TACLOBAN CITY – The Air Asia Foundation donated more than $2 million (P97 million) for the rehabilitation effort of Yolanda-hit areas. The Air Asia Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Air Asia, made a relief campaign for Yolanda victims dubbed as “To Philippines with Love (#toPHwithlove) which ran for six weeks. According to Tony Fernandes, group corporate executive officer of Air Asia, the money raised by their foundation was donated to the Philippine Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity. The two aid groups would construct permanent houses to families who totally lose their homes during the onslaught of Yolanda on November 8, 2013. Fernandes in a press conference at the Tacloban City DZR airport said, the campaign raised a total of $2.17 million or P97 million. Fernandes was joined in the press conference by its partners Philippine Red Cross chairman and CEO Richard J. Gordon, PRC Secretary General Gwendolyn Pang and a representatives of the Habitat for Humanity. Also present were rehabilitation czar Panfilo “Ping” Lacson and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez. Air Asia channeled to PRC P46million (USD$1.04million) for the construction of 325 permanent housing in Panay, one of the Yolanda-hit provinces. The donation brings closer to the 100,000 targeted core shelter units of the Philippine Red Cross for the Yolanda disaster-hit areas. For Tacloban City, with the matching and partner funds managed by Air Asia Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, will be receiving P37.4million ($850,000) for the 187 permanent housing units in the northern village of the city. The second phase of relief efforts of the airline company were collected on board flights, on ground at the airports, as well as through the online microsite. Air Asia was the first to respond and operate humanitarian flights carrying close to 5,000 relief workers and survivors as well as 400 tonnes of aid items to Tacloban, Cebu and Kalibo, Aklan. This is in addition to the 250,000 free seats made available across Air Asia’s Philippine network for people to travel in search of missing family members. Air Asia is the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia within the 12 years of operation. It has grown by leaps and bounds from two fleets to over 140 over a decade. Air Asia Foundation is the philanthropic arm of the Asia Group of Companies. Air Asia flies six times a week for Tacloban-Manila route with 90 percent load capacity. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)
BDO Foundation to provide housing units to physically disabled persons in Leyte hit by Yolanda
TACLOBAN CITY – Persons with disabilities who were victims of supertyphoon Yolanda will be beneficiaries of a housing resettlement community in Sta. Fe, Leyte. BDO Foundation and Foundation for These-Abled Persons Inc. (FTI) together with the provincial government of Leyte through Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla broke ground last May 19 of the 1.3 hectare housing resettlement site in Sta. Fe town. The housing resettlement site, which is one of the rehabilitation projects of BDO Foundation under its Disaster Response Program for typhoon Yolanda-ravaged Eastern Visayas, will have 100 shelter units complete with kitchenette and toilet facilities. Each duplex is 46 square meters or 23 square meters per home and all concrete (including the roof) to make it more disaster resilient. The total project cost, including the cost of land that FTI purchased through a long-term loan with Hong Kong Trust, is P28 million. About P16 million has been allocated by the BDO Foundation to fund part of the land and site development, the construction of 100 shelter units and workshop, the training of the workers, the tools, and equipment for building. The shelter units and land development are to be jointly funded by BDO Unibank and donations from clients. It will house a workshop/multipurpose hall of about 300 square meters funded by BDO employees’ donation where the community members will be trained on new construction technology of producing pre-fabricated walls for housing which can be their source of livelihood. The model community is envisioned to create sustainable enterprises beyond the disaster recovery phase for persons with disability to be productive and become part of the economic process. Gov. Petilla, in his message, lauded and thanked BDO Foundation and FTI for giving particular attention to physically disabled individuals who have been rendered homeless during the massive typhoon that struck Leyte and other parts of Eastern Visayas last November 8, 2013. “We are indeed thankful to the BDO Foundation and the Foundation for TheseAbled Persons, Inc. for coming up with this project to especially benefits our physically handicapped. In these days when all we think about is how we can get all things back to normal, this endeavor giving special attention for our unique individuals is very much laudable,” Petilla said. In recent months, BDO Foundation also mounted relief efforts for affected families of typhoon Yolanda in various parts of the region. (AHLETTE C. REYES)
