TACLOBAN CITY – After staying close to a year, members of the South Korean Joint Support Group, which are conducting humanitarian missions, are to leave Leyte by December of this year. This was revealed by the mission’s chief of public relations, Major Kwon Doo Young, who added that much as they want to stay longer in Leyte, worst hit by supertyphoon Yolanda, they could not do so unless there is an order from their national government.

However, Young, speaking through his interpreter Corporal Sungho Park, said that during their almost a year stint in Leyte, they were able to so far repair 45 public buildings that were destroyed by Yolanda.
He added that the Korean government allocated P1.25 billion for the group to undertake their humanitarian mission. The Korean group, also known as the Araw contingent, conducted their mission in the towns of Palo, Tanauan and Tolosa, among the areas in Leyte that suffered much devastation due to Yolanda, world’s strongest typhoon to make landfall.

The group rehabilitated school buildings, senior citizens buildings, police stations, fire stations, day centers, post office and hospitals found in the three towns. The contingent also repaired two public structures in Tacloban City, Yolanda’s ground zero, Manlurip Elementary School and the building at the Bulwagan ng Katarungan (Justice Building) which they considered as their special projects.

 The Korean group also conducted heavy equipment training course to the residents of Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa and Tanauan. Kwon also said that they will also open this month a training school for farm equipment/machinery operation in Palo. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY –The P345.46 million foreign-funded Pinipisakan Irrigation Project (PIP) in Northern Samar has been suspended citing inaccessibility problem that hampered the delivery of construction materials. As of mid-August 2014, five contract packages have not yet started while eight segments posted a negative slippage ranging from negative 16% to 71%.
The overall accomplishment is pegged at 8.29% in the construction of 22.5 kilometers main canal that would supply irrigation to about 2,000 hectares of rice farms in the towns of Las Navas and Catubig in Northern Samar. In a report to the Regional Project Monitoring Committee (RPMC), the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) said that other contracts have been affected by negative slippage of other contract packages.

“We cannot force contractors to fast track the project although we have been telling them to make catch up plans, but we understand that it’s hard to access the area because of the terrain and it’s been raining there,” said PIP project engineer Cesar Echano. Suspended are two contracts worth P56.73 million for preparatory works for canal and construction of service road. The government awarded the contract on November 2013 and scheduled for completion May of this year.

Another suspended project is the P25.73 million for canal preparatory works and service road repair up for implementation between November 2013 to May 2014. A similar project scheduled from June 2013 to January 2014 amounting to P37.03 million was also put on hold. reason is that other projects could not proceed because of the delay of other contract packages. It’s like a domino effect,” Echano said.
Two projects have not yet started since the site is not accessible. These are the P11.98 million Hinaga siphonic box culvert and P34.89 million Hinaga Bridge. The RPMC will meet with NIA officials, 12 contractors, and local government units in Northern Samar next month to discuss catch up plans. “We have already raised the alarm in our level so that this problem will not have implications to other foreign-funded projects,” said RPMC chairman and NEDA regional director Bonifacio Uy. Launched in 2012, the PIP is funded by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation. The project covers some segments of the unfinished project of the long-delayed Help for Catubig Agricultural Advancement Project (HCAAP).

For both HCAAP and PIP, the government has already spent P2.48 billion, according to RPMC report. its recent monitoring visit, RPMC members concluded that inaccessibility of the project site impedes the other contract to start the project. projects under these contracts are access roads, which with their completion will hasten the construction of other packages,” the report members noted that that there has been no significant activity in site. Filling, clearing and grubbing has started, but has been suspended due to breakdown of equipments. By Sarwell Q. Meniano

TACLOBAN CITY-“We too wanted to see the Pope!” Thus said some 250 families displaced by supertyphoon Yolanda now temporary taking shelters in bunk houses in Palo, Leyte. The families are asking Catholic Church officials to intervene on their behalf amid reports that they would be relocated to other areas by the municipal government before the arrival of Pope Francis to Leyte next year.

