Early on, confirmed
reports of the province being isolated was already established after
the bridge in the major highway of McArthur town collapsed as a result
of heavy flooding in the area. Also the northern route, passing
through Taft-Wright was submerged in deep waters notwithstanding the
rockslides along Taft-Wright boundary.
In order to mitigate
the ill-effect of the flood, Evardone sought the ideas and suggestions
of the PDCC members, alongside the relief operations which are on
going in every municipality.
Firstly, in attendance
to the meeting was a team from the Philippine Airforce that came to
clear the runway of Borongan airport in preparation for the landing of
the C-130 which will be bringing in more relief goods from the
National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC).
Secondly, Mayor Ewit
Villacarillo suggested that the assistance of the military must be
sought so that an aerial survey can be done for the government to
determine exactly the most appropriate intervention which must be done
soon, while Mrs. Eleanor Alido, DTI Provincial Director mentioned of
their mandate to gasoline station operators not to sell their products
in big volumes and that, some good volumes must be reserved as well
for LGU relief and evacuation operations.
But the National Food
Authority (NFA) expressed anxiety over the difficult transportation.
NFA officer, Placido Salazar said there are hundreds of NFA rice which
are ready for transport to the province but the damaged highways
hamper the shipment. With this, Governor Evardone planned to seek the
services of the Philippine Navy to bring over the much needed rice to
the province. He also advised NFA to distribute the rice
proportionately to the municipalities particularly those which were
seriously affected by the recent calamity.
Meanwhile today, the
team of Governor Evardone is heading towards the northern towns and
barangays in order to distribute relief goods to the families in still
flooded areas.
Because of the flood,
the rice granary of Dolores is now a brownish ocean with already
useless vegetation as Villacarillo put it, while small farmers worry
over their loans which they promised to pay this coming harvest
season. The week-long of successive heavy rains rendered an
estimated P100M damage in infrastructure, P30M in agriculture and P12M
in high-valued crops and vegetables.
Evardone reported
that Her Excellency President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and NDCC Chair
Gilbert Teodoro are coming soon to see for themselves the extent of
damage of the heavy rainfall.
Gandara LGU seeks
assistance for 5,138 affected families due to floods
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA Samar)
February
20, 2008
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– The local government unit of Gandara, Samar is seeking the
assistance of other government agencies and well meaning organizations
for their flood stricken constituents.
In a telephone
interview by PIA, Municipal Social Welfare and Development Officer (MSWDO)
Lydia Badiola said that the earlier reported families affected has
risen to 5,138 from 580. As to number of barangays affected, whereas
before there were only 11 barangays affected now there are 41
barangays (total is 69).
A total of 25, 496
persons have now been recorded as affected by the continuous rains.
On Monday, February
18, the Maharlika Highway (Gandara strip) was impassable because of
the flooded road network from Barangay Sapinit of San Jorge to
Barangay Ngoso in Gandara, added Badiola.
In fact, she said
Mayor Antonieto Cabueños himself personally attended to the needs of
the stranded passengers.
On the same day,
prompted by the need, the Sangguniang Bayan of Gandara has declared
the municipality in a state of calamity pursuant to a resolution
sponsored by Hon. Jorge Ramirez SB Resolution 09-08 as presided by
Vice Mayor Eufemo Oliva, in a special session.
While it is true that
the LGU is seeking assistance, it is also on its own, preparing to
distribute relief goods, said Badiola.
They have gathered
some 50 bags of NFA rice, 15 boxes of sardines, and 30 boxes of
instant noodles to be given to the affected Gandara folks.
Just this January,
some 3,846 barangay folks availed of PGMA’s Pamaskong Handog
containing almost the same goods as what will be distributed by Mayor
Cabueños.
Heavy rains cause
flooding, isolation, lack of fuel in Eastern Samar
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
February 20,
2008
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– If the road network in Buray-Taft Road and the Makabot Bridge
approach in Gen. MacArthur is not repaired immediately, Borongan City
will be running out of supply of diesel, gasoline and other fuel.
This writer
experienced the same when the jeepney she was on tried three gasoline
stations in Borongan City before proceeding to its route to Gen.
Macarthur.
Public Utility Jeepney
(PUJ) Lucille Blue had to try Petron and Shell both in Borongan City
only to be told, “no more diesel” it ended up in Caltex with the fuel.
