28.4 C
Tacloban City
March 07, 2025 - Friday | 11:28 AM
Home Blog Page 1488

For the past nine months 200 sought for building permits in Tacloban

0

TACLOBAN CITY- The Office of the Building Official on Structural Evaluation (OBOSE) of the Tacloban City Engineering’s Office has approved around 200 building permit applications within the first nine months after supertyphoon Yolanda. Among the 280 processed requests, only around 200 applicants were approved for the request of building permits checked by OBOSE. Engr. Mario Magellan Tezon, head of OBOSE’s structural evaluation section, said that the approved requests building occupancy complied the National Building Code.
“We are implementing the National Building Code not to disapprove but to regulate. Meaning, if something will not fit in to the design, we recommend them have a new and clear plans for the design of the building,” Tezon said.
Tezon said that plans for the building should be professionally made and should be properly presented, incorporating climate change resilient designs.  He added that they have to order for stoppage of building construction if they find that modified design does not conform the approved plan. “If something is not in accordance to the plan, we have to stop the construction and then we require them to submit additional application and plans that they have made along the construction of the building like for example in floor design and in all aspect in construction,” Tezon said.
On the other hand, if there is huge deviation like social integrity, the office of the structural evaluation requires the department to submit a table documents that they are to follow in accordance to plan for the construction of building. (JELLY E. CARAAN, LNU Intern)

Yolanda survivors hopes to get chance to dine with Pope Francis during his visit next year

0

TACLOBAN CITY- The leader of a group composed of survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda disclosed that they are lobbying that some of their members be included among the 30 people who will get the chance to dine with Pope Francis. Efleda Bautista, convenor of the People Surge, group of typhoon survivors, said that they hope that their appeal would be heeded by the organizers of the papal visit. “We’re hoping and we’re doing everything that we’ll have an audience with the Pope,” Bautista said. She, however, admitted that their appeal may be a long shot considering that some officials in the government brand them as “activists.” “Even here in the preparation stage in Tacloban, it seems that People Surge is excluded. So here alone, we are not expecting to be invited to see him,” Bautista added.
Earlier, Archbishop John Du of the archdiocese of Palo revealed that during his visit to Tacloban on January 17, 2015, the Holy Father will dine with 30 people. Of this lucky people, 20 of them are Yolanda survivors while five each will come from Cebu and Bohol which was hit by an earthquake. At present, the organizers have yet to divulge who will be the 30 people who will get the chance of a lifetime of joining the Holy Father for a meal. Bautista said that as part of their effort that some of their group could join with Pope Francis, they are seeking help from their friends at the Vatican. “We are trying our best to get help from our friends in the Vatican to lobby for us. We really hope that we will be included along with those Yolanda victims who will be chosen by the Bishop,” Bautista said. “Veritas has also tried that at least there will be three representatives from People Surge that can personally meet the Pope. We are just hopeful that Veritas will be successful in negotiating this,” she added. (RONALD O.REYES)

Group to provide livelihood assistance to Yolanda survivors in Tacloban

0

TACLOBAN CITY – The Harvest Evangelical Free Church will implement various livelihood programs in this city to help survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda rebuild their shattered lives. The Christian institution will provide several projects such as distribution of pedicabs and food carts for making banana cue (sweetened deep fried banana) and barbecue. “We are here in Tacloban to help the community through our livelihood projects. We will also train them how to make flip flops (rubber slippers) which they may use to sustain their needs,” Francis Mabelo, the church’s community development manager, said.

The project will cover 10 to 15 villages in the city and a minimum of 10 families per area as beneficiaries. The organization is not strict with qualifications of recipients because they are aware of enormous need caused by large scale destruction. “In choosing our beneficiaries, we make it a point that we interact with those families who would need help and ask them what they would need,” Mabelo said. “Our team is the one who will identify the beneficiaries for the program and will not rely on the list that would come from the village or to other groups,” he stressed. With the programs and projects that they will implement, Mabelo explained that their programs are based on the strengths and experiences of their beneficiaries to ensure sustainability.

In a recent study that they have conducted, one of the reasons why they chose to implement these projects is because it is suitable to the community. “Based on our initial assessment, flip flop making is very convenient because every Filipino wears slippers. Tacloban’s primary transportation is pedicab and most of them do not own one,” Mabelo said. The group has yet to complete the feasibility study with the actual implementation scheduled this month. (CARYL VIVIEN S.TOMANDA, LNU Intern)

Repair of Santo Nino expected to be finished by November, Fr. Alvero said

0
sto nino
STO. NIÑO CHURCH

TACLOBAN CITY – Repair of Sto Niño Church is expected to be finished before the first year commemoration of supertyphoon Yolanda this November 8. This was learned from Father Amadeo Alvero, social communications officer of the archdiocese of Palo. The Sto Niño Parish, the biggest parish under the 71 churches of the archdiocese, sustained major damaged during the massive typhoon as its roof was blown away. Alvero said that the repair of the church is being rushed not only before Tacloban, considered the ground zero of Yolanda, marked the first year anniversary but before the arrival of Pope Francis on January 17, 2015. Repair of the church started when the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation donated P30 million to the church officials last May, coinciding with the start of the church over-all repair including its rectory.

