DAGAMI, Leyte – Amid efforts of the Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) to help them, coconut farmers of this town are still reeling from the disastrous impact of supertyphoon Yolanda. Of the more than 900,000 coconut trees planted before Yolanda hit this town, there are now only 750,000 coconut trees which are in various stages of damage. And as part of their intervention, the PCA has so far replaced 20,000 coconut trees that were damaged due to Yolanda, Hermogenes Martinda, municipal coconut development officer, said.
The replanting of coconuts is part of the recovery program of the PCA aim to help the affected farmers regain their income back. The replanting is expected to be over in the next six months, Martinda said. About 20,948 coconut farmers of the town were affected due to Yolanda. In terms of debris clearing, 15 percent of farms have been cleared and they are still conducting the activity in other areas, he added. Billy Rocol, a farmer shared his experience. He said that it was hard for him and for his family to move forward since they only depend on their coconut production for living. He said that since they lost their coconut trees due to Yolanda, times have very difficult for his family reason why he has to find another source of income. Rocol now serves as a motorcycle driver whose daily income is not still sufficient to feed his family. (JELLY E. CARAAN, LNU Intern)
New Tacloban City Hospital. Rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and City Mayor Alfred Romualdez joined Teresita Sy-Coson, vice chairperson of the SM Investments Corp. during the inauguration of the Tacloban City Hospital after the SM Foundation rebuilt the said hospital. Joining them were Doctor Joedina Gumagay, Debbie Sy, SM Foundation executive director;Councilor Cristina Romualdez; Dr. Paula Sydiongco ; Connie Angeles, executive director of the SM Foundation; Yedda Marie Romualdez and Asec. Danny Antonio.(Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY – From being an almost a wasteland to a symbol of a “build back better” structure. Thus emerged the Tacloban City Hospital after it was repaired and refurbished by the SM Foundation after it was pummeled by supertyphoon Yolanda. On August 27, the said health facility was formally turned over by the SM Foundation to the city government officials led by Mayor Alfred Romualdez and to its head, Doctor Joedina Gumagay.
Romualdez and Gumagay were both obviously overwhelmed with joy after seeing the transformation of the Tacloban City Hospital to what it is now more than nine months after it was destroyed by Yolanda- its bed capacity was doubled from its previous capacity and is now capable of conducting some major surgeries. The massive repair of the 38- year old Tacloban City Hospital located along Marasbaras District thus became the first structure owned by the city government that sustained damage due to the monster typhoon to have been rebuilt.
Secretary Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, rehabilitation czar of the government, said in his speech during the turn over rites, that the finished work was the best example of the build back better policy of the national government.
“This is the best hospital I’ve ever seen that looks nice inside and out. This is a fine example of not only building back better but safer and faster,” Lacson said. The reconstruction of the hospital was among the several facilities build within the so-called Yolanda corridor undertaken by the SM Foundation. Teresita Sy-Coson, vice chairman of the SM Investments Corporations, said that she was happy to see over the transformation of the hospital which could now conduct major operations like ceasarian operations.
Sy described the hospital as an “almost like a mall” type health facility. The project, built for five months is part of the P100 million financial aid of the SM Foundation for the reconstruction of areas pounded by Yolanda in central Philippines. “I was telling Secretary (Panfilo) Lacson that this is almost like a mall. From a level one hospital, it has now been upgraded to level two. It also upgraded the hospital’s 50-bed capacity to 100 beds and is now capable of conducting major surgeries,” said Sy-Coson. In addition, the charitable institution of SMIC expanded its emergency room, constructed the malnutrition ward and added a new Felicidad T. Sy (wife of Henry Sy) Wellness Center for the children and the elderly and a prayer room.