The gasoline boy said that their supply would just last a day,
considering the requirement.
The tanker supposed to
deliver the needed fuel supply had been sorely missed for some time
because of the damages in the road network.
The Buray-Taft road
remains impassable because of a collapsed pavement in San Isidro,
Paranas and floodings in the highway of Taft Barangays parallel to the
Taft-Bagacay River. Adding to the damaged roads and floods are the
numerous land and rockslides that render some roads impassable.
Meanwhile, in the
South coastal road (leading to
Tacloban
City),
roadslips have also been observed. In Barangay Loro, Giporlos where a
massive landslide covered the highway, Mayor Mateo Biong has
reportedly sent his men to clear the debris with the LGU’s heavy
equipment. The writer personally witnessed the clearing activity being
done by the pay loader.
Other areas are not as
concerned as Giporlos.
Operators of PUJs and
PUBs are concerned that if the gas stations in
Eastern Samar
don’t get their regular supply of fuel, their operation would stop and
the riding public will suffer.
Residents of Gen.
MacArthur hold on to the promise of one Engr. Padit who reportedly
promised them immediate repair of the
Makabot Bridge
approach.
The rains and bad
weather would also be considered, a passenger sighed.
Samar is wallowing in
floodwaters
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
February 19,
2008
CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar
– Continuous heavy rains have submerged some areas in
Samar with floodwaters.
In Catbalogan City,
the government offices building which are situated near a creek have
been flooded during the weekend. The government offices building
ground floor houses the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR), Technical
Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) and the Philippine
Information Agency (PIA). These offices have experienced flooding
inside their offices.
In Gandara, Municipal
Social Welfare and Development (MSWDO) Lydia Badiola reported that
flood assistance is the immediate need of the families affected by
flood which is estimated to number 500 to 1,740 persons. These flood
victims are residents of Barangays Minda, Dumaloong, Tagnao, Catorse
de Agosto, Bunagan, Casab ahan, Nacube, San Pelayo, Concepcion,
Tambongan and Ngoso. She added that the flood victims needed food
assistance.
She also cited that
some carline barangays are not passable due to floodwaters.
In the other
direction, from Catbalogan to Tacloban, floodwaters in Pinabacdao
caused delay in travel.
The Buray-Taft road
has also suffered from landslides. In Barangay San Isidro, Paranas,
the whole road pavement has collapsed prompting smaller vehicles to
reroute in the road shoulders.
The rerouting caused
tension when the unidentified owner of the land immediately fenced off
his property to stop motor vehicles from passing in his land. Big
buses bound for Tacloban have suspended their operation for the
meantime.
The crew of MIA bus
line (Borongan-Tacloban via Taft-Wright) said that their trips are
temporarily cancelled due to the surging floodwaters in Taft barangays
adjacent to Taft River which caused the roads to be impassable.
In Borongan, buses
bound for Manila take the Borongan-Basey route; but news from the bus
company said that the approach to Vigan, Gen MacArthur Bridge has been
washed out.
Flood victims are
calling on the proper authorities for any assistance.
DENR inks MOA to
co-manage Basey forests
By PURIFICACION S. DALOOS
February
19, 2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The forest lands of Basey, Samar shall now be jointly co-managed by
the local government of Basey and the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources (DENR).
The joint undertaking
was recently sealed by the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement
between the DENR represented by Regional Executive Director Alfredo S.
Pascual and Mayor Wilfredo O. Estorninos of Basey,
Samar.
Covering 15,000
hectares of forest land within 12 villages of Basey town, the
co-management agreement recognizes that these forest lands and the
resources within are critical to the ecological balance of the
watershed, agricultural areas, coastal communities and the sustainable
development of the town. The 12 villages identified are Mabini,
Inuntan, Guirang, Del Pilar, Loog,
Basiao, San Fernando, Catadman, Sugponon, Palaypay, Cambayan, Tiangoan
and Capungturan
Island.
Sustainable Forest
Management (SFM) and Conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity
resources in the context of sustainable development shall be the
development framework of the agreement. It shall likewise be guided by
the Forest Land Use Plan (FLUP) which was drawn up in coordination
with the Samar Island Biodiversity Project of the DENR and
subsequently approved for adoption by the Sangguniang Bayan of Basey.
In implementing the
MOA, the participation of various sectors of society, groups or
individuals and stakeholders is encouraged particularly in the
protection, development, conservation and sustainable use of the
identified forest lands and its resources.
