TANAUAN, Leyte-For teacher Priscilla Mesias, it is still “business as usual” despite of the bad condition of her “classroom” at the Santo Nino Elementary School on this Yolanda-hit town. Her classroom is actually a makeshift with its tarpaulin roof now torn and shredded due to its exposure to rain and heat for past months now. “While obviously our makeshift classroom is not really an ideal environment, I have to start my classes. I will fix the roof myself using the tarpaulin that I used in our house,” Mesias said. Mesias,a Grade Four teacher whose been teaching for the past 22 years now, said that she will ask a carpenter she hired to repair her house, damaged by Yolanda, to fix her makeshift classroom occupied by her 32 students. School principal Marlon Tangpuz said that all the school’s 20 classrooms were destroyed during the onslaught of Yolanda, with the schools more than 500 students occupying five makeshift classrooms and three tents donated by the United Nations for the meantime. “Several groups visited our school promising to donate classrooms but up to this time, all these promises remain to be promises. Hope they will really make good of their promise,” Tangpuz said. Among the groups was JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency) which plan to construct eight classrooms. The construction is expected to start within the month per information he received from the group, the school principal said. This is the same school that was visited by world-famous soccer player David Beckham on February 14, 2013 sponsored by the Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund). Four of the school’s students died during the typhoon. Students occupying in tents or makeshifts was a common scenario in other areas hit by Yolanda. At the San Jose Elementary School in San Jose District, Tacloban, the more than 2,100 students who have so far enrolled at the said school, have to contend in makeshifts as their classrooms. All the school’s 90 classrooms were destroyed or damaged because of the typhoon, said its principal Monina Gabrino. The school is now using 28 makeshift or temporary learning spaces. For teacher Lerma Dado, who handles Grade II, said that she is “excited” to come back to school to see her students. “And so far, they appeared not be traumatized by the typhoon. They participate in our class discussions,” she said, referring to her 32 students who have so far enrolled. Students are expected to enroll even up to the end of the month. Lorna Abadilla, 30, said that she transferred her son, Charles Alfred, to San Jose Elementary School from his previous school at the Fisherman’s Elementary School which was completely washed out due to the typhoon. “It was his decision to study in other school. I think, he still has a trauma as his teacher, Silvino Silvano, even died during the Yolanda,” the mother said. The Fisherman’s Elementary School is located in Barangay 88, Costa Brava, also in San Jose which is considered to be the hardest-hit area in Tacloban with more than 1,200 casualties. The San Jose Elementary School is located in Barangay 89, also in San Jose and one of the biggest public schools in Tacloban in terms of population. Before Yolanda, its student population was more than 4,200. About 123 students were confirmed to have died due to Yolanda. At the Carmen Elementary School in Hernani, one of the hardest-hit towns in Eastern Samar, principal Edmundo Guro said that his 164 students are to contend in makeshift classrooms. He said that the school had previously seven classrooms but when Yolanda struck, only three managed to withstand the onslaught although their roofs were blown away. “We have to put tarpaulins as temporary roof to these classrooms to protect our students from rain and heat,” Guro, reached on the phone, said. Meantime, 147 families remain at the 20 schoolrooms of the San Fernando Central School (SFCS) in Tacloban as the city government has yet to relocate them. Rosario Aurea, 58, said that they are just “too willing” to transfer if only they can be assured of a temporary shelter. “The classes started already and we don’t like to be a disturbance,” she said. “We are already tired of living in a classroom. I think, we deserve a better living condition compare to here as we don’t have any privacy at all,” Aurea said. On their own, she said, they could not transfer as they don’t have a means to do so. SFCS principal Imelda Gayas said that while she understand the plight of the evacuees, she also want them to leave the school. “We could have used the school rooms that they are presently occupying,” she said. Their presence, she said, could also pose some “hazards” to the students as some of them openly conduct their drinking spree. The school had 67 classrooms, with 29 of them totally destroyed. (ROEL T.AMAZONA/RYAN GABRIEL ARCENAS)

