Sen. Drilon, who is
the current president of the Liberal Party said that the party which
one of the oldest political parties in the country, will have its
annual meeting on November 26, 2007 during which, Senator Roxas will
be surely elected as the new President of the party and will be
formally proclaimed as the party’s presidential candidate for the 2010
elections.
Drilon who was in town
to keynote the first Government Accountants’ Forum and to attend the
45th Anniversary of the Philippine Institute of Certified Public
Accountants (PICPA) Tacloban Chapter held at the Kanhuraw Convention
Center, said that the country needs a strong party and so the move is
to revitalize the Liberal Party and with Sen. Mar Roxas as the
standard bearer, the Liberal Party will present a solid good
governance platform.
Senator Roxas is the
unanimous choice of the party, there are no other candidates for
President from the party, Drilon said. He however could not say who
the running mate of Senator Roxas will be. The party will decide on
that in the near future, Drilon who reliable sources say will run
again as Senator in the 2010 election, intimated.
Drilon said that he
foresees a three or four cornered fight in the coming Presidential
elections. He however declined to name the names of the would-be
candidates. Again reliable sources informed that very soon, the
Nacionalista Party which is also one of the oldest parties in the
country will have its convention in the near future and will proclaim
Senate President Manny Villar as its standard bearer in the
forthcoming 2010 presidential elections.
The Liberal Party, as
a political party will present a solid platform based on good
governance, the former Senate President declared saying that the
problem today is that there is too much distrust and doubt in the
government. The Liberal Party will therefore present a strong platform
that will endeavor to win the confidence and trust in the government.
For the government to
be truly effective, it needs the trust and confidence of the people,
Drilon added. It would be recalled that the former Senate President
who was once a political ally of the Administration, joined the call
for the current President to resign amid the Garci scandal.
Asked if the party
will be supported by former President Estrada on the presidential bid
of Senator Roxas who is the scion of a family of politicians and one
of the richest clans in the country, former Senate President Drilon
refused to give categorical answer.
He however, lamented
that most of the political parties in the country today, are
personality based and not on principles as when the country has only
two political parties.
Asked if it is
rather early to start the presidential campaign, Drilon said
that whether we like it or not, the would be presidential
candidate should start by this time, otherwise, the people will not be
given the chance to really know the candidate and the presidential
candidate will not have the chance to really go around the country to
present his platform.
Continuous heavy
rains cause damages to several roads and bridges in Region 8
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November
19, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The Regional Disaster Coordinating Council and the Department of
Public Works and Highways provided a situational report on the roads
and bridges which have been affected by the continuous heavy rains in
Region 8.
In the province of
Biliran, all road sections are passable to traffic. No damages were
noted except for washed out surfacing materials and clogged-up
waterways.
No damages were
reported in the province of Leyte except for the washed out surfacing
materials and clogged up waterways in Leyte II.
In Tacloban City,
however, although all roads and bridges are passable to traffic,
damaged grouted riprap due to flooding has been observed along
Maharlika Highway, KM 903+000 at the Nulatula section, while grouted
riprap and surfacing materials washed out along Tigbao-Pulak-Sta. Fe
section has also been reported. The total estimated cost or repair was
placed at P10 million.
In Samar II, roadways
were flooded due to clogged up ditches and cross drainages, but all
roads are passable to traffic. Declogging of ditches and drainages are
now being undertaken.
Eastern Samar appears
to be mostly affected by the heavy rains because of the landslide
which occurred in the evening of November 13 along the junction of the
Buenavista-Lawaan-Marabut Road, KM 995+400 in Barangay Sto. Nino,
Quinapondan, Eastern Samar.
The landslide caused
the total closure to traffic of the said national road. Vehicles bound
for Eastern Samar were directed to take the Wright-Taft-Borongan Road.
Warning signs were installed and the DPWH maintenance team undertook
emergency removal of debris. On Nov. 14, half lane of the affected
road portion was opened to traffic. Estimated cost of the damage was
placed at P850,000.
Also in East Samar,
along Wright-Taft-Borongan Road, San Julian Road Section, KM 924+721,
the DPWH reported damaged slope protection at Bugas Bridge approach
with estimated cost of damage placed at P500,000. Said section,
however, is passable to all types of vehicles. The DPWH engineering
district in Borongan reported that installation of warning signs were
already undertaken.