Mormon Church helps rebuild 3,000 houses destroyed by Yolanda
TACLOBAN CITY-At least 3,210 houses destroyed during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda were completely built by the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, popularly known as the Mormon. The houses were repaired by about 620 Church members who were trained in basic carpentry who were later given certification by the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). The newly-trained carpenters have their graduation on May 29 with top officials of the Church witnessing the occasion held at the Mormons Chapel at Fatima area, this city. “This is quite different, pioneering for us. We haven’t done this kind of project before. We learned a lot. And in fact as we came up with other organizations including Catholic charities, they are asking us to teach what we learn,” Elder Craig Christensen, a member of the Presidency of Seventy of the Church, said. He was referring to the Catholic Relief Services(CRS) which is conducting a relief mission in Yolanda-hit areas which hired about 200 Mormons members who were trained the basic carpentry program. During the graduation rites, Elder Christensen was joined by Elder Ian Ardern, current Church leader in the Philippines, among other officials of the Church. According to Elder Christensen, funds used for their relief for the victims are coming from donations of their local members throughout the world. On its shelter program for storm victims, the Church provided the construction materials and tools while labor was provided by the beneficiaries. Following the Church’s principle of self-reliance, shelter recipients were required to construct their houses as well us building another four shelters for other victims. This way, the house recipient not only learned a skill but also livelihood as carpenters are in demand to rehabilitate houses and buildings in the affected communities. Ian Carel, 23, a shelter recipient in Tacloban said he is grateful for the help he received from the Mormon Church. “They gave our family a new house after ours was destroyed by Yolanda. What I can only say is I am happy and thankful,” Carel said. Carel, however, hoped that families who are still in the tents and temporary shelters will have their own house the soonest time especially after hearing on the fire incident on May 28 which killed a family of seven members in the “Tent City” located in Barangay 88, Costa Brava, San Jose district. Beth Moore, an American volunteer and a Mormon who has been helping storm victims in carpentry works for five months already in the city, said she was impressed by how the storm victims are trying to recover from the disaster. “It’s great. They are wonderful and very positive,” Moore said on how was it to be volunteering here for the victims, adding she is hopeful that all the carpentry graduates will get employment and build more buildings. Ricardo Aban, local leader of the Mormon Church in the city, also expressed thanks to the help they received from the Church all over the world particularly on livelihood, shelter, and food and health assistance, among others. (RONALD O.REYES)
2 rebels killed in Samar encounter
ORMOC CITY- An encounter between government soldiers and members of the New People’s Army in Matuguinao, Samar resulted to the death of two rebels and recovery of several firearms. Lt. Glen Jun Calambuhay, commanding officer of the 43rd Infantry Battalion, based in San Jorge town, also in Samar, said that the May 25 encounter between his soldiers and the undetermined number of rebels took place in Barangay Mahayag, a remote village of Matuguinao. Matuguinao is still considered one of the towns in Samar where there are still presence of NPA members. According to Calambuhay, the encounter resulted to the death of two rebel members and recovery of one 5.56 Armalite rifle, one 5.56 Baby Armalite rifle and one (1) 40mm M203 grenade launcher were seized from the rebel group. The soldiers were in Mahayag at around 5:30 p.m. conducting their security operation when they were fire upon by the rebels who were also in the area. This resulted to a fire fight that lasted for more than 20 that caused the death of two rebels with no member of the government troops