TACLOBAN CITY – To give updates on the different Department of Health programs, the DOH Representatives in all municipalities in the region conducted their semi-annual meeting at Asia Stars Hotel on June 17-18, 2014.

DOH-Rep advocates the different programs of the department such as Family Planning, Expanded Program for Organizations, Maternal Care, Child and Nutrition, Leprosy Control Program, Tuberculosis Control Program, among others.

Aside from the updates on the various DOH programs, they presented their accomplishments and discussed gaps and issues on problems encountered in the field between local government unit and the DOH.

DOH-Rep point person Lucia Milagros Abantao said that their role in the municipality is that they serve as the conduit or linkage between the DOH and the LGU. (REINALORE P. GUIMBAOLIBOT)

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Maritime Polytechnic (NMP) paid tribute to the seafarers across the region during the celebration of the “Day of Filipino Seafarers” held on June 25.

The theme of this year’s celebration was “Pinoy Seafarers: Proudly moving the world,” a very apt theme considering that more than 35 percent of the world’s seafarers come from the Philippines.

There are over 8,000 seamen from the region which helps Eastern Visayas’ economy through their remittances. The said sector contributes more than $2 billion to the country’s economy.

As part of this year’s celebration, series of activities were lined up by the NMP which included a media conference and a thanksgiving mass held at the Santo Nino Church.
A floral offering, led by the Leyte Chapter president of the Seamen’s Wives Association of the Philippines Inc. (SWAPI), was also held at the NMP office in Barangay Cabalawan, this city.

According to NMP Executive Director Forter Puguon Sr. the occasion aims to increase the awareness of the public on the services rendered by the seafarers and to honor and recognize them. (CARYL TOMANDA, LNU Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- The members of the Leyte Dance Theatre recently performed at various cities in the United States. But unlike on their previous performances, which center mainly on showcasing the country’s local dances, this time they made their performances to help raise funds for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.

And incidentally, almost all of the members of one of the country’s most prestigious dance groups were also victims of Yolanda. This mission of raising funds, needless to say, was achieved, said dance master Jess de Paz, founder of the Leyte Dance Theatre. The group performed in various states of the US from April 11 to June 14.

“All our performances was well-received, (we get) overwhelming response from our audience and that’s precisely why I think most of our members were satisfied and fulfilled. I think they are happy that the Leyte Dance Theatre, being victims of Yolanda was able to go,” de Paz said.

The group had their performances in San Francisco, San Jose, and Anaheim, all in California; Las Vegas, Nevada; San Antonio, Dallas, Houston, and Austin in Texas; Killeen, Beaumont; Virginia Beach; Washington DC; New Jersey; New Haven, Connecticut; Tucson, Arizona; Melbourne and Tampa in Florida; Charlotte, North Carolina and New York. All in all, they held 21 performances and also presented in sideshows at hospitals, nursing homes, and schools, de Paz said. The LDT founder, however, did not mentioned how much they were able to raise during their performances in the US.

During their fund raising, the LDT performed “Diwata ha Buscada,” a story of a diwata or an enchanted woman falling in love with a mortal man; “Mindanao Sketches” which showcase the royalty of the Filipino Muslims; “Dances of Lowlander” (Rural Suite) magnified the festival culture or the fiesta spirit of the Filipinos and “Bayan Ko,” which showcases Filipino’s love for freedom. (REINALORE P. GUIMBAOLIBOT/LNU Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY – Robinsons Place Tacloban is now back to its full operation close to eight months after super typhoon Yolanda that incurred the mall developer nearly P300 million losses.

The Robinsons Land Corporation (RLC) formally reopened its 38,000 square meter Tacloban mall on June 28, two months behind the target reopening timetable. “We initially targeted to reopen April, but it was so hard for us to bring all construction materials. It was a logistical nightmare. However, it gave us more time to concentrate on total rehabilitation,” said Arlene Magtibay, RLC’s senior vice president and general manager for commercial centers division. During its reopening, only 40 of the 180 tenants resumed their business, but RLC expects that most tenants will reopen their branch inside the mall by fourth quarter in time with the Christmas season.

“Rehabilitation of the mall is practically 100% complete. We are happy that majority of tenants committed that they will come back to Tacloban soon. In the next few weeks a lot more will open,” Magtibay added.

Robinsons Supermarket and Department Store reopened in a compressed area on December 19 last year or six weeks after the storm struck. The mall had very limited shopping hours and only used generators until January when power distribution utilities restored the electricity. With its full operation, mall hours starts at 10 a.m. up to 9 p.m.

In its latest disclosure to the Securities and Exchange Commission, RLC reported P297.20 million losses due to the typhoon’s fierce winds, storm surges, and looting incidents. The calamity significantly contributed to the reduction of interest income by P89.5 million during the first quarter of 2014. “When Yolanda struck, there’s a lot of uncertainty given the magnitude of destruction. However, with the encouragement of local government, we initially reopened, offering pre-typhoon level of prices despite high operating costs. This is our way of giving back to the city’s loyal patronage. We are here to stay,” Magtibay said. Leading the reopening on June 28 were top RLC and Robinsons Retail Holdings Inc. officials led by its President and Chief Operating Officer Robina Gokongwei-Pe wearing white shirts carrying an inspirational message “Tindog (stand up) Tacloban.”

Tacloban Mayor Alfred Romualdez is optimistic that the full reopening of Robinsons will encourage other entrepreneurs to reopening their business. “This gives us hope that the city will rise up soon after the typhoon. Robinsons will spur economic activities.” (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)