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Rev. Fr. Edgar B. Abucejo receives certificate of appreciation from the Knights of Columbus

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After the Sunday Eucharistic celebration last July 20, 2014, GK Leo Navidad and DGK Agripino Ofanda from councils 9091 and 15189 respectively give certificate of appreciation from the Order to Fr. Edgar Abucejo, parish priest of Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary, Matarenao, Salcedo, Eastern Samar for his untiring effort in helping the people of Matarinao especially to his parishioners who were victims of super typhoon Yolanda. (Tootsie Cinco Maye)

Rev. Fr. Edgar B. Abucejo, parish priest of Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary Parish, Matarinao, Salcedo, Eastern Samar received a certificate of appreciation last July 20, 2014 from the Knights of Columbus both from council 9091, Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, Tacloban City and from council 15189, Our Lady of Most Holy Rosarey, Matarinao, Salcedo, Eastern Samar represented by their respective Grand Knights(GK) in appreciation for his faithful and selfless service to God’s people in need especially in his parish who were devastated by the super typhoon Yolanda last November 8, 2013.

Fr. E. Abucejo dedicated service and charitable actions to the faithful especially his parishioners truly reflect the principles of the Order which are charity, unity, and fraternity that Venerable Fr. Michael J. McGivney, Founder of the Order partakes in the Brotherhood. After the 6:00 AM Sunday Holy Mass in his parish last July 20, 2014 Grand Knight SK Leo S. Navidad of Council No. 9091, Our Mother of Perpetual Help Parish, Tacloban City and DGK Agripino Opanda representing the Grand Knight SK Julian M. Abunales of Council No. 15189, Our Lady of Most Holy Rosary, Matarinao present the said certificate of appreciation to Fr. Abucejo. The said certificate was also duly signed by the Knights of Columbus Regional Deputy SK Fred Lagria.

It might be recall that Fr. Abucejo went to Manila riding on his motorcycle three days after the typhoon to seek relief assistance for his parishioners. Upon arrival, he immediately went to television networks like ABS-CBN. His appeal was responded and relief operations delivered by US helicopter came to Matarinao in numbers. Until now there is still cash for work assistance to his parishioners donated by the different non–government organizations (NGO’s).
The parish, thru the efforts of Fr. Abucejo will also construct a thre-storey convent. (PR)

Top finisher of this year’s CPA board a graduate of Tacloban-based school

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TACLOBAN CITY- This year’s top notcher of the certified public accountancy board examination is a graduate of the Asian Development Foundation College (ADFC), this city.

And Rommel Rhion Edusma admitted that his topping the accountancy board examinations could be a life changer experience not only for him but for his family. And this early, the 25-year Edusma promised that he would finance the studies of their younger sibling, who is now on her second year in college. Edusma topped this year’s CPA board examinations with an average of 94.57%, besting 5,540 examinees. He graduated at the ADFC with 15 others. He earned the distinction of being the first to top the accountancy board examination of the school’s 19 years of operations. “Of course, I was very happy when I learned that I topped the examinations. It was a friend of mine who informed me about the very good news. I was resting at the time I receive the news,” Edusma, reached by the phone, said.

Since taking the board examinations last May, Edusma has been staying in Manila. He right away called his father, Rustico, a retired soldier and mother, Flores, who is suffering from a heart ailment. Needles to say, they were also overjoyed with the news, Edusma, sixth in the brood of 110 children, said. While the family originally is from Cabucgayan in Biliran, his parents and some of the siblings now live in Pinabacdao town in Samar as a sister, Rose married from the said town.

The family’s youngest, Ruffa Jean, 18 lives with an elder brother, Roel Al, a soldier based in Catarman, Northern Samar. “She is now taking an environmental course with my brother mostly paying her school fees. But I promise to help my brother pay her schooling,” Edusma said. And during the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda, he was with an aunt, Maria Wilfreda Carolino, at the V&G Subdivision, the biggest subdivision in Tacloban with more than 10,000 residents.

“Our house sustained major damages, particularly the roof. But while Yolanda may have destroyed our house and other material possession, it did not dampen our spirit to move on,” he said. According to him, their experiences with Yolanda only further his resolve to do well in the examinations.
“I did not allow our bad experience with Yolanda to disturb me but rather use it to do better in our examinations. I know this will serve as an instrument for me to help my family,” Edusma said. During the mock board examinations, he narrated, he ranked number #6 among those who participated from the thousands of examinees coming from other schools in the country.

