lass independent component city has a better financial standing than the six other cities in the region, based on their audited financial statements, Mayor Lucy Torres-Gomez said. Gomez attributed the city’s good performance to her husband, Rep. Richard Gomez, the former mayor, local government employees, and 110 village chiefs in the city. ‘This is a chance for us to pause, just for a short while, to look back and see how far we have come from last year. It is a time for us to check on our dreams and aspirations, to see what we have done so far to get to where we want to go,’ she said during her State of the City Address. Ormoc’s assets rose by 9.37 percent to PHP7.47 billion in 2022 from PHP6.83 billion in 2021, according to the annual report recently released by the Commission on Audit. The assets consist of PHP2.37 billion cash; PHP222.01 million receivables; PHP180.39 million inventories; PHP99.01 million prepayments and deferred charges; PHP8.51 million investment property; PHP4.58 billion properties, plant, and equipment; PHP3.36 million biological assets; and PHP3.41 million intangible assets. Next to Ormoc in terms of assets are Calbayog City in Samar with PHP5.71 billion; Baybay City in Leyte with PHP5.28 billion; Tacloban City with PHP4.72 billion; Maasin City in Southern Leyte with PHP4.09 billion; Borongan City in Eastern Samar with PHP3.03 billion; and Catbalogan City in Samar with PHP2.01 billion. ‘Our success today would not have been so, without the efficient, well-managed LGU that I took over from Mayor Richard. Indeed, it is easier to reach for the skies when standing on someone’s strong shoulders. His task was not easy, building from almost ground zero, but he fought bravely and was rewarded,’ she added. Ormoc City, the economic hub of the western part of Leyte, is known for Lake Danao, which supplies water to many parts of Leyte, including Tacloban City, and its sweet pineapple. The city is also known for its 232-megawatt geothermal power plant, the largest in the world under one roof. Its generated power benefits Leyte Island and parts of Luzon, the Visayas, and Mindanao. MANILA: The country has recorded a total of 151,375 cases of influenza-like Illness (ILI) from Jan. 1 to Oct. 13, the Department of Health (DOH) said Wednesday. In a message to reporters, the DOH said the tally translates to 45 percent increase compared to 104,613 ILI cases during the same period last year. The agency also reported that ILI cases have increased by 26 percent in the recent three to four weeks from Sept. 3 to 16 compared to reported cases two weeks prior. ‘Looking at historical data since 2009, case increases coincide with the onset of rainy and colder months. Hence, we are implementing strict monitoring of cases as we anticipate rise in cases in the coming months,’ the DOH said. It added the higher cases this year are observed in most diseases under surveillance, which could be attributed to the strengthened surveillance efforts for the other diseases, as the country shifts its focus from the coronavirus disease 2019. During a Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon briefing on Wednesday, infectious disease expert and Philippine College of Physicians president Rontgene Solante said the reason for the increase of ILI cases are influenza A and influenza B. ‘Most regions are experiencing this, iyong tinatawag natin na influenza-like illness – ubo, sakit ng katawan (what we call influenza-like illness – cough, body aches), sore throat and some of them may have fever,’ he said. ‘And this is brought about by reasons that medyo malamig na, medyo maraming days na tag-ulan and it’s also the same pattern of increase in the cases as we have last year at expected ito ‘no, for the past several years, talagang ganito ang nangyayari sa atin (it’s already cool, there are many rainy days and it’s also the same pattern of increase in the cases as we have last year and this is expected, for the past several years, this is what’s happening to us).’ Solante said increase in ILI cases starts in August until the early part of January. He advised individuals experiencing the symptoms to rest, take necessary medications and not to go to work or school to protect other people from being infected.
Source: Philippines News Agency