RED Alfredo Pascual
reveals that a similar co-management program was successfully
implemented in Region 2. “Starting today the management of the forests
includes LGUs and other stakeholders,” RED Pascual said in his short
message during the MOA signing held at the Basey Municipal Gymnasium.
“From hereon, the DENR will strongly consider the vital role of the
LGUs in its program implemenation,” Pascual added.
RED Pascual also said
that the stand of DENR Secretary Lito Atienza is to help the LGUs as
partners of the Department. “The people here know better what programs
will be implemented to suit their needs,” said RED Pascual.
Among others, the DENR
agreed with the LGU of Basey to simplify requirements and streamline
harvesting, permitting and transporting for timber/wood and
non-timber, non-wood forestland resources. It shall also assist the
LGU in identifying other sources of funds for financial assistance to
implement the over P32 million budget under the 5-year investment plan
set forth in the FLUP.
For its part, the LGU
shall identify areas within the 15,000 forestland that would be
delineated as protection forests and production forests. With the
assistance of the DENR, the LGU agrees to protect from destructive
human activities the 15,000 hectares and the adjoining forest
ecosystems within its administrative jurisdiction.
Basey Mayor Wilfredo
Estorninos gave his assurance that the joint undertaking will succeed
“as we are serious in implementing the co-management scheme.”
“I hope you enjoy
the fruits of what we did here today,” RED Pascual said during the MOA
signing ceremonies held on February 8, 2008 in Basey town.
San Jorge LGU enrolls
in PopShop
By NINFA B. QUIRANTE (PIA
Samar)
February 19,
2008
CATBALOGAN CITY, Leyte
– Concerned with cases of maternal deaths and ballooning population
growth, San Jorge LGU enrolled in PopShop, recently.
Through the invitation
of the Municipal Health Officer (MHO) of Motiong LGU Dr. Shiela Tante,
RHU San Jorge led by Salvador Paquit Rural Health OIC enrolled in the
program.
PopShop Franchise is
designed to meet the contraceptive product needs of the community. It
offers and provides DKT products, operational training, material and
promotional support, and management and technical assistance to the
Franchisees.
Its purpose is to
present local government units and non-government organizations with a
viable and immediate option to procure and distribute contraceptive
products. It has a cost-recovery mechanism built into the Franchise,
which is designed to ensure sustainable operations.
PopShop franchisees
provide access to high-quality and affordable reproductive health
products, information and services to improve the quality of life of
Filipinos. According to Marissa Dizon, nurse at San Jorge RHU, it is
only San Jorge and Motiong in Samar that enrolled in PopShop.
From the website, it
was known that Eastern Samar province linked with PopShop for the
services and products.
Bohol and Ifugao are also listed as network partners.
It will be recalled
that the donor agencies for family planning may at any time withdraw
contraceptive support to the health units in the country and the
government it seems is not keen on sustaining the need for artificial
methods of family planning.
In Samar, a few local
chief executives have signified compliance to reproductive health and
the Contraceptive Self-Reliance (CSR).
Although Samar shows a
relatively low growth rate, Popcom Officer Emil Rama said
out-migration is a factor considered so the figure does not
necessarily mean that
Samar women practice family planning.
LGU San Jorge,
Motiong and Pinabacdao are just some of the LGUs that have given
priority to reproductive health and even family planning.
Continuous heavy rains
taking toll on Eastern Visayas
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
February
17, 2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The continuous rains in
Eastern Visayas brought about by the Low Pressure Area northeast of
Northern Mindanao has
started to bring about flooding and minor landslides in some parts of
the Region.
On February 15,
reports coming from the Philippine Information Agency in Eastern Samar
and confirmed by the Office of Civil Defense Region 8, stated that
some 70 students, five teachers and parent were stranded since the
evening of February 14, in an upstream barangay of San Jose, Borongan
City, after the wooden bridge connecting the barangay to the mainland
collapsed as a result of the continuous heavy rains in the area.
The same report stated
that the school held its Juniors-Seniors Prom in the evening of
February 14.
The Office of Civil
Defense reported that the stranded people have already been rescued.
The Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council of Eastern Samar met noon
of Friday and observed that some flooding and minor landslides in
several municipalities.