He also topped the pre-board examinations conducted by their school. And with his good showing, Edusma said that he was positive that he would not only pass the licensure examination but even enter the top 10. But not only he entered the top 10 but topped it, besting the 1,107 passers, including those coming from other well-established schools in the country. “Of course, I thanked the Lord for this achievement,” he said. And the first thing he would do is to go back to his roots, at the ADF and teach students there, he said. He, however, admitted that he want to work in any of the country’s top accountancy firms.

Margie Manibad, who handled Edusma on theory of accountancy subject, described her student as “silent student yet know very well the subject.” “He is really an intelligent student. But I have to admit that I never expected that he would really topped the board examinations,” Manibad said. She added that her one-time student would always stay at the school library during his free time. “This will inspire us teachers of course,” she said, referring the impact of Edusma’s sterling performance.
And indeed, this early, its impact is felt as second year accountancy student,Fritzie Corales, said that Edusma’s topping the board would serve both as an inspiration and challenge to them.

“When I learned about it, it made me happy. This will really serve as an inspiration and challenge to us to do better in our studies,” the 18 year old student said. For Edward Chua, president of the school, the honor and pride brought by Edusma is worth celebrating. “Of course, we are very happy. This will bring us honor and pride. We never produce a top one although we have produced a 14 placer previously,” Chua said.(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Samar Gov. Tan defended declaration of state of calamity in the province

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CATBALOGAN CITY- Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan said there is a valid reason for declaring a state of calamity in the province after it was hit by typhoon Glenda. Tan, in a press conference on August 5, said the decision of the provincial board to declare a state of calamity would ensure the provincial government could hasten the release of funds intended for the victims of Glenda which hit Samar last month. Earlier, the provincial board, headed by Vice Governor Stephen James Tan, placed the entire province under a state of calamity which resulted for the provincial government to utilize its calamity fund.

Gov. Tan said that aside from a speedy release of funds, the declaration would benefit the victims of the typhoons as they would be assured of assistance coming from other agencies of the government and even from the private sector. Board Member Alan Diomangay of the first district of Samar, said that declaration made it possible for the provincial government to hasten its action like the procurement of much needed food intended for the typhoon victims.

At present, around P11 million remains out of the current calamity fund budget of the province. Meantime, Gov. Tan said that with the declaration of President Aquino for a P1 billion assistance for her province also battered by supertyphoon Yolanda, full rehabilitation works among affected areas in the province could now be expected.

But Tan, who is not a political ally of the President, expressed her reservation that not all the P1 billion could be release for her province. But even only a part of the promised P1 billion rehabilitation funds would be a big help to her province, the governor said. The provincial government had earlier released P20 million for Yolanda victims while another P13 million for the victims of Glenda. (LIZBETH ANN A.ABELLA)

As Yolanda victims 4Ps beneficiaries expressed elation over additional cash assistance by the gov’t

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HERNANI, Eastern Samar – Beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Eastern Samar expressed their appreciation on this cash grant program saying it help them during this time of financial difficulties due to supertyphoon Yolanda. “We have been struggling to survive every day. I don’t think we would be able to send my grandchildren to school without cash from 4Ps,” said Persita Yape, 61 of coastal Batang village of this typhoon-stricken town.

Their family receives P1,100 cash every month from the Department of Social Welfare and Development. The P500 is for the head of the family and P300 each for his two school-aged grandchildren – Johanne, 7 and Eloisa, 4. Persita’s husband Gerardo, 62 is still recovering his livelihood after his fishing boat was swept away by big waves. The couple reopened their small retail store through a P4,000 capital from selling pigs.

The couple reconstructed their makeshift house through donations from various non-government organizations. From their previous P5,000 monthly income, they are now surviving with a P2,000 income after they were hit by Yolanda. In Cansumangkay village of Balangiga of the same province, Jose and Victoria Menguin thanked the Aquino administration for the P800 monthly cash assistance from 4Ps.

Their son, Benjie, at 15 make him qualify to sign up for college, is still finishing the seventh grade as his parents struggles to make ends meet. Jose, 55 has been diagnosed of acute urinary tract infection, preventing him to work. Adding up the burden is Victoria’s goiter-like cyst in her neck, but she still works as a village utility aide, earning small pay. Their coconut farm from her parents located in Can-albaya village, a three-hour hike from their house is not anymore productive. The November 8, 2013 typhoon sheared and uprooted the 200 coconut trees of their two hectares land, reducing the family’s income from P3,000 to P1,000 per month, not enough to meet the family’s daily needs.

