Farmers to benefit rehabilitation plan for Yolanda- Alcala

TACLOBAN CITY- Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala said that P167.9 billion rehabilitation master plan for areas hit by supertyphoon Yolanda will have huge impact on their department’s assistance for farmers and fishermen. The Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) aims to build back better the resettlement, infrastructure, livelihood, and social services in 171 cities and municipalities ravaged by the powerful typhoon. According to Alcala, about P5 billion will be allotted to the Department of Agriculture and an additional P500 million for the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), an attached agency of the department. Alcala was in Tacloban City last November 4 to spearhead in the distribution of farm implements of the UMA-AHON initiative in the region coinciding with the first year anniversary of Yolanda. The Secretary handed over the implements which included tractors to mayors from Leyte and Samar. He lauded the farmers who are now in their second time of harvest through the efforts of the DA with the assistance of the Food and Agriculture Organization. However, Alcala emphasized that farmers should not rely on assistance alone but to establish their own seed banks to ensure the steady supply of certified seeds. In an earlier statement PARR secretary Panfilo Lacson said that plans, programs and activities (PPA) are projected to generate the recovery of the 171 affected cities and municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions known as the “Yolanda corridor” based on the principle of build back better by focusing on long-term, sustainable efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen capacities of communities to cope with future eventualities. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Relatives of those who perished during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda earlier buried in a mass grave in Basper paid their respects in a proposed memorial garden inside a private cemetery during the All Saints and All Souls Days observance.

There are 2,273 corpses buried inside the proposed memorial park at Holy Cross Cemetery in Barngay Tigbao. Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez led in the planting of crosses last November 1. The white crosses, placed on top of the plots, marks as a place where families, relatives and friends who lost their loved ones to Yolanda on Nov.8, 2013 could go to and offer their prayers, flowers and candles. City Assistant Administrator and City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office designated head Idelbrando Bernadas said that the processed bodies at the mass grave site were placed in body bags and arranged side by side with a 1 ft. distance from one body to the other.

We lay to rest our brothers and sisters, as we commemorate its 1st year anniversary this Nov. 8, 2014 at Barangay Tigbao Holy Cross Memorial cemetery, a solemn memorial services will be offered for all departed souls. Let’s be in one to remember them, Mayor Alfred said in an interview, we put them to rest, the departed souls victimized by super typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan). To highlight the Nov.8 commemorative event, memorial services offering includes a high mass officiated by Palo Archbishop John Du, concelebrated by the parish priest of 13 Tacloban parishes, blessing of the mass grave, candle lighting and offering of flowers.

Tacloban City Councilor and chair for Haiyan first anniversary commemoratiion, Councilor Cristina G. Romualdez, on the other hand, during the 1st Commemorative Anniversary Press Conference held Nov. 4, 2014 at K Patisserie Tacloban stressed the importance of unity, prayers and love among fellow Taclobanon “magkaisa tayo magdasal para sa ating mga kapatid na namatay nung kasagsagan ng Yolanda” (we pray as one for our brothers and sisters who passed away at the time when Yolanda lambasted our city), she said. International, national and Taclobanons will be one in remembering physically & spiritually those who parted unexpectedly brought by Yolanda.

In expressing their Thanksgiving to all those who helped Tacloban, our province the region and the entire country, a composed song by Mark D. entitled “Dear World” sang by Kuh Ledesma & daughter Isabella will be internationally launched come Nov. 8 through You Tube. It’s our way of thanking the whole wide world through music for the care and love they shared during the times of our trials, the lady councillor said.
In paying respect to those who passed away during Yolanda’s wrath, Mayor Alfred will be joined his wife Councilor Cristina G. Romualdez, Leyte 1st district Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and wife Yedda Romualdez, the Department heads, city employees, International Non-Government Organizations (INGOs), Non-Government Organizations (NGOs) and Socio-civic organizations.

The first year Yolanda commemorative event on Nov. 8 will kick off with a Yolanda Commemorative Walk led by the city government of Tacloban, at exactly 7:30am. Sirens, horns of cars & automobiles and ringing of church bells will be heard. Participants of the commemorative walk will stop and offer a prayers for all those who died of the storm and thank GOD for all those who extended helped Tacloban rise up again.
The Memorial services follows at the Tacloban Holy Cross Memorial cemetery at Barangay Basper, then INGOs, NGOS and socio-civic organizations exhibit at the City hall grounds, video showing on “Tacloban-before, during, after Yolanda” at the City Hall lobby and the candle light memorial ceremony in major city streets by One Tacloban and many more.
Let’s be in one in remembering our loved ones in prayers, the father of the city said. (GAY GASPAY)