Mayor Romualdez thanked the SM Foundation for their generosity in rebuilding the hospital. “More than building the infrastructure better, this helps strengthens the character of people,” Romualdez said. Chief of Hospital Dr. Joedina Gumagay handed thank you letters from patients, senior citizens and hospital staff to Sy-Coson. “I echo the gratitude of people who come daily. They are assured that they will get all the help they need,” Gumagay said. By Sarwell Q. Meniano
TACLOBAN CITY- A young boy was shot by a security guard assigned at the Leyte Normal University (LNU) last August 18 at around 9:30 p.m. It was learned that the victim, who was hit at his lower back, was among the 13 minors who entered the premises of the LNU and were identified to be residents of Barangay 43 in Quarry District, this city. The boy, 11, was brought to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center for medical treatment and was declared out of danger by the attending doctors while his 10 companions were placed under the custody of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). Based on initial investigation, the minors were seen by security guard on duty Isidoro Lleve at the school’s power house at the time of the incident and believed to have entered the school premises by scaling down from a wall at the back of the Montejo Building. Lleve, who was making a round at that time, saw the minors and managed to grab the boy who tried to run and in the course of the scuffle, accidentally shot the boy, using his service firearm, hitting the boy at his lower part of his body. Lleve, a resident of Alangalang, Leyte, was detained at the Abucay Police Station but was later released upon payment of bail bond by his company, Vision Security Agency on August 22. (KATE ALBAO,LNU Intern)
TACLOBAN CITY- The provincial government of Leyte together with the International Labour Organization (ILO) and Leyte Union of Producers of Agri-Products (LUPA) signed a memorandum of agreement for a P7.3 million project in providing labor and livelihood for the displaced farm workers in this province who were affected by the super typhoon Yolanda.
Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla in an interview said that the P7.37 million project will benefit 700 farm workers. The project will be implemented in Palo, Sta. Fe, Leyte and Burauen. Petilla said that the farmers will plant high value short-term crops using the sloping agriculture land technology (SALT). He added that the project will contribute to the food security of his province.
The governor said that the project will also provide the farmer-beneficiaries with skills training on modern agricultural production, integrated farming-cum-entrepreneurship development, and marketing to help them ensure of better farm income. Alfredo Rodriguez, ILO project coordinator in Tacloban City, he said that the workers will receive minimum wages and social protection that include one year accident insurance, social security benefits and health insurance as well as personal protective equipment.
He added that these benefits help the beneficiaries build resilience to climatic shocks and develop better coping mechanisms. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
TACLOBAN CITY- A resolution was passed by the members of the council of this city seeking Congress to enact a law to make every November 8 of the year as a special non-working holiday.
Last November 8, 2013, Tacloban was devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda that cause for the death of more than 2,000 people and destruction of properties estimated at more than P10 billion. During their regular session last August 13, Councilor Neil Glova introduced the measure seeking Congress and President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino approved a law making it a special non-working holiday in Tacloban, considered the ground zero of Yolanda, every Nov.8. Glova said that aside from remembering those who were killed during the tragedy, the day will also be a time for the people of Tacloban expresses their gratitude for all the groups, local, national and international, that extended assistance to the victims of Yolanda.
Different humanitarian organizations descended to Tacloban a day after it was battered by Yolanda to give assistance to its people whose houses were either totally washed out or damaged.
These groups provided not only housing kits but also food, water and even financial and livelihood assistance directly to the victims. Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin said that he is optimistic that this resolution will be taken positively by Congress and the President. He also urged other areas hit by Yolanda to come up with similar measure to ensure that this will get the support of Mr. Aquino and Congress. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY- Eastern Visayas will have the largest coverage of areas for its expanded implementation of an anti-poverty program. The program, known as the Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP (Kapit-Bisig Laban sa Kahirapan-Comprehensive and Integrated Delivery of Social Services-National Community-Driven Development Program) will be implemented in 136 municipalities across the region.
Considered as one of the three core poverty alleviation programs of the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), together with the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program and the Sustainable Livelihood Program, NCDDP widens its authority to help by using the community – driven development strategy or approach which was used and substantiated during the implementation of the Kalahi-CIDSS for the past 11 years. This strategy offer trainings to people so they can expand their knowledge and skills which can help them how to accomplish resources and implement projects that will distinguish needs identified by the community themselves.
The Kalahi-CIDSS-NCDDP has an allocation of more than P43.9 billion. Its funding was source from the World Bank and Asian Development Fund with a counterpart from the national government. It was learned that areas hit by supertyphoon Yolanda, like in Eastern Visayas, will be given priority under the program. Of the 847 municipalities identified under the program,554 of them were devastated by Yolanda and of which 136 are in Eastern Visayas, the hard-hit area. Using the community-driven approach, KALAHI CIDSS-NCDDP will empower poor communities to organize themselves, analyze their own situation, prepare project proposals to address their common problems, and compete for block grants to finance their own projects. Projects that may be implemented under the program may include water systems, school buildings, day care centers, health stations and roads and bridges. (REYNALYN BRUSES, LNU Intern)