“Actually, we just eat twice a day with root crops and salted fish in our table. Having breakfast is not anymore a practice to us. I’m sure we will go hungry without cash from 4Ps,” Victoria said. Their neighbor, Teresita Cajife, 38, a mother of seven children, said she’s been looking forward to receive the cash monthly to sustain their family’s need. “I don’t know if my child would be able to go to school without the 4Ps.We are very poor and our income is just right to buy food,” a pregnant Cajife said.
Her husband, Salvador, only earns P600 monthly from operating farm tractors. Before rice planting period and after harvest months, the couple gathers and sells firewood’s, generating an additional income of P300 monthly.

In Sto. Niño village of Quinapondan town, Joan Biong, 36, challenged critics of 4Ps to visit their coastal village and see the plight of poor families. “I don’t understand why some wealthy people are criticizing the 4Ps if these are helping the poorest of the poor survive,” Biong said, whose husband, Louie, 35, only earns P2,000 monthly from fishing. The couple has to send four of their five children to a public school, cutting their budget for food and other needs. They have been receiving P2,000 monthly from 4Ps, equivalent to their income from fishing.

Biong’s family gets P1,700 through the cash transfer, which they recently used to buy school supplies and uniforms.  “I was very happy to hear that President Aquino expanded 4Ps to cover 18-year-old children. I am assured that my eldest child Charles Luis, 15, will finish secondary education,” Joan added. Aside from Charles Luis, the couple is also sending other four children to school – Adrianne, 11, John Cedric, 8, James Kierby, 5, and Jaela, 4. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

Child mortality rate in EV in the decline, said health official

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TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Health (DOH) reported that the rate on child mortality here in the region has shown a tremendous decline. With the decrease of child mortality rate in the region, they are pinning hope that the rate of maternal death will also decline, said Jose Llacuna, regional health director. Llacuna said that currently, of the 1,000 babies born in the region, only seven of them die which is comparatively lower compare to the previous record of 40 babies. “It decreases and it’s a very good advance. In fact, we are up to expectations of everyone even in the national scale. We had a good performance in the infant mortality rate,” Llacuna said.

“If we can do that to the infants, hopefully we can do it to the mothers,” the health regional director added, referring on the maternal death cases of the region. Based on statistics of the World Health Organization, everyday, approximately 800 women die from pregnancy or childbirth – related complications. Statistics also showed that maternal mortality is higher in women living in rural areas and among poorer communities. Furthermore, Llacuna advised pregnant women living in the rural areas especially those who are on the remote areas to be prepared and be on the nearest birthing centers before their labor.

The DOH has devised several programs and steps on its effort to curb the child and maternal mortality rate in the country. Among these programs is the strict enforcement of Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) a practice involving parents and other family members of the new-born baby to observe a skin-to-skin contact and promote breastfeeding. (SHERYMAE P. SESO, LNU-INTERN)

Dietary facility at the LPH now operational

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TACLOBAN CITY – After it was damaged during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda, the dietary building at the Leyte Provincial Hospital (LPH) is now being utilized. The construction of the dietary building at the LPH in the amount of P7 million was by virtue of its getting the Seal of Good Housekeeping under the Department of the Interior and Local Government(DILG)’s PCF.

The PCF, whose sourced was from the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program, is a financial incentive awarded to qualified local government units to jumpstart their development initiatives aligned with the national government’s programs for the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals, tourism and local economic development, disaster risk reduction and management and solid waste management.

The provincial government of Leyte received the Seal of Good Housekeeping in 2011 wherein it identified the construction of a dietary building at the LPH. The construction of the facility was finished on October 2013 but was later destroyed when Yolanda pummeled Leyte on November 8, 2013. But it was repaired by the members of the South Korean contingent and was turned over to the provincial government.  The completed dietary building now serves as a place for preparation of daily food requirements for the patients in the hospital, wash area, sanitized garbage disposal area, and including the storage space of utensils, food provisions and other kitchen supplies.

Presently, it provides space for the dining area of hospital doctors, medical staff, guests, patients’ visitors. Hospital staff and nutritionists of the LPH are thankful that a clean and spacious building is now available for use to ensure safety and cleanliness of food prepared for their patients. The facility is also an infrastructure requirement towards accreditation of the hospital with the Department of Health. (AHLETTE C.REYES)

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