According to the victims, who most of them have lost family members and loved ones during the disaster, they will be moved away from their present bunk houses in the Government Center Area in Barangay Candahug to another resettlement areas in upland villages because the site is said to be used for a vigil during the Pope’s visit. Delia Coritana, 45, who lost her husband and a child, said she felt being deprived of an opportunity to see the Pope in person if the plan will push through either on October or November. “We were informed that this area will be cleaned. We are hurt; we feel like we are being thrown away. We feel that they are ashamed of us. Please help us,” Coritana said in an interview. Reports said that the families would be sheltered in Barangay Tacuranga where several bunk houses remain unused up to this time since these were constructed by the national government. Coritana said that once the Holy Father leaves Leyte after his visit, they would be asked to return again to their bunk houses.

Jose Aldeza, another survivor, said he is opposing the plan because the bunk houses in the village of Tacuranga, about 7 kilometers away from their present location, will bring further inconvenience to them.
“We are requesting that if they are going to proceed with the plan, we hope that they can wait until Christmas vacation so that the schooling of our children will not be stopped,” he said. “We are saddened by the news. We are asking for help that the plan will not happen,” said Ronalyn Sabala, 34, shelter leader in the area. Although Sabala said that they are left with no choice if the plan will be implemented, she is also appealing to Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla that their impending transfer will be deferred until classes will take a break on December this year.

According to Sabala, they were not told exactly when they would be asked to move out from their present temporary shelters. “If we will be transferred next month or by November, what would happen to our children who are still in school? The travel time and cost of transportation will be an additional burden to us,” Sabala said. Sabala said that they are having a signature campaign for their petition to the mayor, hoping that their move “will soften her heart and that she will listen to our plea.” Sabala added that that are also willing to transfer if the new area where they will be brought into is already ready for permanent housing. The survivors said that they would transfer to the new site if it would mean permanent shelter for them. (RONALD O.REYES)

ORMOC CITY- The U.S. government and the provincial government of Leyte hosted two conferences on September 22 to 24 to improve service delivery and build climate change resilience. More than 180 participants from Leyte province water districts and small-scale water service providers (WSPs) attended the events organized by U.S. Embassy Manila’s United States Agency for International Development (USAID), through its Water Security for Resilient Economic Growth and Stability (Be Secure) Project. Be Secure aims to increase access to sustainable water supply and wastewater treatment services and strengthen climate resilience in six focal areas including Leyte Province.

The three-day conference entitled “Accelerating Water Security and Climate Resiliency among Small Water Service Providers in Leyte Province” addressed challenges that small-scale WSPs face during natural disasters. Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan), one of the strongest typhoons ever recorded in history, caused massive devastation to Leyte province including to its water systems and other infrastructure. Deborah Bertulfo, Board member of the 4th district of Leyte, and Ms. Dani Newcomb, USAID/Philippines’ Water and Adaptation Team Leader delivered key messages during the opening session of the day’s events.

“Water is vital for sustainable development. Water service providers must be able to deliver water reliably and to look for innovative ways to make water systems more resilient,” Ms. Bertulfo said. During the conference, WSPs from the province learned strategies to enhance their water supply systems. The conference facilitated peer-to-peer knowledge exchange and coordination among small WSPs. Conference experts represented various Philippine government agencies including the Department of the Interior and Local Government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, National Water Resources Board, and other organizations such as the National Water and Sanitation Association of the Philippines and the Philippine Business for Social Progress. USAID also organized the two-day “Understanding Climate Change and Its Projected Impacts on Water Resources and Water Utilities” conference which highlighted the urgency for water service providers to take action on climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction.

In her presentation, USAID Be Secure’s Climate Resiliency Team Leader Bebet Gozun stated that, “Recent strong typhoons like Yolanda, Sendong and Ondoy highlight the vulnerability of the water sector to the impacts of natural disasters. We continue to encourage government and private sector partners to take urgent adaptation measures to reduce vulnerability and build resiliency to ensure sustainable water supply.”
Both conferences culminated with participants developing action plans that will serve as the basis for further support and engagement.

The USAID Be Secure Project addresses interrelated issues to facilitate access to improved drinking water supplies. In close coordination with the Philippine government, USAID/Philippines promotes good governance and builds capacity in water security to promote improved access to water services and more resilient communities. This contributes to the US-Philippines’ Partnership for Growth goal of achieving more inclusive and resilient growth for all Filipinos. (PR)