TACLOBAN CITY – Yolanda survivors in Leyte have accessed P26.64 million worth of benefits through legal assistance provided by the Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services (IDEALS). Lawyer Enrico Asis, area coordinator of the Access to Benefits and Claims after Disaster (ABCD), a major undertaking of IDEALS, said that thousands of families have been provided legal documents which are prerequisite to avail services. “For those people who have been enjoying their rights to education, jobs and housing, we cannot quantify the value of benefits to them,” Asis said in a press briefing. Among the benefits availed by storm survivors were claims from the Government Service Insurance System and insurance firms, loans from the Department of Trade and Industry and Social Security System, shelter assistance from donors, notarization, affidavits and deeds of contracts. Primarily, the NGO has provided legal representation to 140 displaced workers of a luxury hotel, workers of a furniture shop and a farmer’s group. Since December 2013, IDEALS and other international humanitarian organizations have been supporting lawyers in Leyte to carry out the legal mission project in villages where all legal documents were either blown away or swept away by Yolanda’s fierce winds and storm surges. “It all started with a single text I sent to my friends in November asking for office supplies for us to serve their legal needs. That text reached IDEALS and they have started supporting us,” said lawyer Ronan Christian Reposar, who has been practicing environmental law for a decade, before joining the legal aid advocate. He recalled that after the typhoon struck, almost all the people lost their identification cards, bank cards, certificate of ownership, civil registry documents and other papers that would establish their identity. “The need for legal services was enormous, yet some lawyers left the province and many law offices were badly damaged. We used all available resources left to provide legal assistance, even using pens and papers to produce affidavits,” Reposar recalled. Reposar and Asis are just two of the 10 lawyers hired by IDEALS to implement the ABCD project in badly-hit areas in Leyte and Samar. They are backed by 27 paralegals, tasked to draft affidavits, contracts and other documents. “This project changed the impression of poor families about the lawyer profession. They thought their services are very expensive, but the project provided it for free. Basically, we helped in pump priming the profession. It takes a lot of sacrifice for a lawyer to waive service fees,” said Edgardo Ligon, IDEALS executive director. Pamela Palma of Oxfam, one of the humanitarian organizations supporting ABCD, has seen the value for money of their P4 million assistance to the project. “P26 million is just an amount of money. We don’t know exactly the value of assistance and long term benefits to a child entering a classroom and family owning a new house,” Palma added. (PR)
PLAN International sponsored hygiene seminar in villages hit by Yolanda
TACLOBAN CITY- A seminar on water sanitation and hygiene promotion was initiated by the Plan International called “Post -Haiyan Rehabilitation Community Project,” on June 18. The meeting focused on teaching, particularly the sanitation and hygiene committee involving at least 10 participants from Barangays 62 and 62-A in Anibong District, this city. Plan International Wash Specialist, Mel Malgazon said that they are to teach the importance of handwashing, proper usage of toilet and drinking safe water among residents of the two villages, among the hardest-hit areas in Tacloban during the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda on November 8,2013. In addition, he identified diarrhea as one of the most common problems in the two barangays. In addressing with this case he advised every household to exercise the proper water sanitation. (JELLY CARAAN, LNU Intern)
Gov. Ong led N. Samar 49th founding celebration
CATARMAN, Northern Samar- Governor Jose Ong, Jr. led the 49th founding anniversary of the province with series of activities lined up to enliven up the celebration. This year’s founding theme “One Province, One People, reshaping the future through Change,” underscores the effort of the administration of Gov. Ong to improve not only the living condition of the people but the image of the province, one of the most depressed in the country. The founding celebration of Northern Samar, which falls on June 19 coinciding with the 66th birthday of the governor, was highlighted with series of activities lined up starting with a morning program held at the New Capitol Building on June 16 with all the municipal flags of the province’s 24 towns raised. In his anniversary message, Gov. Ong congratulated the people of the province as he urged them to work hand on hand with his administration to bring change in the province. “An selebrasyon mas nga magigin maupay kun an ngatanan nga Nortihanun makakaupod ta san selebrasyon, kay para siton nga more than 50% nga nagkukuri waray kahulugan ini nga selebrasyon kun waray pinanganga-on sin tulo ka beses san kada adlaw. So mao iton an mas dako nga aton hirimuon nga an kakuri-an san probinsiya maibanan basi mas maupay an pag selebrar sini nga anibersaryo. No matter how much we celebrate, we can’t make it meaningful if we can’t bring difference in the life of our poor or majority of Nortihanun. For me, the most important task is to make our province more progressive and reduce poverty specially that we are going to celebrate the golden anniversary of the province (next year),” the governor said. Figure 1 The Festival Parade from Capitol Ground to down town Catarman main streets end at Freedom Park. A Mass was held at the Ibabao Hall of the provincial capitol building followed by a festival parade with the participants coming from various sectors and groups in attendance. At the same venue, a “solidarity lunch” participated by municipal and provincial officials together with the province’s two solons, Emil Ong and Harlene Abayon, was held. An agri-eco-tourism fair at the Sacred Heart Capitol grounds also served as one of the highlights of the celebration. And for this year, 13 young and beautiful ladies coming from different towns of the province vied the crown for this year’s Miss Northern Samar. On the night of June 19, a variety cultural program was held at the Catarman Freedom Park, beginning the countdown for next year’s 50th founding anniversary of the province. Northern Samar was created by virtue of Republic Act 4221 approved by Congress on 1963 which effectively divided the Samar Island into three provinces- (western) Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar. The law was ratified in a plebiscite on June 19, 1965, and two years later, the first officials of Northern Samar were elected. (TITO TEPACE)
