PALOMPON,Leyte- After more than four months after this town was hit by supertyphoon Yolanda, the situation of this town is now back to normal.
Thus said Mayor Ramon Oñate who credited the assistance they received from different non-government organizations and foreign countries as reason why the town immediately returned to normalcy.
He said business operators in Palompon resumed their operations as power was immediately restored two after Yolanda hit their town.
The governments of Oman and South Africa led in the renovation of the two-storey Palompon District Hospital as they also donated medical equipment and generator sets.
Native of the town who are now living abroad also donated intended for the victims of the town, Oñate said.
He also revealed that a China-based foundation has expressed their intention to help his town; donate 300 pump boats for the fishermen and will repair the town’s public schools.
The town mayor also said that he provided P70, 000 cash assistance to all 50 barangays for them to restart their livelihood.
Also he asked lending operators in the town to bankroll livelihood program for the more than 1,000 farmers and fishermen of the town for up to P10,000 without any collateral. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

With less than a month before the most-anticipated world peace event, former senator and Vista Land chairman Manny Villar said all preparations are underway for another successful Guinness World Record setting event on April 14 at Savannah City, Iloilo, where the largest flaming image using candles will be featured.
The “Light of Peace in the Philippines (LOP) 2014” event aims to raise awareness and celebrate “World Peace through Inner Peace” by gathering at least 100,000 people from different sectors of society who will meditate together for individual inner peace.
The meditation will be followed by lighting of candles to form the world’s largest flaming image using candles, an attempt to set a new Guinness World Record. The image that will be created will show the Philippine map, the Light of Peace logo and motto, “World Peace through Inner Peace”.
“Let us show our genuine will to promote world peace by cultivating in ourselves inner peace. I believe that it’s not impossible to achieve world peace. With each of us being a light of peace, amidst our religious differences, we will be able to unite and attain world peace,” said Villar.
He cited last year’s “Inaugural Light of Peace” in Miag-ao, Iloilo, which gathered various religious leaders – Buddhists, Muslims and Christians, among others – and participants from all walks of life to call for world peace.
Villar, who is representing Villar SIPAG (Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance), one of the major organizers of the LOP 2014 event added, “Peace is good for the economy. If we have peace, we won’t scare our investors; we will be able to encourage more investors to have business in our country, which will drive progress. ”
The other core organizers of the event include Thailand-based The Middle Way Meditation Institute (MMI) headed by its director venerable Burin Thitakusalo Bhikkhu, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Jaro represented by Archbishop Angel Lagdameo, Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. of the provincial government of Iloilo, Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog Iloilo City, the Commission on Higher Education (CHED), and the Department of Education (DepED). (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has released P19 million to the municipality of San Isidro in Leyte for the implementation of cash-for-work program.
This was revealed by San Isidro municipal administrator Levi Mabini who said that the program would benefit 5,300 people coming from the town’s 19 barangays.
The program started on March 17 and is to end on March 31 of this year. Those who will avail the program stand to receive P260 for a day’s work which would consist of clearing and cleaning operations.
The implementation of the cash-for-work program on their town was welcomed by its mayor, Susan Ang, as this would help the people still reeling from the aftermath of Yolanda, Mabini said.
Mabini said that their town continues to receive assistance from different organizations the latest of which was the Lion’s Club International.
The group donated water containers as the group also promised to donate housing units to all affected families who lost their houses, he added.
Meantime, town Councilor Rosalina Fajardo, chairman of the committee on social services, said that the municipal council passed a resolution addressed to various international organizations seeking assistance to help them rebuild houses for families.
It was learned from Fajardo that the Antonio Ang & Sons Foundation promised to donate one hectare of lot intended for the housing site for the Yolanda victims. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

The New Zealand Embassy is once again inviting eligible students from the Philippines to apply for postgraduate development-related studies at a tertiary institution in New Zealand through the New Zealand ASEAN Scholarship program.
The New Zealand ASEAN Scholars (NZAS) awards are open to qualified candidates from the public, private, and civil society sectors who want to pursue further studies in the fields of agriculture, tourism, governance, public sector, trade, development, disaster risk management, climate change adaptation, and renewable energy.
An indicative allocation of 18 scholarships is made available for Filipinos who desire to obtain a postgraduate degree in New Zealand commencing in 2015.
Applicants will be selected on merit, including the development benefits of their proposed course of study. Preference will be given to applicants who can demonstrate leadership qualities and potential for future leadership. Priority will also be given to applicants who have demonstrated high academic achievements especially in their undergraduate degree.
The program aims to empower individuals with the knowledge, skills and qualifications to contribute to the economic, social, and political development of the ASEAN region.
The scholarships are funded by the New Zealand Aid Programme for post-graduate study at New Zealand institutions in the subject areas most needed for the development of your country.
Applications for the 2014 scholarships close on 15 July 2014. Further information, including eligibility and application form, can be found at the New Zealand Embassy website
http://www.aid.govt.nz/funding-and-contracts/scholarships/eligible-countries/philippines
For further queries or clarifications, please contact Ms. Reina P. Lino, NZAS Programme Administrator of Bato Balani Foundation Inc. at (632) 8925462 or e-mail bbfi@diwamail.com.