BOBON, N. SAMAR- Recipients of a core shelter project initiated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD) received their respective units on December 16.
The core shelter project, sitting on a one-hectare lot donated by the municipal government and is located in Barangay Santa Clara, has 50 housing units intended for families who lost their houses due to natural calamities.
Town Mayor Reny Celespara accepted the P8 million worth core shelter project from DSWD Regional Director Restituto Macuto.
Florentino Llegos, who was among the 50 beneficiaries of the core shelter project, could not contain his happiness after receiving the certificate of ownership from Celespara and Macuto.
“Dako an ak pagpasalamat nga napili ako komo sayo san nakatagamtam, kay sadto an ak balay bisan la tala nga hangin-hangin dere kami talwas tungod nga nakadto kami sa gilid san baybayon naestar,” the 38- year father to two children said.
The construction of these houses, said to be resilient which has two-bed rooms, a comfort room and with water and power connections, were construction July of this year and were completed last month.
The core shelter project funded by the DSWD in this town is part of the social protection program of their agency aim to help “disadvantage families,” particularly those living in danger zone areas, Pauline Liza Nadera, head of the DSWD-LGU core shelter assistance project, said.
Also present during the turnover ceremony were Vice Mayor Elena Balite, provincial social welfare development officer Jenny Darish, town councilors and representatives of Governor Jose Ong and Rep. Raul Daza.
(PETER D. PAREDES)
50 families from N. Samar town received housing project from DSWD
Peace from within
Thanks to the active presence of the police force in public places frequented by huge crowd this holiday season, no alarming incident happened that could have marred the peace and order in the localities in the region. Police visibility proved effective to deter occurrence of street crimes, while police units’ reminders for residents to secure their homes while out also helped much. The cooperation between the police and the citizenry are indispensable elements in ensuring peace and order.
Others however attribute the low incident rate of petty street crimes to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Police authorities in the country have constantly been reporting that from the commencement of the campaign against illegal drugs, street and petty crimes, such as robbery and theft, lowered. Opposed to such placid statistics is the high incident rate of murder and homicide which includes the unabated extra-judicial killings(EJKs).
The issue on EJK has stepped up the ladder to become an international concern. The battle that was supposed to be exclusively domestic transcended the realms of global controversies with Pres. Rody Duterte angst on those criticizing him and his war on drugs. Who will not be worried about having bloodied bodies sprawling on streets and crannies seen in many places at anytime of the day and night? Worse, Pres. Duterte is quick to defend the police officers who are alleged perpetrators of the killing, which compels the people to surmise that there is something wrong somewhere.
Pres. Duterte was reported to be taking a medicine which affects his decision-making and allegedly his state of mind. He has been reported retracting from prior pronouncements regardless of their effect, but not on his order to kill whoever puts police officers’ life in danger while in the course of arrest. This is what bad elements in the society abuse causing massive number of EJKs across the archipelago, not necessarily drug-related.
Will there be a panacea to the inimical condition of the country’s peace and order? Nothing seems to be cure to a disease that is persisting in the society except peace of mind, blight like cancer that eats the system to create an unhealthy one. The police is one agency that is most admirable in maintaining tranquility and harmony in the society. It can never be a troop for the people to disparage if only it is led well and with fear of God. It is only when one fears God that the peace from within will well good decisions.
New DA-8 chief buckles down to work; meets public and private media
TACLOBAN CITY- The newly designated officer-in-charge of the Department of Agriculture Regional Field Office-8 immediately buckled down to work by taking his first-ever official engagement with the members of the public and private media in the region.
OIC-Regional Executive Director U-Nichols A. Manalo underscored his plans for the coming year even as he assured them that existing programs and projects will continue so long as they are responsive to President Duterte’s thrust of providing available and affordable food for all Filipinos.
This was learned during the media interaction- cum- DA innovations forum held recently at the Kitchen Yum, Brgy. Guindaponan, Palo, Leyte attended by over 50 local media practitioners including officers and members of the Association of Government Information Officers in Region 8 (AGIO-8).
Manalo took over the post of Regional Executive Director Wilson A. Cerbito, who has been on medical leave since last week of November, this year.
In his message, Director Manalo expressed his gratitude for the warm reception accorded him by the DA-staff and personnel led by DA-8’s Assistant Regional Director for Research and Regulations, Dr. Elvira C. Torres.
He likewise acknowledged same degree of warm welcome he got from the local media and the government information officers whom he considered agents of change being the bearer of information to DA’s ultimate clients – the farmers and fisherfolk.
Manalo assured that the DA –8 will continue to provide assistance to farmers and fisherfolk by way of finding long-term solution to the lingering or old farming practices of some rice farmers and the seeming lack of farm machineries, equipment and tools.
He also mentioned about Secretary Manny Piñol’s order for the agency to follow the national framework in addressing climate change in agriculture by strengthening the implementation of Adaptation and Mitigation Initiative in Agriculture (AMIA).
According to him, AMIA will serve as the umbrella program covering climate change across all programs, functions, and agencies attached to DA.
AMIA is one of the seven systems-wide mainstreaming programs which should mainstream at both the strategic and operational level across agencies and programs systems-wide. This means transforming systems, adjusting development programs/projects, and capacitating people to achieve efficiency at all levels of implementation.
