sison.
In his speech, MGen. Sison also underscored that Panay is a sleeping dragon and the remaining bastion of the Communist Terrorists Group; hence, he instructed the 82IB to work closely with the local government units, all partners, and stakeholders to facilitate the dismantling of the remaining weakened guerilla fronts in Panay Island.
“We cannot accomplish this mission without the support and collaboration of our stakeholders and local chief executives serving as chairmen of the Local Task Force-ELCAC. It is crucial to coordinate, cooperate, and maintain open communication with our partners, as they play a vital role in helping us bring an end to insurgency in Panay. It is essential to recognize that the resolution of this problem requires not only military action but also the effective implementation of Task Force ELCAC as the best solution,” MGen. Sison emphasized.
Moreover, he ordered LTC Garsuta to dismantle the weakened Central Panay Front.
“Finish the fight! That’s my first order. Lick the enemy, totally decimate and eradicate them, in coordination with the LGUs, Civil Society Organizations, the private, religious, and the business sectors, in order to establish just and lasting peace in Panay,” MGen. Sison concluded. (3ID Spearhead Troopers)

All is set for the Paraw Regatta Festival 2024, with highlights slated on March 1 to 3, 2024.
Now on its 51st year, Paraw Regatta Festival promises to offer exciting and fun events aside from the much sought paraw sailing competition.
According to Dr. Roberto Samosa, chairman of the Paraw Sailing Event, this year’s edition of the longest and biggest sailing competition in Southeast Asia will officially open on Feb. 25 at Tatoy’s Poolside Resort after a Holy Mass at Arevalo Parish.
Samosa said they expect participants for the Paraw Main Race on March 3 from as far as Boracay Island and nearby towns in Iloilo province and Guimaras. Last year, 48 paraw racers joined in the main sailing event.
Other Paraw events include Pinta Layag that will start on Feb. 26 at JBLFMU-Arevalo Campus; Pinta Regatta Contest on Feb. 27 at Festive Walk Mall Garden Atrium; Paraw Regatta Job Fair (TBA) and Miniature Paraw on Feb. 28; Slalom Race and Paraw Food Fest (Day 1) on Feb. 29; Paraw H.I.I.T, Paraw Duathlon, Beach Sports, Sinamba sa Regatta (Hall of the Justice to Freedom Grandstand) and Paraw Foodfest (Day 2) on March 2.
Aside from the main race, there will be Pinta Tawo, Pinta Layag Judging, Paraw Lechon Contest; Beach Sports at Villa Beach; Paraw Beach Bodies, Lighted Paraw and Fireworks, Paraw Food Fest (Day 3), Paraw Photo Contest and Awarding Ceremony on March 3.
Majority of the events particularly the main sailing race are traditionally held at Tatoy’s Beach Front.
The Paraw Regatta Festival is spearheaded by the Iloilo Festivals Foundation Inc. (IFFI) in collaboration with the Iloilo City Government, Iloilo Provincial Government and the Guimaras Provincial Government.
(Iloilo City PIO)

First Lady Louise Araneta-Marcos led the groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of a four-story College of Law building at the West Visayas State University (WVSU).
The First Lady is a part-time faculty member at WVSU College of Law where she teaches Criminal Law.
The WVSU, which is the first and only state university in Western Visayas that offers a legal education program in the region, recognizes the need for a separate building.
“At the height of the pandemic when most schools were closing their doors, our university took a leap of faith by opening its juris doctor program. As the only state university offering a legal education program in Western Visayas, we embark on a journey that has surpassed our initial vision,” said WVSU President Dr. Joselito F. Villaruz.
During the ceremony, Villaruz took pride in announcing that the pioneer batch of the program will be taking the Bar examination in September this year.
He also extended gratitude to the First Lady and other stakeholders for “providing the university the opportunity to expand its student intake and widen its legal advocacy programs” through the construction of the state-of-the-art building.
According to DPWH Regional Director Sonny Boy O. Oropel, the College of Law (COL) building is situated within the main campus of WVSU in the La Paz district of this City and will be a green building with a total floor area of 3,456 square meters or 864 square meters per floor.
Facilities to include in the construction are six theater-type air-conditioned classrooms, an auditorium, a review room, a conference room, a legal clinic, a Wi-Fi connection, and a library.
To further enhance the capabilities of the law students, the building will also house two moot courtrooms, an arbitration or training room, and a Journal for Law Advocacy Office which will be used for the simulation of court hearings and litigation processes, among others.
For the instructors, a faculty room and offices for the college dean and associate dean will also be available upon completion of the project.
Apart from these, the COL building will also house a cafeteria, prayer room, storage or supplies room, comfort rooms with persons with disability (PWD) accessible facilities, and a parking area.
To promote the use of sustainable energy, the project also includes solar panels to supply power to the building. Elevators will also be available to allow easy access to all levels of the building for the students, faculty members, and guests.
Security features will also be incorporated including close circuit televisions or CCTV and a key card access system for the entire building.
According to the public works department, the project is targeted to be completed within 458 days after the commencement of its construction. (PIA)

