TACLOBAN CITY- A group composed of Yolanda victims have asked President Aquino to sack Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman over the alleged P580 million rotting rice fiasco.
Firing Soliman from her post is justifiable considering that the sacks of rice found at the Subic Freeport that was supposed to be distributed to Yolanda victims were already declared as unfit for human consumption, said Efleda Bautista, vice president of the People Surge.
According to Bautista, the sacks of rice valued at P580 million was supposed to be distributed to the victims of typhoon Pablo but for some reason did not reach to the victims.
“The fact that P580 million worth of rice meant for Typhoon Pablo victims in December 2012 rotted in the Subic Freeport cries out a case of criminal negligence,” Bautista, in a press statement, said.
According to Bautista, the sacks of rice were to be distributed for the victims of Yolanda but were declared as no longer fit for human consumption.
“Two groups of typhoon survivors were victimized over this wasted rice, donated by the customs bureau from confiscated illegal shipments in 2012 because of the irresponsibility of the DSWD to which it was entrusted,” she added.
Bautista questioned why the DSWD had not been thoroughly investigated, particularly Sec. Soliman.
“Sec. Dinky Soliman should resign or be removed from office after being shown to be unfit by this incident as well as the dismal performance of her department in general in the two major calamities of Pablo and Yolanda,” she said.
According to Bautista, firing Soliman “would be too easy for the Aquino government without addressing the lack of relief and rehabilitation efforts.”
Thousands of storm victims trooped to Malacanang last February to submit their petition for Aquino to speed up delivery of relief goods, rehabilitation and a demand for P40,000 financial assistance which the President ignored. (RONALD REYES)

GUIUAN, Eastern Samar- Two hundred motor engines and another three hundred fishing boats were distributed recently by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to fishermen coming from different towns of this province.
About 143 cash for work fishermen-beneficiaries were also given financial assistance amounting to P1, 500 each.
The distribution of the fishing facilities is under the Ahon!Sampung Libong Bangka para sa Dalawampung Libong Pamilya is a project of BFAR which aim to provide 10,000 fishing boats or bancas in three months to help rebuild the livelihood of some 20,000 fishermen hit by Yolanda.
In Eastern Visayas, BFAR-8 reported that out of the projected 19,000 fishermen hit by Yolanda, 5,000 of them would be given assistance.
The BFAR-8 reported that 1,864 fishing boats were either repaired or replaced for fishermen from the 11 municipalities of Eastern Samar.
For Guiuan,880 units were distributed; 284 in Salcedo;135 in Quinapondan;130 for Lawaan;114 for Giporlos;106 for Llorente;89 for Gen. Mcarthur;79 for Hernani and other fishermen from other municipalities of the province.
Also, at least 119 boat engines have been replaced and functional fishing boats were tallied at 482 for fishermen of this town, considered to have the highest number of fishermen affected by the massive typhoon.
And under the cash-for-work program of BFAR, 156 fishermen availed such program receiving P1, 500 each of them. Also, fishing gears were distributed to 60 fishermen while seaweed culture inputs were provided to 369 beneficiaries.
DA-8 Regional Director Bernadette San Juan and BFAR-8 Regional Director Juan Albaladejo were on hand to distribute the fishing boats, engines and cash assistance together with other agricultural inputs given to the agriculture sector.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala was present to announce the projects and rehabilitation being conducted by the Department of Agriculture for farmers and fishermen and the whole agriculture sector affected by Typhoon Yolanda. (AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- Families now temporarily living at the destroyed fish port building of the city would be given priority for transfer at the bunkhouses.
This was vowed by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala during his February 28 visit to Tacloban, adding that he would talk with Public Works and Highways Sec. Rogelio Singson on this matter.
Alcala said that the 80 families now living at the said facility should be moved out to the bunk houses so that they could easily plan its immediate repair of the damages it sustained during the supertyphoon Yolanda more than three months ago.
The Tacloban fish port complex, located at Barangay 37, was constructed at P44.3 million and was considered as a finished project four days before Yolanda pummeled the city on November 8, 2013.
It was learned from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources National Director Asis Perez that the said facility was to be turned over to the city government by the Philippine Fishery Development Authority (PFDA) with dredging and scouring works remain unfinished at that time.
But the dredging machine, owned by the Department of Public Works and Highways, was washed away to the San Jose district during the typhoon.
“Hopefully we can resettle the families affected by Yolanda so that in the next three to four months, we can do the necessary repairs and use the fish port eventually” said Perez.
At present, the old fish port at the Old Road-Magallanes area is being utilized, he added. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY-Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) Secretary Panfilo Lacson revealed that he has implemented a bottom-up approach to hasten the recovery of areas devastated by the supertyphoon Yolanda.
This after the post-disaster needs assessment(PDNA)being undertaken by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) has yet to be finished, the former senator who was in the city last February 26 said.
“We cannot do any rehabilitation while the Office of Civil Defense and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council cannot formulate the final PDNA for this will be the basis for the over-all rehabilitation plan” said Lacson.
But considering that the PDNA is still being conducted by the various teams created by the OCD, he had decided to do the bottom-up approach by talking with the local officials themselves to submit their own rehabilitation plans.
The PDNA is expected to be finished by the end of this month. The result would then be submitted to Lacson for his consideration.
Lacson revealed that there were already mayors, for example, in Leyte who submitted their rehabilitation plans.
Lacson particularly mentioned the mayor of Tanauan, Pelagio Tecson, to be among the first local chief executive to submit the document.
He also called on the chief executives to formulate their own land use plans to be flexible and not to be confined on no build zone saying that the 40 meters from the shore limit is not applicable to all areas. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)