“Starting next year, I will go around the region, especially to the areas where our Secretary has not visited yet. This will be one of my priority agenda in order to better understand the place as well as to really determine the needs of the farmers and encourage them to be actively involved in my style of collective or participatory management,” Director Manalo said. (PR)
Sueno to public: Celebrate New Year without firecrackers; use pots, pans, horns to make noise
TACLOBAN CITY- Interior and Local Government Secretary Ismael Sueno urged the public to celebrate the New Year holiday sans firecrackers to prevent firecracker-related injuries and accidents.
Sueno issued the statement in the midst of the annual tradition in welcoming the nativity of Christ, as well as in greeting the New Year, which by practice is accompanied by fireworks and firecrackers display.
“I believe there is no better way to celebrate this Holiday Season than to be in the company of our loved ones enjoying the happy, safe and peaceful comfort of our individual homes. Therefore, I enjoin everyone to try to welcome the festivity with utmost care by going back to our old way of making noise,” he said.
Sueno said that Christmas is not only a season of giving but also a time to rekindle the dwindling Filipino tradition and culture that has taken a back seat due to the evolution of technology.
“Magandang ipakilala din natin muli sa ating mga kabataan ang ilang bagay na nalipasan o nakalimutan na ng panahon ngayong Kapaskuhan tulad ng paggamit ng torotot, kaldero at takip (pot and lid), blowing of horns of the vehicles or by using cellphone ringtones, setting up a sound system outdoors that will encourage community countdown while waiting for the clock to strike at 12 midnight that will signal the coming of the new year,” he said.
Sueno said that while the government still allows the use of some firecrackers, resorting to the customary way of greeting New Year is danger-free and cost efficient.
He added: “Filipinos create noise to welcome the New Year and at the same time drive away the negativity. But we will not be able to do this if at the start of the year if a member of the family will have to be rushed to the hospital for immediate medical attention due to firecracker accident.”
The Secretary also reminded the sellers of pyrotechnics that display centers for such materials will only be allowed outside of malls and with proper safety protection to persons and property under existing rules and regulation.
He also reiterated that all pyrotechnics that will be shown in the display center should be marked with a Philippine Standards Product Certification issued by the Department of Trade and Industry.
In connection to this, Sueno urged all local government units (LGUs) including the DILG’s provincial and regional offices, as well as its attached bureaus and offices to be at the forefront of the campaign.
Last year, the Department of Health recorded 932 cases of injuries nationwide from Dec. 21, 2015 to Jan. 5, 2016.
Of the 932 reported injuries last year, 920 or 98.7 percent were due to fireworks, 10 or 1.1 percent from stray bullets, while 2 or 0.2 percent were firecracker ingestion. (PR)
99 N. Samar farmers receive CLOAs from DAR
MONDRAGON, Northern Samar- Ninety-nine farmers from remote villages in this town braved the heavy rains on Friday afternoon to receive their certificates of landownership award (CLOAs) from the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR).
DAR Assistant Regional Director Ma. Fe Malinao, assisted by Mayor Mario Madera, handed to the beneficiaries the 118 CLOAs covering a combined area of 123.8 hectares of farmlands situated in Barangays Talolora and La Trinidad in this town.
The distribution was held at the covered court of the municipal hall amid heavy rains.
Malinao, Madera and DAR Northern Samar Legal Chief Atty. Edsel Ballicud repeatedly stressed to the agrarian reform beneficiaries (ARBs) not to sell or mortgage their awarded lands under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP) as stated in the CLOA.
Moreover, Ballicud explained to the ARBs their roles, obligations and responsibilities as recipients of the land transfer program.
Malinao added that DAR also provides support services to ARBs to improve farm production that would eventually lead to increased income. (JOSE ALSMITH L. SORIA/PR)
No single firecracker incident at the EVRMC during Christmas revelry
TACLOBAN CITY- Zero.
Thus the record at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) in terms of person treated due to burn caused by pyrotechnics during the Christmas celebration.
In fact, the hospital, designated by the Department of Health (DOH) as the center for treatment for any fireworks-related injury, has not reported any such case.
“We don’t really anticipate any such case during Christmas. But of course, we are glad that we have a zero case during the celebration,” Alex Justin Marchedecsh, over-all in charge of the Emergency Room of the EVRMC.
Instead of treating injuries related to firecrackers, doctors at the EVRMC treated stabbing and hacking victims during Christmas, he said.
Marchedecsh said that the hospital is prepared for the situation as the DOH placed the EVRMC under a white code alert since December 21.
A white code alert means that personnel assigned at the emergency room or surgeons whose specialization are in trauma and injuries are not allowed to go on leave.
All needed medical paraphernalias and equipment are also in place while the white code alert is in effect.
The white code alert is to end on January 5, 2017.
The DOH is aiming for a zero case due to firecracker injury as it supports on the campaign of President Rodrigo Duterte to impose a nationwide ban on firecracker used during the Christmas and New Year celebrations.
The President is expected to sign an executive order for such purpose. A firecracker ban was imposed in Davao City when Mr. Duterte was its mayor.
The DOH is instead pushing for local government units to assign an area where they could put into display harmless pyrotechnics during the New Year’s celebrations.
Most of the victims of the firecracker-related injury are children.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)