In the second district
of Northern Samar, the mainland road network are all passable to
traffic. No occurrence of overflowing or landslides were reported
except for the observed scouring that has started at the bridges
approaches due to increasing flood water in the Bantayan and Dale
rivers in San Roque, Northern Samar. The DPWH said that the condition
of the two rivers is now closely monitored for possible inundation due
to strong currents and increasing water levels.
All roads and bridges
within the Northern Samar first district are passable to traffic.
Meanwhile, the Region
continuous to experience rains. The Office of Civil Defense reported
that a low pressure area was spotted at 80 kms of Northern Mindanao
and the difused tail end of a cold front affecting the Bicol Region,
will bring cloudy skies with scattered rainshowers and thunderstorms
beaming widespread rains over the Eastern sections of Visayas and
Mindanao.
Moderate to strong
winds blowing from the Northeast will prevail over northern and
eastern Luzon and Eastern Visayas and the coastal waters along these
areas will be moderate to rough.
Leyte 5th district
solon’s car heavily damaged in the Batasan blast
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November
16, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The Toyota Fortuner vehicle of Congresswoman Carmen Loreto-Cari of
the Fifth District of Leyte, was heavily damaged during the Batasan
explosion on Tuesday November 13. In a phone patch with the good
Congresswoman, it was learned that her car is right next to the
motorcycle which allegedly carried the bomb that blasted the south
wing entrance of the Batasan Complex on Tuesday night.
Congresswoman Cari
said that she was at the legislators lounge exchanging pleasantries
with some of the lady solons when she learned that the session was
already adjourned.
The Lady Solon had to
go back to the session hall to get her bag. She was already halfway in
the hallway when the explosion was heard. Together with her staff,
Congresswoman Cari ran back to the session hall.
It has been her policy
that when she is ready to leave, her secretary calls her driver to
immediately go near the South Wing entrance so that the congresswoman
will not have to stand and wait for so long.
That evening, right
after the secretary called him, the driver immediate parked the
Fortuner near the entrance. However, because Congresswoman was delayed
because she had to go back to the Session Hall for her bag, the driver
left the car as he couldn’t endure the call of nature anymore.
The driver did not
bother to go to the comfort room anymore as it was too far, so he just
went farther to relieve himself. Just then he heard an explosion. In
fact his hand was wounded because of splinters.
Congresswoman Cari
said she shivers every time she thinks that had she not been delayed
for only about one or two minutes, she and her staff could have been
among the victims of the explosion.
Although her car is
already beyond repair, Congresswoman Cari is still thankful to God for
sparing her life.
"Perhaps God still has
many assignments for me to accomplish," the Lady Solon said. There are
still many things she wants to accomplish for her constituents, she
said.
Earlier, the Lady
Solon mentioned to her staff and her friends that it was Tuesday the
13th, the day of St. Anthony de Padua, whose feast day is 13th and
whose day is Tuesday. The Lady Solon is a devotee of St. Anthony de
Padua in Pomponan back in her hometown in Baybay, Leyte. She said she
usually offers mass there because it is known to be miraculous.
Congresswoman Cari
believes St. Anthony de Padua spared her and her staff from the blast.
With her car totally
wrecked, she had to call her house to send in another car for them to
ride on. It was only at midnight when she called the office of the
Speaker informing that the wrecked car was hers and requested that the
security guard keep watch of the vehicle.
Congresswoman Cari
said that she offered Mass Wednesday morning for the blast victims and
for sparing her and her staff’s lives.
Congresswoman Cari
thanked those who called and showed concern for her and for the other
members of the House of Representatives. She said that she immediately
called her sister, PAGCOR Vice President and former Congresswoman
Remedios L. Petilla to inform her about what happened.
Jobs Fair yields
hundred new jobs
By SAMMY CANDIDO (PIA Eastern
Samar)
November 16,
2007
BORONGAN CITY, Eastern
Samar – In line with the celebration of 42nd Founding anniversary of
the Province of Eastern Samar, the Provincial Government of Eastern
Samar sponsored a “Jobs Fair” on November 6-8, 2007 which fast tracked
the meeting of job seekers and employers/overseas recruitment agencies
in only one venue at a specific date.
Here, job seekers and
employers met and agencies processed and prepared the documents needed
by the applicants. Specifically National Statistics Office (NSO)
served 13 clients for marriage contract and 104 clients for Birth
Certificates, while 88 clients were served by National Bureau of
Investigation (NBI) for new and renewal of NBI clearance; 81 clients
were served by Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) for new and renewal
of passport.
Two private recruiting
agencies participated in the fair. The Mothers Way Manpower Special
Overseas Agency recruited 59 clients and Pacific Herenian
International Manpower Agency recruited 72 clients from different Jobs
List during the three-day Jobs Fair.