TACLOBAN CITY- The impending visit of Pope Francis to Leyte will be a “blessing” and ‘will help the people bring their lives” after what they have suffered from the Supertyphoon Yolanda. Thus said the spokesperson of the Palo Archdiocese, Father Amadeo Alvero, on the Holy Father’s visit January of next year. “We are very happy to know that our Pope is planning to come to visit us. He is our spiritual father. We need him in our side in this time of pain of the great devastation brought about by Yolanda,” Alvero said. “His presence will be of great help in bringing our life back and hope back, and rising after the tragedy. We will indeed be blessed with the visit of the Pope. With his visit it means Christ visits us too. Because he is the Vicar of Christ,” the spokesperson of the Palo Archdiocese added. It will be the first ever that Leyte and the Eastern Visayas composed of more than one million Catholics will be visited by a Pope. “He really wants to come here to be with us, to comfort us, to console us and give us hope,”Alvero said. Earlier, Francis personally announced that he will be visiting the country January of next year and expressed his desire to come to Leyte, which is still reeling the aftermath of Yolanda close to seven months ago. The seat of Catholicism in Eastern Visayas is in Palo town where the archbishop, John Du, resides, and the cathedral is located. Du had earlier announced that the Pope had expressed his desire to see Leyte and Tacloban after it was devastated by Yolanda with about 70 churches within the archdiocese were damaged or destroyed by Yolanda. The cathedral itself, known officially as Metropolitan Cathedral of Transfiguration of our Lord, sustained damages particularly its main roof that was blown away during the disaster on November 8, 2013. Alvero said that planning regarding the visit of the Pope to Leyte will be held. For storm victim Rosario la Torre, the visit of Francis is something that she would not miss seeing. “He is a Holy Father and while it will be hard for me to get near to him due to security reason the thousands of people who also like to get near him, knowing him that he is in our midst is something,” the 43 year old mother of eight children said. “His coming will surely be a blessing to us and I know will somehow help us ease our sufferings,” she said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Over 300 South Korean soldiers are to arrive in Leyte before the end of this month as similar number of soldiers assigned here for their government’s humanitarian response due to supertyphoon Yolanda are to return back to their country. This was revealed by Colonel ChulWon Lee, commander of the South Korean contingent dubbed as “Araw Forces Joint Support Group,” in a press conference on May 30, 2014. According to Lee, of the 300 members of their contingent, 13% of them will remain being officials of the echelon. The new batch of the Korean humanitarian contingent will arrive on June 28 as they will also focus on the rebuilding and rehabilitation of public schools and offices and also help repair the damages houses owned by Filipino veterans of the Korean War. “I hope that they will be received by the locals with the same response they did to the first batch,” said Lee, referring to the incoming members of their contingents. Lee said that the six month period stay of their members is enough as they also miss their loved ones back home, among other reasons. The South Korean military forces arrived in the region January, 2014. They set up their camp at the Government Center, Barangay Candahug in Palo, Leyte. And during their stay in Leyte for more than six months now, they helped repair 15 public schools in Palo, Tanauan and Tolosa and the Leyte Provincial Hospital, Lee said. Aside from doing the repair of damaged public buildings, the Korean group also conducted medical missions in areas hit by Yolanda. Lee said that while Tacloban, considered to be the ground zero of Yolanda, is not part of their original area of assignment, they also join in the barangayan conducted by the city government and sometimes lend some of its equipment if there is a request. The areas where the Korean contingent conducts their humanitarian effort are mentioned under an agreement signed by the Philippine and Korean governments. Lee said that they are considering of expanding their areas to include the town of Dulag, another Yolanda-hit town in Leyte. Aside from helping in the rehabilitation of public buildings like schools, fire station, health centers, the Korean group also offers on training on heavy equipment operation and conduct language lessons. (ROEL T.AMAZONA)

PALO, Leyte – Dionisio Montajes, Jr., 21, is to leave his hometown of Merida in Leyte next month to work abroad with a promise to help his mother and two younger siblings of a good future. “I promised my mother to help her and my younger sisters. And working abroad will just be the beginning of that promise to them,” Montajes said. Montajes dream to work abroad came into a reality after he was accepted by a company based in Saudi Arabia, months before he finished his senior high school at Merida Vocational High School. He is assured of a P25, 000 monthly salary, more than enough to provide the needs of her family and send her younger sisters to school. His father, Dionisio, Sr. died on May 20 and was buried a day before he accepted his diploma and credentials as a license automotive mechanic. On March 30, Montajes joined 99 others in a graduation rites held at the municipal hall of this town. “My father died because of illness on May 20 and we just buried him yesterday (May 29). I