Iloilo City, Futran inks MOU for establishment of podcars transport system

By Remegio G. Castor

The future of transportation is coming to Iloilo City.
Iloilo City Mayor Jerry Treñas together with Vice Mayor Jeffrey Ganzon and City Councilor Sedfrey Cabaluna, chair of the City Council’s transportation committee, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Futran Philippines Inc. President Jose Christopher Fornier II for a feasibility study on the establishment of an environment-friendly mass transport system using podcars in the city and neighboring municipalities.
The MOU signing held last January 30, 2024 was witnessed by all the Iloilo City Councilors.
The project, that will cost around PHP 16 billion, will cover 20 kilometers of transportation line for suspended podcars traversing Iloilo City and neighboring towns.
Podcars, also known as personal rapid transit, is a mode of public transport featuring small low-capacity automated vehicles operating on a network of specially built guideways.
Fornier presented the project proposal to Mayor Treñas last year.
“As the Mayor of the City of Love, I am thrilled to announce that Futran Philippines, Inc. has presented an exciting proposal that could revolutionize transportation in our city! With the potential implementation of podcars, we can finally bid farewell to the frustrating traffic and usher in a new era of sustainable commuting,” Treñas then announced following the project presentation.
Initial information obtained from company source said that the podcars transport system in Iloilo City will cover 20 kilometers and could be extended to the neighboring towns of Pavia, Oton, Leganes and San Miguel.
Iloilo City will be the among the first three cities in the country to benefit from the podcars transport system through Public-Private Partnership. The other two cities that accepted the project were Mandaue City, Cebu province and Ilagan City, Isabela.
The podcars transport system has been proven to be safe for passengers based on the countries that use this system such as Germany, Japan, and China.
The Philippines is the first in Souteast Asia to adopt the modern environment-friendly transportation.
The company ensures that its products are safe and reliable as it is under the approval of Germany’s TUV Rheinland, the world’s recognized technical service provider and certification body.
The proposed transport system will not disturb the usual road activities in the city, citing the company’s modern transport technology that is going to be above ground.

Iloilo City electric distribution utility MORE Electric and Power Corporation (MORE Power) dismissed the allegations made by ACT Teachers Partylist Rep France Castro regarding the need for the company to be held accountable for the widespread blackout in Panay Island.
MORE Power President and CEO, Roel Castro, stated that it’s difficult to respond to Representative Castro’s accusations, especially when these lack basis. “It’s difficult to address the statement of Rep. Castro. In fairness and with respect to the Congresswoman, she doesn’t understand the whole system, and it’s difficult to respond if their basis is wrong. It was just an accusation without basis,” explained the MORE Power CEO.
Although the Department of Energy (DOE) and the Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) previously identified the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) as the entity at fault for the Panaywide blackout, Rep. Castro remains the only one to issue a statement including MORE Power as one of those responsible for the incident.
“The main accountability is with them because it is NGCP that is tasked with maintaining the stability of the grid. The NGCP said it would finish the Panay-Negros-Cebu Interconnection Project in August 2023. And they were not! We are now in January and they promised this in August,” explained Lotilla.
Panay is the sixth largest island in the Philippines, consisting of the provinces of Aklan, Antique, Capiz, and Iloilo. MORE POWER’s Castro explained that while it’s unavoidable for there to be some disturbances or problems in the system, the collapse and subsequent total blackout could have been avoided if NGCP had taken immediate action. He further explained that at afternoon on January 2, 83 megawatts were lost from the grid system due to a Panay coal plant shutdown, which should have been addressed. However, it was followed by six more plant shutdowns.
“After two hours, six more plants sequentially shut down. The question is why there were consecutive shutdowns after two hours? The system operator, NGCP, is supposed to protect the system from collapsing. Seven plants on the island were out, and the fact that a total blackout occurred means that the system was not protected. This is a simplistic understanding of what happened,” MORE’s Castro said.
The MORE Power executive admitted that during the peak of the El Niño Phenomenon, a similar incident could occur if NGCP fails to protect the entire grid system. “Even if there is enough generating capacity, a similar total blackout could happen again if the system operator will not be active or will not be working,” he added.

Iloilo experienced all-out fun and connectivity at the Dinagyang Festival 2024 with DITO Telecommunity’s Todo na DITO sa Dinagyang activities held from January 26-28. Dedicated to fortifying connectivity and nurturing dynamic telecommunities nationwide, DITO elevated the festive atmosphere at Iloilo’s grandest religious and cultural event with lively concert performances, vibrant experiential booths, exciting games & contests, and delightful gastronomic activities.

Dinagyang, acknowledged as the country’s most awarded festival, secured the Best Tourism Event accolade for three consecutive years (2006-2008) from the Association of Tourism Officers in the Philippines. DITO proudly sponsored key events that enhanced the festival experiences of both Ilonggos and tourists, including the Miss Iloilo Coronation Night, Ilomination Street Dance Competition, TODO NA DITO sa Dinagyang Concert, Dinagyang Tribes Competition and Awarding Ceremony.
Festival enthusiasts also reveled in an abundance of fun at DITO’s interactive booths, where a variety of games and activities added to the excitement. The booths also showcased DITO’s value for money products, encompassing mobile prepaid and postpaid services, as well as DITO Home 5G WIFI prepaid and postpaid options. Special promotions and freebies complemented the showcase. The connectivity facilitated by DITO’s 5G technology allowed both Ilonggos and guests to fully immerse themselves in the TODO na DITO sa Dinagyang experience.
One of the event highlights was the Dinagyang Official Party, powered by DITO. The crowd was treated to an electrifying musical experience featuring stellar performances by the renowned band Kamikazee, setting the stage ablaze with their energetic repertoire. Local bands and DJs also added a vibrant touch to the festivities.
A standout event during this year’s Dinagyang was the DITO Todo Gaming, Sayawan & Kantahan. DITO subscribers enthusiastically participated in the dancing and singing competitions, showcasing their talents either individually or as part of a group. With a remarkable number of contestants delivering spirited performances, the competition not only added excitement to the event but also highlighted the talents within the DITO community. The ultimate champions for the competitions earned prestigious titles along with a total prize of Php 50,000.
“We are thrilled to be part of this year’s Dinagyang Festival. DITO is honored to enhance the overall enjoyment and connectivity. Facilitating such connections is at the core of DITO’s mission, as we strive to unite Filipinos through meaningful cultural celebrations like this one,” shared Evelyn Jimenez, Chief Commercial Officer at DITO.