Upon the completion
other requirements, the jobs seekers will undergo rigid six months
training, after that they will take TESDA Assessment Test. Once they
pass the test, the recruitment agency will finally decide. Applicants
were required to bring their bio-data, one 2x2 picture, certificate of
employment, diploma/transcript of records and authenticated birth
certificate.
Other agencies which
participated in the fair were: DOLE, TESDA and POEA.
The Jobs Fair recently
conducted was the 4th one already since 2004, where a total of 11 Jobs
Fair were held in the municipalities of Dolores, Guiuan, Salcedo and
Borongan.
The fair opened to
all unemployed, skilled and unskilled workers, fresh college
graduates, graduates of training institutions, displaced workers and
employees seeking advancement, where they selected vacancies suited to
their qualifications, also employers interviewed and hired on the spot
the qualified workers.
Contaminated water
source seen as culprit in Gamay diarrhea outbreak
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November
14, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The Gamay diarrhea outbreak in Gamay,
Northern Samar
could be due to contaminated water source. This is the report of the
DOH- RDCC-OCD Team which was formed and was dispatched to provide
technical assistance and to conduct epidemiological investigation on
November 11, 2007 via chopper from the Philippine Airforce Tactical
Operation 8.
The team composed of
Director Tiogenes Baluma of DOH Region 8, Dr. Nicolas Bautista who is
the Regional Epidemiologist, Nurse Boyd Cerro who is the Epidemiology
Nurse, Engr. Alejandro Rivera who is the Supervising Sanitary Engineer
and OCD Director Salvador Estudillo coordinated with the NDCC for the
transport of the needed medical supplies and manpower to Gamay.
The findings of the
Team showed that there were 147 (used to be 154 but Director Baluma
said that several names were entered twice) diarrhea cases who
consulted the Gamay District Hospital from October 22 to November 11.
Eighty cases were admitted, from ages one month to 78 years old.
Most of the affected
age group are the one to four years old; one case died and most of the
cases came from Barangay Burabod. One hundred twenty one of the cases
drank water fro the Burabod water source.
Director Baluma said
that the water source from Barangay Burabod was from a developed
spring. Four jetmatic pumps were connected to the improved spring and
were located outside the perimeter of the improved spring.
The report stated that
several months before the epidemic, the barangay officials decided to
construct a water reservoir which was again attached to the improved
spring. This was operationalized on October 17. Water from the spring,
without chlorination, was pumped into the reservoir, every 7:00
o’clock in the morning and at 5:00 o’clock in the afternoon, and
distributed to the barangay through communal faucets.
In between, the water
pump was turned off. People living near the source claimed that they
utilized the water from the reservoir only for washing and bathing and
only water from the four jetmatic pumps were used for drinking.
However, houses far from the source were utilizing water for drinking
from the reservoir.
A spring adjacent to
the water source was also improved and was utilized by the residents
for laundering of clothes. It was noted that the people washing their
dirty clothes were also pouring their dirty water into the spring.
The report added that
based on key informants interview, residents claimed that the level of
the nearby spring used for laundering goes down when the electric pump
was used.
In the report, the
Team observed that the symptoms of the diarrhea outbreak were
cholera-like in character. The outbreak could be due to the
contamination of the water source. The use of an electric pump to pull
out water to the newly constructed reservoir created a negative
pressure inside the spring sources thereby suctioning water from the
nearby springs used for laundering thereby contaminating the improved
spring.
The presence of septic
tanks from the houses less than 15 meters away from the water source
can also be a factor for the contamination of the source, the report
said.
Personal hygiene and
home chlorination was emphasized until a system in chlorinating the
water for drinking is in place, the Team recommended.
The actions taken,
according to the Team’s report to Health Secretary Duque, are
provision of medicines, IV fluids and medical supplies to the hospital
and Rural Health Units of Gamay and Lapinig; provision of technical
assistance in the consultation and conduct of epidemiological
investigation; provision of chlorines for home chlorination (stock
solution); augmentation of medical manpower to the hospital; advisory
for local sanitary inspectors on how to improve water system; conduct
of water sampling and coordination with OCD and other agencies.
On November 9, Dr.
Mary Ann Avalon, the Provincial Health Officer of Northern Samar
reported to the Region of 100 diarrheal cases of whom 60 were admitted
at the Gamay District Hospital. Most of the cases came from 8
barangays of the municipality. Along with the report was the request
for augmentation of manpower to the hospital and fluids and medicines
to meet the increase demand of services.
