EVRAA Meet opening in Ormoc City last Jan.31
LNU forges agreement on skills improvement
TACLOBAN CITY- The municipal government of San Miguel in Leyte recently signed a memorandum of agreement with the Leyte Normal University that aims to help improve employees of said local government unit in dealing with their clients. Mayor Cheeryl Enrica Esperas said that the agreement will surely help the employees to improve their skills in terms of human behavior in dealing with the public. “Dako gud it gamit hini nga MOA signing para an ngatanan nga mga empleyado han municipyo in mahibaro hin maupay nga pagtagad ngada han mga San Miguilnon nga makanhi ha municipyo or ano pa man it ira mga transaction dinhi ha LGU San Miguel,” Mayor Esperas added.
They are to teach customer relations, records management, financial management project, personality development and many others. Mayor Esperas said that those who will conduct the training are master teachers of the LNU who are doctorate holders. The town mayor appeals to the employees to avail the free skills training citing its benefits. Meantime, Mayor Esperas said that the improvement of the town water system will proceed as the needed funds of P12 million will be released. The water system project, located in Barangay Caray-caray, is funded under the Bottoms Up Budgetary of the Department of Interior and Local Government. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)
DILG monitors eight incomplete post-Yolanda rebuilding projects
TACLOBAN CITY– At least eight projects under the first batch of the Reconstruction Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) for Eastern Visayas is not yet complete nearly two years after the national government downloaded the budget to recipient local government units (LGUs).
Concerned LGUs are given until the end of this year to finish the construction of state-owned buildings, according to Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) Eastern Visayas Regional Director Pedro S. Noval, Jr. These projects are the town hall in Guiuan, Eastern Samar; public market in Tanauan, Leyte; civic center in Palo, Leyte; city hall extension and public market in Tacloban City and the city hall in Ormoc City.
“Based on our assessment, majority of these remaining sub-projects will be completed on or before the end of August 2016,” Noval said. “We’re extending technical assistance and regularly monitor the progress of implementation. Through this, the DILG can immediately provide technical assistance to address concerns,” he added.
The delay is attributed to the local government unit’s decision to strictly follow the Government Procurement Reform Act, which requires lengthy bidding and procurement processes.
“Very few opted to negotiate contract which is allowed in view of the fact that the President declared the state of national calamity,” Noval told PNA. Under RAY batch 1, the national government has poured P937 million funds for repair of 54 buildings owned by 61 town and city governments along supertyphoon Yolanda’s path in Eastern Visayas region. The second batch focuses on rebuilding of village facilities. RAY is the government’s strategic plan to guide the recovery and reconstruction of the economy, lives, and livelihoods in the affected areas. The objective of the plan is to restore the economic and social conditions of these areas at the very least to their pre-typhoon levels and to a higher level of disaster resilience. (SQM)
NMP up to a good start in 2016 with 247 trainees
TACLOBAN CITY- The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP), a government maritime training and research agency located at Brgy. Cabalawan, this city, accommodated as of January 15, 2016 a total of 247 maritime trainees who are either aspirants to become seafarers, active seafarers or maritime instructors and assessors. Out of the total, 204 (83%) took the basic courses such as basic training (BT), proficiency in survival craft and rescue boat other than fast rescue boats (PSCRB), basic training refresher (BTR), basic training updating (BTU) and safety training for boat captain and marine diesel mechanic. The remaining 43 (17%) enrolled in the ratings forming part of engineering watch (RFPEW), medical emergency first aid (MEFA) and training course for instructors (IMO Model Course 6.09) modules.
As of January 15, 165 (67%) have finished their trainings while the other 82 (33%) will finish on 22 January 2016. This is a well-grounded start for the agency since full-swing in training operations started last July 2015 only. It is expected that the number of enrollees will accelerate in the next few months with the opening of more Standards of Training, Certification & Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW) courses.
In the interim, NMP is addressing the observations raised by the Maritime Industry Authority (Marina) in connection with its application for accreditation of additional 5 courses namely: refresher training for PSCRB, refresher training for advanced firefighting (AFF), refresher training for personal survival technique (PST) and fire prevention and firefighting (FPFF), updating training for personal safety and social responsibility (PSSR) and general operator’s course for global maritime distress signal system (GOC for GMDSS).
In its effort to contribute in providing employment to Filipinos especially the seafarers, NMP continues to upgrade its facilities and provide quality maritime trainings required pursuant to the Standards of Training, Certification, and Watch keeping for Seafarers (STCW) Convention. The NMP encourages those interested to avail of its maritime training programs to visit the NMP Facebook page (facebook.com/nmptrainingcenter) and website www.nmp.gov.ph where all related information on NMP trainings are available. (PR)
Alfred, Cristina extend financial assistance to fire victims
TACLOBAN CITY- City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and wife, Councilor Cristina G. Romualdez, spearheaded the distribution of financial assistance to some 94 families whose houses were razed down during the New Year’s Eve fire incident at Barangay 56 in Pericohon district. About 68 house owners received P15,000 and 26 others got P10,000 as house sharers.
In his message with the fire survivors, Mayor Romualdez said the assistance extended could help them in rebuilding back what was lost from them because of the fire.
“With that, you can now start anew,” the city mayor said, referring to the financial assistance given by the city government to the families. “It is our moral obligation to extend and share our blessings to those who need it most,” Councilor Romualdez said in a separate statement. “Sharing used clothing, relief goods, probably things you no longer use can be a big help to our recovering brothers and sisters. We thank Taclobanons for being generous, for extending their helping hands,” she added.
The fire victims expressed their gratitude to both Mayor Romualdez and Councilor Romualdez for giving them assistance during their time of need. Pericohon fire victims were likewise visited by Senator Bongbong Marcos and Yedda, wife of Leyte 1st district congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez. A wayward firecracker was believed to have caused the fire. (Photos by: Chiqui Dolina / Gay B. Gaspay-TISAT)
Samar Gov. Tan: P800 million proposed loan to proceed
PINABACDAO, Samar- Governor Sharee Ann Tan said that the proposed P800 million would still be pursued saying that it intends to fund projects that would benefit the people of the province.
However, she admitted that she could not give any specific period when these projects could start, considering that the proposed loan is still under question. The P800 million proposed loan by the provincial government is being questioned by Board Member Alma Uy. Uy had earlier sought for a restraining order from a Catbalogan City-based regional trial court which later nullified it. But this decision of Judge Agerico Avila, presiding judge of Regional Trial Court Branch 29, is being questioned by Uy who filed a motion for reconsideration. Apart from this legal question, the provincial government is still waiting for the certification coming from the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas or Central Bank while the loan has yet to be realized, the governor said.
“But we will push through with it although we are thinking that it might be affected because of the election ban. Nevertheless, we can still proceed after the election,” Tan said.
The P800 million proposed loan, with the Land Bank of the Philippines identified as the financial institution where the loan would be secure, will be used to finance the building of a 200-bed capacity Samar Provincial Hospital and the construction of roads across the province. Gov. Tan said that she is particular in the building of a new provincial hospital saying this would help the people of the province as they would no longer go to Tacloban City for their medical needs. “We could help decongest Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center or other hospitals in Tacloban City of patients coming from Samar once we build our new provincial hospital,” Tan said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA with TITO ACBO)