killed or injured, Calambuhay said. Major General Jet Velarmino, commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, lauded his troops’ accomplishment. “I take pride as your commander of your dedication to service which resulted to the accomplishment of your given mission,” he said. Velarmino expressed his sympathy to the bereaved families and relatives of the killed NPA rebels. “It is very tragic that they have taken arms against the Filipino nation when only through peace can development and social justice be attained,” he said. The NPA, the armed wing of the Communist Party of the Philippines, have been waging war with the government for the past 45 years now. The government has vowed to quell the insurgency problem citing it as one the reasons why development in the countryside remain sluggish. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)
Pedicab units distributed by Bobon Mayor Celespara, DOLE
BOBON, Northern Samar- Mayor Reny Celespara of this town led in the distribution of 16 pedicab units on May 13, 2014 as part of his livelihood program. Also present during the distribution of the pedicab units held at the town plaza were officials of the Department of Labour and Employment led by provincial chief Patricia Bigcas. It was learned that the municipal government and the DOLE shared the cost in the procurement of the pedicab units which have a unit cost of P12,500. The DOLE shouldered 80 percent of the cost while the remaining 20 percent was sourced from the coffers of the municipal government. With the distribution of the 16 pedicab units, this brings to 30 in all of the pedicab units distributed by the municipal government and the DOLE to identified beneficiaries. Public Employment Service Office officer(PESO) chief Joseph Centino stressed in his message that the said distribution of the pedicab units forms part of the on-going livelihood program of the municipal government here particularly, to the pedicab drivers who gives their “boundary” to the owners of the units. In his message, Mayor Celespara extended his gratefulness to DOLE officials of their unfailing support on his livelihood programs as well as the ongoing special program for the employment of students and government internship program which benefited 62 students. “Salit sa iyo nga mga estudyante labihan nagud an mga pedicab drivers, hirute ini niyo ngan gamita sin pangabuhe basi makabulig san iyo pan adlaw-adlaw nga panginabuhe labi nagud an pagpaeskwela san iyo mga anak,” the mayor said. The pedicab drivers were organized first and underwent a series of orientations conducted by the Social Security System, Philippine Health Insurance and DOLE for them to understand as well of their obligations among other things which are stipulated under a contract of agreement that they signed. (PETER D. PAREDES)
Local artist Enage joins art exhibit in Kuwait
Malalayang Alagad ng Sining at Adhikain or MASA will have its Third Pinoy Artist Art Experience or PAAEIII in Kuwait on June, 2014. MAKULAY or Malikhaing Kulturang Layag, A Filipino Artist Guild in Kuwait, headed by Romano Roman will collaborate with MASA for the exhibit at Al Qadsiyah Gym in Hawally, Kuwait entitled “Malayang Sining” with the Filipino Community in Kuwait and at the Philippine Embassy in Faiha, Kuwait in June 12. The Filipino Art Exhibition are part of the celebration of the 116th Philippine Independence Day in Kuwait, The exhibit is supported by The Philippine Embassy in Kuwait Spearheaded by Consul General Raul Dado. This exhibit will be MASA 3rd International Event, First was on June 2012 in the Philippine Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand. Second was on September 2013 in the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Aside from the Philippine Embassy Exhibit, MASA also represented the country and joined the Art Expo Malaysia 2013 held in Matrade, Kuala Lumpor. The exhibit will showcase the works of Del Micor-Camins of Muntinlupa City, John Louie Rivera, Normalyn Fernandez-Carreon and Gabriel Pingol of Ilocos Norte, Wilhelmina Impat-Galiza of Cagayan, Lovebirds Dante Enage and Ge Ann Balintec of Tacloban City, MASA CF Reynaldo De La Pena of Antique, MASA Core team Meleen Balingbing of Quezon City and Melvin Parcasio of Tarlac and MASA Founder and Chairman, Arao Salamat. MASA was established on June 2012 and originally composed of passionate and dedicated Filipino artists in different disciplines. The primary and ultimate vision of the group is to promulgate Philippine arts and culture by means of exhibition, collaboration, interaction, and workshop locally and internationally. Interestingly, the organization profile state; a“Walang Sining,kung walang Adhikain.” (PR)