A DOH- Provincial
Health Team Physician was immediately requested to proceed to Gamay on
November 10, 2007. Medicines and IV Fluids were immediately procured.
PGMA order release
of additional P1,000 election honorarium for teachers
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
November
14, 2007
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– Greek philosopher Aristotle once said that in the arena of human
life, the honors and rewards fall to those who show their good
qualities in action.
Another favorite
quotation goes, "we will receive not what we idly wish for but what we
justly earn. Our rewards will always be in exact proportion to our
service."
Thus, for ensuring
free, fair and fast selection of the grassroots leaders through their
vigor and vigilance, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo ordered the
Budget Secretary to release an additional one thousand pesos (P1,000)
to all teacher who served in the recently concluded synchronized
barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan elections.
The augmentation the
President has just ordered, will bring to a total of two thousand five
hundred the total remuneration the teachers will receive for the last
elections.
The President said
that the teachers selflessly displayed vigor and vigilance so that all
Filipinos can exercise their rights of suffrage. The President
believed that the industry and commitment of the teachers who served
during the last elections must not go unappreciated.
The President said
that this financial initiative to the teachers is extended to them by
a grateful government not just for the services beyond the call of
duty in the last elections but also for the sacrifices they continue
to endure in molding the minds of the Filipino youth.
Although the 2007
budget only authorized P1,500 maximum honorarium for the teachers who
will serve in the barangay elections, the President, however, pursuant
to powers vested on her have ordered the corresponding adjustments to
be sourced from savings made possible by the prudent utilization of
the country’s fiscal surplus.
So that delays and
miscommunications will be avoided, the President has also instructed
the Department of Budget and Management and the Department of
Education to coordinate with COMELEC to review policies pertaining to
the release of pay for teachers performing election duties.
The Presidents move is
but a manifestation that she realizes exemplary work and commitment of
the government workers who are partners in the ordering of society and
in the attainment of good governance, and who more often than not
serve more than what they are paid for.
Gastro intestinal
epidemic strikes in Gamay, Northern Samar
By Maj. OTHELO D. YAÑEZ, (FA) PA
November
12, 2007
CAMP LUKBAN,
Catbalogan City – During President Gloria Macapagal-Aroyo’s visit in
Region 8 last November 9, 2007 to attend the Eastern Samar 42nd
Founding Anniversary in Borongan City and the Peace Summit of Region 8
in Tacloban City, an unofficial report reached her regarding the
outbreak of epidemic on gastro intestinal disorder associated with
vomiting and severe LBM in Gamay municipality, Northern Samar. A
small town of 25,000 people and 26 barangays is situated around100 kms
southeast of Catarman, the capital of the said province.
According to the
report, hundreds of victims were rushed to the 25 bed capacity
hospital of said municipality with only one doctor.
The President
immediately instructed Presidential Adviser for Eastern Visayas Victor
Domingo to provide all the necessary medical assistance at the
earliest possible time.
Early morning of the
following day, Presidential Adviser Domingo, Mayor Timoteo Capuquian
of Gamay, Northern Samar with Major General Armando L Cunanan,
Commanding General, 8ID, PA, and medical teams under Major Teodoro
Montes aboard two (2) UH-1H helicopter proceeded to the municipality
of Gamay to conduct the immediate medical response per PGMA’s
instruction.
It was learned that a
total of 138 persons were reportedly suffering from the disease.
Eighty-eight (88) persons of which were recorded treated at Gamay
District Hospital in the said province while others opted to stay home
for local medications. One victim identified as Emma Celis, 42 years
old, residing at Barangay Baybay of said town died at the emergency
room of the hospital earlier on the day due to severe dehydration. The
victims were reported to have experienced severe stomach pain and lose
bowel movement accompanied by vomiting.
Accordingly, the
residents of the said Poblacion has a common source of water at a
nearby spring previously reported to have been contaminated while the
others get their source of water from deep wells.
The group of DOH
personnel in Region 8 headed by the Regional Director Dr. Teogenes
Baluma brought with them volume of medicines and reinforced the
medical teams in the hospital.
As of press time, the
number of in-patient victims declines to 74 while 8ID medical teams
are still at the area to provide continuous medical attention and
assistance to the victims.
Mayor Timoteo
Capuquian of said town expresses his heartfelt thanks and gratitude
for the immediate medical attention extended by the government through
the Presidential Assistance for Eastern Visayas and the 8th Infantry
Division, Philippine Army.