will assume the responsibility of sending my two younger sisters to school,” said Montajes, whose mother, Normita, 39, broke into tears during the commencement exercise. Montajes family now lives in his grandmother’s house in Macario village, Merida town, after Yolanda totally destroyed their house. Students from model schools of Palo National High School in Palo town and Merida Vocational School in Merida were the last batch of senior high school who graduated this academic year in 33 model schools nationwide. Department of Education Secretary Armin Luistro commended the students for their resilience and the courage to continue their education even if they lost their loved ones and houses during the storm. “You are battered, but not defeated. You are proof that Filipinos are stronger than the supertyphoon. I encourage you to use your skills to rebuild Leyte,” Luistro told graduates during the graduation rites held at the Palo town hall on May 30. The program blended academic and vocational skills of students that would make them prepared for employment, after 12 years of basic education. “This is a different graduation since students are more matured than high school graduates. They did not just receive high school diploma, but also a national certification from TESDA (Technical Education and Skills Development Authority),” Luistro said. The first 100 enhanced basic education graduates in Leyte will be employed by Andok’s Litson Corporation, Accudata, MAC Builders, Inc., Toyota Tacloban, Kia Motors Ormoc, Automedic, and a firm in Saudi Arabia. Of all the graduates, only 10 will proceed college education. Graduates received national certification II for commercial cooking, housekeeping, food and beverages services, computer hardware and servicing, welding, pipefitting, automotive servicing, driving, and motorcycle and engine servicing. Nationwide, there are about 4,000 to 5,000 graduates of K to 12, representing the model batch in all regions nationwide. Leyte held the last graduation rites for senior high school nationwide as storm impact disrupted classes. “There are many challenges in the piloting of the program, but we are improving it. The curriculum is being developed by different government agencies and employer’s group,” The DepEd began the enhanced basic education program by launching universal kindergarten in school year 2011-2012, followed by a new curriculum for Grade 7 in school year 2012-2013. School year 2016-2017 will mark the formal implementation of the Grade 11 curriculum, to be followed by the Grade 12 curriculum in school year 2017-2018. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

Pasig City – The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) today (May 27, 2014) recognizes nine local government units (LGUs) for being champions of innovations in local economic development during the Leader’s Forum on Growing Local Economies at the Marco Polo Hotel. The forum is an activity under the Local Government Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED), a collaborative program between the governments of Canada and the Philippines, through the DILG. DILG Undersecretary Austere Panadero, representing Secretary Mar Roxas, identified the nine LED champions as Pangasinan, Bohol, Zamboanga del Norte, Metro Naga, Metro Iloilo, Guimaras, Leyte, South Cotabato and Sultan Kudarat. Panadero said these provinces were able to attract investments, create jobs and increase tourism arrivals within a period of three years through the LGSP-LED program. “We are grateful to our development partners like the Canadian government because through their interventions, we are able to provide LGUs with much-needed financial and technical assistance to enhance their potentials into becoming business-friendly and competitive entities,” he said. “It is always fitting to recognize the vital roles and good practices of LGUs as potent partners of the national government in achieving sustainable economic development in the country, and I am glad that this forum provides for that purpose”, he added. Another highlight of the forum is the launching of the new batch of LGSP-LED projects for implementation in the provinces of Albay, Aklan, Antique, Cebu, Davao del Norte, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Negros Oriental, Palawan, Siquijor, and Sorsogon. All these projects will focus on tourism development. The event also serves as a venue for leaders to interact with fellow stakeholders, as well as to strengthen and create new partnerships, and share their knowledge, good practices and models on local economic development. Canadian Ambassador Neil Reeder, local chief executives and development partners are expected to attend the occasion and tackle information on investments attraction and promotion, and public-private partnerships, among others. Through the LGSP-LED program, the DILG provides technical advices and trainings to selected LGUs on how to engage local private sectors in enhancing local tourism industries and creating tourism programs to attract more investors and increase job opportunities. From 2011 to 2013, LGSP-LED LGUs have attracted almost P6 billion in investments and created over 2200 new jobs in different regions in the country. (PR)