TACLOBAN CITY – The United Nation’s Children Fund (Unicef) and the World Health Organization vowed to help the Philippine government to   re-establish the national immunization program by rebuilding the cold chain infrastructure which was severely damaged by Supertyphoon Yolanda in November last year.
Unicef and WHO’s commitment is to make the cold chain infrastructure resilient by providing equipment that will be able to withstand future calamities.
As reported by the Department of Health, when Typhoon Yolanda hit, Leyte and Eastern Samar provinces were among the hardest hit areas, with Tacloban City bearing the brunt. Health care infrastructure was severely damaged; and cold chain equipment and vaccines were destroyed.
Cold chain is a system used for keeping and distributing vaccines in a condition that retains its ability to give protection against disease. The cold chain consists of a series of storage and transport links, which are all designed to keep the vaccine at the correct temperature until it reaches the user, namely children and mothers in need of immunization. With most of the cold chain in the typhoon-affected areas being destroyed, more than 1.8 million affected children are at risk of disease and death.
WHO already delivered 16 solar powered vaccine refrigerators to key points in Leyte to enable autonomous storage of vaccine stock replenishment from the Department of Health’s warehouses. WHO together with Unicef has also trained health workers to improve vaccine and cold chain management.
Unicef will assist 450 DOH health care facilities at different levels by providing them with earthquake and typhoon resistant cold chain equipment; including 5,000 temperature monitoring devices, 4,000 vaccine carriers, 800 cold boxes, 400 back-up generator systems, 150 ice-lined refrigerators, 50 solar-powered refrigerators and 200 Sure Chill freezers running on an innovative cooling technology, allowing them to operate for more than ten days without electricity.
Additionally, 16 walk-in cold rooms for vaccine storage will be constructed at the regional and provincial levels, supported by three million doses of measles-rubella and oral polio vaccines. Based on in-depth assessment of short term requirements for routine immunization in affected regions, the equipment donation is budgeted at US$8 million.
WHO Representative in the Philippines Julie Hall said the importance of building back better when ensuring that health infrastructure, which includes services, facilities, and equipment for the most vulnerable populations is present, as this is an essential step in guaranteeing healthy and capable communities.
In this regard, WHO, together with the Unicef and other partners recently turned over to the Tacloban City Health Office an immunization equipment. These agencies plan to establish the cold chain first in Tacloban; and then expand the program across the typhoon-affected area. (AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- This city and other areas affected by the supertyphoon Yolanda would continue to receive assistance from the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
This assurance was made by no less than the UNDP administrator, Helen Clark, during her visit to Tacloban on March 27 as she personally inspected some areas where the organization has a sponsored program.
“We will be here” Clark said.
Clark said that after the emergency recovery work, and as the government is working to the next stage, the UNDP is supporting the plan of authorities to get the livelihoods going on sustainable places.
The UNDP is behind, among others, various cash-for-work program in all Yolanda-hit areas, to include Tacloban considered to be the ground zero of Yolanda.
During her visit, Clark made a brief visit to different barangays in the city, particularly at Barangay 88 and at the San Jose Central School, both located at San Jose district, one of the hardest-hit areas of Tacloban where hundreds of lives were lost and properties damaged and destroyed due to the megastorm.
Clark met with Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez who showed her the office where all international humanitarian groups are to hold office.
The office is located at the Balyuan Building.
“The hub office is a very important sign that UNDP and OCHA (Office for Coordination on Humanitarian Affairs) will have coordinating roles and we want to support the authorities to be putting their plans and place in drawing the map,” she said.
Clark said that she was encouraged by the many on-going activities indicating that efforts to support people regain their income are producing results.
The UNDP, according to Clark, proposed for a 3-year program and activities, and with the support of Australia, UNDP will be sending two  technical experts to the mayor’s office to support the work that UNDP will be doing, “we will  be here” added Clark.
“I am impressed with what I have seen, I know how deep the scar in people’s heart; a lot of trauma to deal with; my heart goes with everybody. However there is this spirit coming through that Tacloban is going to live and is going to be vibrant and this is very important” Clark said. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Over 7,000 employment are up for grabs as the Department of Labor and Employment(DOLE) sponsors a mega jobs fair on April 2 at Guiuan town, Eastern Samar.
Labor Regional Director Exequiel Sarcauga said that the said jobs fair is to be participated by 19 overseas employment agencies and 15 local companies.
The holding of the jobs fair, to be held at the town hall’s grounds, is an initiative of the DOLE to address the unemployment problem as a result of the supertyphoon Yolanda.
Thousands of workers lost their jobs in Yolanda-hit areas as business owners shut down their operations.
“Since one of our functions is to facilitate employment opportunities, we are intensifying the conduct of jobs fairs,” Sarcauga said.
The DOLE has conducted several jobs fair like in the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc.
For the April 2 jobs fair, 7,460 job orders are available, both for local and overseas employments.
Sarcauga urges those who are out of jobs to attend the jobs fair and gain employment in the process.
Sarcauga called on the Public Employment Service Office (PESO) officers to encourage the mayors of the nearby towns to provide transportation for the job seekers and if possible provide lunch and snacks. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The regional office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) conducted a “walk-through” visit to this city’s biggest river to see its physical condition after the supertyphoon Yolanda. The visit to the Mangonbangon River by the EMB personnel was in light of the observance of the World Water Day earlier as said river was among the bodies of water in the region identified under its adopt-an-estero program. The walk through was also done to raise awareness on various water-related issues that may have come up after the onslaught of Yolanda. The river was among those heavily covered by debris from the devastation of the supertyphoon. The walk through also drew attention to the current efforts being done to revive Mangonbangon River  as well as major rivers and creeks in Eastern Visayas. Meanwhile, the EMB-8 also disclosed that other donor-partners under the adopt-an-estero program conducted clean up of their respective adopted water bodies to highlight the World Water Day celebration. In Isabel, Leyte, the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp.(PSAR)together with other companies and locators inside the Leyte Industrial Development Estate, led the clean- up of Cabangcoy Creek. Meanwhile, in Baybay City, the city government spearheaded a clean-up of the Pagbanganan River. A World Water Day program and symposium was also conducted to emphasize on the connection of water and energy which is this year’s international theme. Through the EMB’s adopt-an-estero/water body program, private company partners undertake environmental improvement on the waterway they have adopted. These include community mobilization, regular clean-up activities, dredging of the creek, trainings for concerned stakeholders as well as information and education campaigns. With the global theme, “Water and Energy,” and national theme, “Water is Power,” local and international organizers of WWD aim to raise awareness on water-energy related issues affecting millions of people all over the world. (AHLETTE C. REYES)