Bobon officials commemorated 116th Philippine Independence Day
BOBON, Northern Samar—Mayor Reny Celespara and Colonel Mario Lacurom, deputy brigade commander of the 803rd Infantry Brigade based in Catarman, this province, led in the celebration of the 116th Philippine Independence Day on this town. To mark this year’s Independence Day Celebration, which had a theme “Pagsunod sa Yapak ng mga Dakilang Pilipino, tungo sa Malawakan at Permanenteng Pagbabago”, series of activities were held. At 7a.m., a civic parade was done participated by the local police, soldiers and personnel from the town’s education office, municipal workers, students, barangay officials and even senior citizens. The street parade was preceded by a Mass officiated by Fr. Potenciano Dulay at 5 a.m. Col. Lacurom, in his message during the commemorative program, noted the jampacked covered court saying it is a sign that the people and officials of the town are one and united. “There is no reason why your town could not achieve peace and development,” Lacurom, representing the brigade commander, Col. Hermigildo Aquino, said. Lacurom said that the town of Bobon was recently declared as “ready for peace and development municipality “and ‘manageable and ready-municipality” for its continued peace and development efforts. Meanwhile, Mayor Celespara, in his message of gratitude, challenged town officials and the people to follow the heroes’ footsteps towards a widespread renewal as well as the championing of Filipino cause through programs and activities to improve their quality of lives. “What we have trying to build here is our vision, a developed and peaceful town,” the mayor said. Highlights of the celebration was the hoisting of the Philippine Flag, the singing of the “Bayan Ko” and entertainment from various schools that joined the celebration. Also present were members of the town council led by Vice Mayor Ligaya Uy. (PETER D.PAREDES)
Yolanda not the real reason for the decline of country’s economic growth, biz group said
TACLOBAN CITY – Business group in Eastern Visayas refuted the national government’s recent declaration that super typhoon Yolanda caused the Philippine’s slow economic growth in the first quarter of 2014. In a statement, Eastern Visayas Chamber of Commerce and Industry Robert Castañares, said the economic performance of Region 8, the most badly-hit area by the monster storm last year, was “already at rock bottom, having registered a negative 6.2% growth rate.” “Typhoon Yolanda would not have significantly dragged down our GDP because Eastern Visayas is contributing only 2.3% to it. In fact, we are the only region with a negative growth rate in 2012,” Castañares stated. The EVCCI noted the agriculture and industry sectors in the region were already registering “substantial negative growth rate” even before the storm struck. The farming sector slipped by 3%, while industry sector dipped by 18.5% last year. Economic growth from January to March 2014 is lower than the 7.7% growth in the first quarter of 2013 and the 6.3% growth in the last quarter of 2013. The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said the relatively slow growth is expected, “given the magnitude of storm destruction in production capacity.” “For us, one of the reasons for the huge decline in GDP was the government’s failure to implement big ticket public construction projects. The government will probably not acknowledge it because it will point to the concerned agencies’ inability to procure and implement much-needed projects like airports and railways,” Castañares claimed. NEDA-8 Regional Director Bonifacio Uy said natural calamities was the major factor that dragged the country’s economic performance since it only affected other regions in central Philippines as well. “For coconut, we are one of the major producers and it is one of the badly-hit industries. Production of coconut oil has stopped since late last year until this month. That would significantly weaken the economic performance,” Uy said. The region’s major oil exporters – Tacloban Oil Mills Inc. based in Tolosa and New Leyte Edible Oil Manufacturing, Inc. in Tanauan, both in Leyte, were badly destroyed by strong winds and storm surges, resulting to long-term shutdown. In the first quarter of last year, the region shipped 28,300 metric tons (mt) of coconut oil, contributing 7% of the 379,470 mt total export for the period. For the first three months of 2014, coconut oil shipments declined by 54% to 174,210 mt, according to the United Coconut Association of the Philippines (UCAP). “The region had zero export since November 8, 2013. The actual volume of shipment of oil processed in the region may not be very high, but many of our coconut processors are suppliers of raw material to oil exporters in Luzon and Visayas. That would justify the region’s contribution to economic slowdown,” said Philippine Coconut Authority Regional Manager Edilberto Nierva. (SARWELL Q. MENIANO)
Aquino could suffer similar fate with Erap, Gloria, lawyer said
TACLOBAN CITY-Militant lawyer Argee Guevarra warned President Benigno Aquino that he may see himself at the New Bilibid Prison if he continues shielding his Cabinet members allegedly linked to the multi-billion pesos pork barrel scam which involved over a hundred lawmakers. “He (Pres. Aquino) is accountable, he is not above the law,” Guevarra said during an interview with DzRH on June 12. Guevarra, convenor of the Abolish Pork Movement, added that “if Aquino is serious with his campaign against corruption he should also pursue the allegations of corruption in some of his Cabinet members.” “Aquino’s ‘straight path’ will lead him straight to prison because of his negligence, “he said. Cabinet officials and allies of Aquino tagged in the pork barrel scam include Budget Secretary Butch Abad, Agriculture Sec. Proceso Alcala and Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Sec.Joel Villanueva, among others. Villanueva was charged for malversation of funds in connection of alleged misuse of his pork barrel when was still a congressman. According to Guevarra, Aquino’s job doesn’t only mean running after the opposition party members allegedly involved in the scam but also include making his allies be responsible on the corruption issues being raised. “Ikaw ay maaring humarap sa patong-patong na plunder cases matapos ang iyong termino (You may be facing multiple plunder cases after your term ends),” Guevarra said, also addressing Aquino’s culpability of his Cabinet members being linked to the scam. “If he is not going to correct this, I could see him being thrown into jail. And this would be another national embarrassment, from then President Joseph Estrada and Gloria Arroyo to this new administration, we will see another president being arrested,” he added. (RONALD O.REYES)