Under the memorandum of agreement signed between officials of the Tzu Chi Foundation and the Sto Niño Parish, the church officials must also look for additional fund for the repair.
The church still need P15 million to complete the P50 million total budget for the church reconstruction said Fr Alvero, a former assisting priest. According to him, they will source the needed funds from the donations of their parishioners and those who are willing to help the parish. With the ongoing repair, the architectural design of the church was change, like the pointed stained glasses were changed into circular, symbolizing the eye of the storm, the Holy Host and the present altar of the Sto Niño image. Sto Niño Parish was also used as evacuation center during Yolanda but the evacuees were immediately transferred when water started to rise at the nearby Rizal Central School.
Currently, masses are held at the makeshift church inside Rizal Plaza. (ROEL T AMAZONA)

Councilor scores contractors for failure to collect Tacloban’s garbage

0

TACLOBAN CITY – A council member of this city asked private contractors to improve its garbage collection service even up to small streets. Councilor Raissa Villasin, chairperson of the environmental protection and waste management committee, said it is the primary responsibility of the private contractors to collect garbage and not by the city government.

Private contractors Pacer and VDSC claimed they have no small and medium trucks that could collect garbage in city’s interior roads. The contractors claimed that their small and medium trucks were damaged during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda and have yet to be repaired. “It’s not a problem of the (city) government if they don’t have enough trucks that would suit to the small streets because it’s their obligation. They are paid for their service,” Villasin said. She suggested to the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) that they should remind the service contractors on their obligations.

The contractors are paid P1, 100 per ton of collected garbage.  However, CENRO head Jonathan Hijada said they are not washing their hands in this issue.  “As an immediate recourse, we and private contractors have requested the residents in the small streets to kindly put their garbage to the area where the big dumped truck passes through,” Hijada said.

He added that schedules for garbage collection on the narrow streets did not change even after the disaster and assured that residents still know about it.
Garbage collectors roam the city streets to collect garbage from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m. (KAYE ANNE B.ORALLER, LNU Intern)

Gov. Petilla release P2M for repair of structures in a Leyte town

0

ISABEL, Leyte- Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla gave financial assistance to this town worth P2 million to be used for the repair of public structures damaged during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda. In a press statement issued by the Provincial Media Office, Petilla made the giving of the financial assistance during his recent visit to this town.
Of the P2 million financial assistance, P700, 000 was given to the municipal government for the repair of its municipal building which sustained damage during Yolanda’s wrath ten months ago.

The check was personally received by Mayor Gregorio Cerillo and the 13 village officials who likewise received financial assistance from the provincial government in the total amount of P1.30 million.

The same press statement mentioned that the villages that received the assistance from Gov. Petilla were the barangays of Talingan in the amount of P120, 000 for the rehabilitation of its barangay water system; Puting Bato, P75, 000 for the rehabilitation of barangay hall; Matlang, P10, 000 for their socio-cultural hall; Bilwang, P120, 000 for the rehabilitation of the covered court; Sto. Rosario, P110,000 for the rehabilitation of the covered court; Binog, P110,000 for the construction of multi-purpose hall; Monte Alegre, P100,000 for the construction of day care center; Apare, P110,000 for the rehabilitation of the streetlights; Libertad, P120,000 restoration of the health center; Consolacion,P100,000 for the restoration of the streetlights; Sta. Cruz, P120,00 for the construction of day care center; Mahayag, P100,000 for road concreting; and San Francisco,P100,000 for the repairs of facilities.(RESTITUTO CAYUBIT)

Recent Posts

DALMACIO C. GRAFIL
PUBLISHER

ALMA GRAFIL
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

ROMEO CEBREROS
OFFICE IN-CHARGE

OFFICE
BRGY. SONGCO, BORONGAN CITY

CONTACT NUMBERS
(055) 261 – 3319 | 0955 251 1533 | 0917 771 0320 | 0915 897 7439 | 0921 511 0010

DALMACIO C. GRAFIL
PUBLISHER

RICKY J. BAUTISTA
EDITOR

ALMA GRAFIL
BUS. MANAGER

OFFICE
RIZAL AVENUE, CATBALOGAN
(INFRONT OF FIRE DEPARTMENT, NEAR CITY HALL)

CONTACT NUMBERS
0917 771 0320 | 0915 897 7439 | 0921 511 0010

EMAIL
lsdaily2@yahoo.com

WEBSITE
www.issuu.com/samarweeklyexpress