• A proposed bill in Congress aims to relieve thousands of Eastern Visayas families by eliminating the requirement for OFWs to pay PhilHealth contributions. This could significantly ease financial burdens on migrant workers and their dependents.
• The Tacloban City Jail, built for 100 inmates, now holds over 500 persons deprived of liberty, creating severe congestion and cramped conditions nearly triple its intended capacity.
• In Tacloban CIty and nearby towns, high power bills strain households and businesses. Sen. Francis “Chiz” Escudero has filed a bill to remove the 12% VAT on electricity to ease this financial burden.
• The rescue and release of a green sea turtle in Tacloban this month highlights the need to protect marine wildlife using the vital San Juanico Strait corridor.
• A ₱4.48-billion Tacloban causeway project is stalled at 29% completion due to environmental protests, permit issues, and design setbacks. The DPWH is now preparing to rebid the remaining work pending full regulatory clearance.
• After a storm, downed power lines and damaged cell sites cut communication, isolating families and hindering rescue efforts. This remains Leyte’s top disaster challenge.
• Even before climate change became a global conference topic, the forests surrounding the Energy Development Corporation (EDC) had been performing critical, silent work: safeguarding water sources, providing habitat for wildlife, and sustaining local communities.
• A Samar province program, trading rice and cash for unregistered firearms, secured its first surrender in Daram on November 21. The initiative aims to improve public safety by addressing community needs.
• EVSU graduate students moved from classroom theory to real-world action, joining a mangrove-planting activity on December 27 in Barangay San Juan, Santa Rita, Samar. The fieldwork reshaped their understanding of environmental advocacy and community development.
• A warm, final interview with 96-year-old Bernardita “Bering” Benedicto-Valenzuela in October now feels precious. Just seven weeks later, journalists who shared snacks and stories with her are writing tributes.
Proposed PhilHealth Reform May Bring Financial Relief to OFW Families in Eastern Visayas 
Urban Farming Brings Hope to Tacloban City Jail 
Eastern Visayas Residents Cry for Relief as Escudero Backs VAT-Free Power 
Tacloban Waters Remain Vital Habitat for Protected Sea Turtles 
Why the Tacloban Causeway Remains Unfinished 
Breaking the Silence After Typhoons in Leyte 
EDC’s BINHI Project Brings Forests, Wildlife Back to Life in Leyte 
Island Town Trades Guns for Rice in Push to Protect Peace in Daram, Samar 
Where the Coast Became the Classroom 
“Whose Bread I Eat, His Song I’ll Sing” | The Final Song of Ma’am Bering