A minor landslide was
noted in the municipality of San Julian while in Barangay Naparaan in
Salcedo town, a landslide rendered one portion of the road unpassable
to commuters. The crew from the Department of Public Highways Borongan
District Office immediately cleared the debris.
Flooding in several
areas of Northern Samar was also reported by the Office of Civil
Defense. Some portions of the roads were also reported to have been
damaged because of the rains.
In the Province of
Leyte, the Office of Civil Defense said it has already received
reports of flooding in the municipalities of Palo, Tanauan and Dagami.
The same report said that in the evening of February 14, the people at
Barangay Sta. Elena has to be evacuated because of the rising flood
waters.
The Regional
Disaster Coordinating Council reiterated its call for all the barangay,
municipal and provincial disaster coordinating councils to continue to
be vigilant, to continuously monitor their areas so that they can
immediately evacuate the constituents in the flood-prone areas. They
are also requested to report to the RDCC any damage or occurrences of
disasters in their respective areas so they could be attended to
immediately.
Manage your money,
financial adviser tells workers, students in Calbayog
By GINA
SUELLO-SORILO
February
17, 2008
CALBAYOG CITY, Samar
– Money earned from sweat may only be used to buy or spent for needs
and our wants may be acquired only with investment income.
Financial adviser and
founder of Colayco Foundation for Education had this remark during the
LGU-initiated Financial Management Seminar dubbed “Pera Palaguin” at
the TTMIST Socio-Cultural Center on Feb. 12.
Speaking before city
officials and employees, DepEd Supervisors and principals, TTMIST
administrators and students, CKC teachers and students and private
firms’ representatives, Colayco stressed the importance of investment.
“Investing is a
mindset of abundance. I-apply natin sa buhay ang 80-20 rule. ’Yung
kinikita natin sa pawis, let us live within 80 percent of that…yung 20
percent ibabayad natin sa sarili natin. ’Yan an gating capital
pagpalago. Yung perang panggastos sa luho dapat nanggagaling sa perang
kinita na ng pera. Ang nagiging problema kasi sa atin hindi natin
ma-distinguish ano ’yung pangangailangan, ano’yung luho,” he said.
Colayco further said
it is our obligation not an option to build capital over our lifetime
for the simple reason that the country’s economy is market-driven and
only 10 percent of the world’s governments are central governments.
“Yung ibang central governments ang gobyerno ang bahala sa populasyon.”
He also noted that
very few of us save and the few who save, they save to spend adding
that their advocacy in the Colayco Foundation is to “keep what you
earn and do more with what you keep.”
Colayco Foundation is
an organization dedicated to the promotion of financial literacy among
the working class, the average income earner, Overseas Filipino
Workers and students.
Aside from Colayco,
other officials from the foundation who attended the seminar were
Aristotle Cala and its Executive Director Armand Bengco.
It was the first time
that Colayco was invited by an LGU to a seminar and for his part he
was very impressed about mayor Mel Sarmiento’s outlook. He said the
mayor is very creative, forward looking and has concern for his
constituents. “Kasi why would he invite me to talk,” he added.
Human Resource
Management Officer-in-Charge Asner Dean, the focal person of the
activity said the seminar’s aim is to raise the awareness of the
employees on how to manage their available personal resources.
Colayco’s bestseller
books Wealth Within Your Reach, Pera Mo Palaguin Mo; Making Your Money
Work, Pera Mo Palaguin Mo! 2; Money For Kids, and Pera Palaguin
Workbook were distributed in the seminar.
In an interview
shortly after the book signing which capped the activity, Colayco told
reporters that private and government employees have to do something
themselves because there is no company that can guarantee all their
requirements. He urged them to invest in addition to those things that
their company or their government is giving them.
“If you don’t know how
to manage your money, earning more will not solve your problem,” he
finally said.
Leyte legislators pass
landmark environment code legislation
By Philippine Information Agency (PIA 8)
February
17, 2008
TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte
– The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the province of Leyte made an
unprecedented move, in fact it made history, by passing a landmark
legislation, the Environment Code of the Province of Leyte.
As the author, Board
Member Carlo P. Loreto said, "Time is of the essence when it comes to
protecting our environment. Though
Leyte has a
bounty of natural resources, the struggle for economic growth
threatens to imperil the very source of the province's development.
Thus, it is imperative that we reconcile the urgent need for
prosperity with the shared duty to protect and advance the right of
the people to a balanced ecology, in accordance with the rhythm and
harmony of nature."