U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines Philip S. Goldberg visited Guiuan, Eastern Samar on October 20 to break ground on a PhP9.5 billion (US $214 million) U.S.-funded road rehabilitation project. “New and improved roadways not only aid the recovery efforts after Typhoon Yolanda, but they promote long-term economic growth. The United States government is proud to support such projects,” said Ambassador Goldberg. Ambassador Goldberg led the official groundbreaking ceremony for the 77.51-kilometer roadway running from Llorente to Guiuan. The road is part of the Secondary National Roads Development Project (SNRDP) funded by the U.S. government’s Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC) and implemented through the Millennium Challenge Account-Philippines. The PhP $19.4 billion (USD $434 million) MCC grant to the Philippines supports three poverty-reduction projects including a road project, a community-driven development project and a tax-revenue generation and anti-corruption project. SNRDP traverses 14 municipalities and one city, from Paranas, Samar to Guiuan, Eastern Samar. As of October 2014, about 42% of the physical road works for the SNRDP projects were completed, including its first contract which rehabilitated 16 kilometers in the municipality of Paranas. The rehabilitation works in Guiuan are estimated to be completed by April 2016. “As we did last November, the United States stands with the Philippines in the resolve to re-build,” said Ambassador Goldberg. “Upon completion of these projects, we hope to improve the lives of Filipinos and promote sustainable, broad-based growth.” (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- Even the youth could help curb problem on climate change. This was the message imparted by popular actor Dingdong Dantes, who is a commissioner of the National Youth Commission.
Dantes joined a climate change walk in Catbalogan City last November 3 with thousands of students joining him. “Even the youth, on their own way, can help address our problem on climate change. That is why, the National Youth Commission is supportive of this climate change walk,” the actor said. As a commissioner of the NYC, Dantes said that he has been joining several activities related to campaign against climate change. The actor said that he is also encouraging the youth of the country to observe and practice the 50 ways to cut green gas emissions. The emissions of green gas are being attributed as a big factor for climate change or global warming. He said that simple act of waste segregation and planting trees “at the right place,” would help the campaign against climate change. Meantime, Dantes dismissed reports that he is gunning for a senate seat in the 2016 polls. “I don’t have any (political) plans. I am happy and contended with my current role,” he said. He, however, said that his being an actor will help him encouraged more youth to become environment conscious and promote better understanding of having a good and healthy environment. Dantes said that he is upbeat that the youth are also aware on what is happening to our environment and how to lessen the impact of the ever changing condition of our environment. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

PALO, Leyte – The New Government Center, to be undertaken by a private company, is set to start the work January next year at a cost of P4 billion. The envisioned New Government Center, dubbed as “The Octagon,” will sit at the nine-hectare property at Barangay Candahug, this town. The project will be undertaken by Malaysia-based MTD Malaysia through its local office in the country. “Currently, we are doing a market survey both from the government and private sector. We are optimistic that there will be locators because of ongoing economic developments here,” said Grace Pesca, AlloyMTD Philippines head of contracts and procurements.

The firm plans to have its groundbreaking on January 2015 and will be completed within two years. AlloyMTD will manage the project for 30 years under the built operate transfer (BOT) scheme. Based on the plan, the project will consist of three 8-storey buildings for government offices with a total floor area of 11,688 square meters (sqm); 6-storey business process outsourcing (BPO) with 11,500 seats; 5-storey hotel (7,302 sqm); 4-storey private sector office (5,844 sqm); and a three-storey hospital (4,833 sqm).

Eight buildings with a total floor area of three hectares will be constructed designed to withstand up to 320 kilometers per hour wind velocity and intensity 8 earthquakes, according to Pesca. In addition, the provincial capitol building will also be located at the proposed new government center together with a hospital and an evacuation center that can house residents within the area. The provincial government under Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla is seeking a P1.5 billion budget to transfer its capitol building from Tacloban to Palo, some 12 kilometers away from the regional capital. The property, which is the firm’s most expensive government center project in the country, will rise eight meters above sea level and structures will be built to protect the complex from storm surges. “The Octagon will symbolize their resilience to inspire a new beginning for its people. Thus, this facility, consisting of 8 octagonal buildings forming an 8-sided complex, will surely rekindle their hope for a brighter future,” Pesca said.

Gov.Petilla, chairman of the Regional Development Council, said the AlloyMTD project will encourage more BPO companies to invest in the province. “There are many interested BPO firms, but we have no infrastructure to accommodate them. No wonder many BPO workers in Manila and Cebu are from Leyte,” Petilla said. Patterned after Putrajaya, the federal administrative center of Malaysia, AlloyMTD envisions to replicate one-stop-shop government centers all over the Philippines. Its first project in the country is the P2.5 billion regional government center in Calamba, Laguna, which is has been ready for occupancy since September. Other projects on the pipeline are government centers in Nueva Ecija, Camarines Sur, Maguindanao, Ilocos Sur, and Bataan. These five project with a total cost of P10 billion is up for completion on June 2016. Malaysia-based property developer AlloyMTD is the merger between MTD and Alloy. The firm operates in the Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Indonesia, Singapore, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Philippines, Chile and China. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)