TACLOBAN CITY- Farmers coming from different towns in Leyte are demanding for them be issued the certificate of land ownership (Cloa) saying without the said document, their security are also threatens.
“The absence of tenurial security has, unfortunately, excluded farmers and fisher folk from services for Yolanda survivors, thereby making the normalization process of affected survivors more difficult,” said Ruelie Rapsing, communications and development officer of Rights Network, a non-government organization that concerns on helping farmers and fishermen hit by Yolanda.

The group has pushed for land and shelter security for the landless victims, to include the full implementation of the government’s agrarian reform program. “My call is for the government to give me security on land ownership. I am afraid that one day soon I will be kicked out from the farm I’ve been tilling for years if they don’t give me the proof of ownership of the land they had longed awarded to me,” said Manuel Cayubit, 46, farmer and village leader in Sta. Rosa, Barugo, Leyte. Cayubit expressed anxiousness of losing his land and not getting long-term recovery support from the government if the Department of Agrarian Reform will not hand him his certificate of land ownership (Cloa) which, according to him, should have been given to him many years ago. Another farmer, Villamor Urena, 58, of Alangalang, also in Leyte, said that government should fast-track the distribution of their certificates, “so we can finally own our land and receive government support services.”

“Yet agrarian officials from municipality to provincial and up to regional office are just giving us the runaround of our request. They said our papers were washed out by Yolanda. Others just told us they cannot answer our inquiry because they are new to the job while others have already retired. All of them cannot give us concrete answer. This problem has to end,” added Urena. Proof of ownership is important so we can also pass this land to our children and to their children, Urena added. Last week, farmers staged a protest to demand for the release of the Cloas that they have been seeking for more than two decades now.
As of press time, Leyte Samar Daily Express tried but failed to get comment from DAR Regional Director Shiela Enciso on this issue. (RONALD O.REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- Member-consumers of the Leyte II Electric Company (Leyeco) II announces of an increase of the generation charge effective this month. Ma. Rosario Avestruz, general manager of Leyeco II, said that the increase for the generation charge will be at P1.31 per kilowatt hour. Counting with the new rate of the generation charges, the rate for residential consumers will now be pegged at P9.7223 per kilowatt hour, Avestruz said in a pres statement. The increase of the generation charge was due to the “abrupt adjustment implemented by the Wholesale Electricity Spot Market (WESM) for the August-September 2014 billing.” (JOEY A. GABIETA)

CALBAYOG CITY- In line with the 114th Philippine Civil Service Anniversary, the Civil Service Commission Region VIII conducted a congress celebrating the 2014 Outstanding Public Officials/Employees on September 26, 2014 at Palo Municipal Function Hall, Palo, Leyte. The congress converged heads of agencies, local chief executives, Sanggunian members, PRAISE committee members, human resource management officers and personnel in charge in rewards and recognition.  The event aimed to revisit the policies on rewards and recognition in the civil service and celebrate the exemplary performance of certain government officials and employees. Participants were from the provinces of Leyte, Eastern Samar, Northern Samar and Samar gathered at the Palo Municipal Function Hall and shared series of discussion on rewards and recognition. Highlight of the congress was the recognition rites for the semi-finalists to the 2014 Honor Awards Program in Eastern Visayas followed by the launch of the 2015 Search for the Outstanding Public Officials and Employees. An added attraction was the serenade of one of the semi-finalists of the 2014 Government Chorale Competition, the Calbayog City Chorale. Speakers of the congress were Director IV Victoria F. Esber, Director III Rowin P. Riños, Supvg. PS Sharon C. Fontanar and Cristy Joy Q. Macasil. (MARIANETTE Y.GOMEZ, Admin. Officer V/PIO Designate)

TACLOBAN CITY- Close to a year after their temporary shelter was destroyed by Supertyphoon Yolanda, 16 teenage boys living at the Social Development Center for Children could now feel safe and secure.
The one-building boys shelter located at Barangay Tagpuro, this city, was repaired by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) at a cost of P600,000 last July but was only finished early this month.
Last September 28, the building was officially turned over by the IOM officials to the City Social Welfare and Development Office, which runs the facility. “We are really grateful to them (IOM).Now, we can really sleep soundly and feel safe,” Brian Moreno, 16, one of the boys staying at the facility, said. Moreno, together with his brothers Raffy, 17, and Gerard, 15, have been staying at the said facility since 2011 after their parents got separated. The brothers chose to stay in the streets after their parents’ separation but were taken in to the facility after city social workers conducted a campaign on street children.

During the onslaught of Yolanda, their mother, Rosanna, 49, was killed whose body has yet to be retrieved up to this time. She was living in Barangay 89, San Jose District with her three other children who managed to survive. The facility’s roofs were blown away during the onslaught of Yolanda with its windows destroyed. The boys, however, were spared from experiencing storm surges as the facility is located in an elevated area and is about 14 kilometers north from the center of Tacloban, the ground zero of Yolanda. For a month after the November 8, 2013 supertyphoon, they have to feed themselves as no food assistance came their way as heap of debris were strewn all over going to the facility. “Sometimes we asked from other people and some of us have to walk to the city proper to ask for foods,” Moreno said. He was grateful that while they lost their mother, he and his two brothers survived, he added.

Melinda Sagdullas, center head, said that she could not express enough how grateful they are to the IOM.  “We really thought that the facility will not be repaired. That the boys will have to contend themselves living in the facility that is broken,” Sagdullas said. “Seeing it now, I am truly overwhelmed,” she added. Sagdullas is being helped with four other personnel in running the facility. The facility, founded in 2007 with an annual maintenance fund of P900, 000 from the city government, serves as a temporary shelter for street children where they are taught to do some household chores; basic skills training and send to school.

In the case of the Moreno brothers, Brian is now on his first high school at the nearby New Kawayan High School while his brothers Raffy and Gerard are now at Grade VI and IV respectively at the Tagpuro Elementary School. Romina Sta. Clara, IOM national gender focal person and protection manager, said they hope that with the repair of the boys’ center, this will serve as an inspiration for them to do good in life and in the future. “We are glad to be part of this undertaking where children are protected. We hope this will be a safe place for the boys,” Sta. Clara said. Present during the occasion were Bradley Mellicker, sub-office head, Malou See, executive assistant to the chief of mission office; Cindy Smith and Chelsea Lord from the IOM Washington office and David Atkinson from the US Embassy. (JOEY A. GABIETA)