TACLOBAN CITY-The Australian government has upped its financial assistance to the country with an additional 30 million Australian dollars during his visit to this city on March 25.
Ambassador Bill Tweddell said that the additional financial aid to the typhoon-stricken country would help further its effort to rebuild areas hit by the massive disaster almost five months ago.
With the additional aid announced by Tweddell, the Australian aid to the Philippines has now reached to around $70 million.
“We try to be responsive; we try to be generous as a neighbor and friends of the Philippines, to support you in times of disasters…and in the long terms, to mitigate and help ensure the impact of disasters is limited,” Tweddell said.
“In behalf of the Australian government and its people, I am very pleased to announce today that Australia will provide of A $30 million in contributions for recovery and reconstructions activities in areas devastated by typhoon Yolanda,” the ambassador added.
Earlier, the Australian government extended financial of A$40 million in the aftermath of Yolanda for emergency relief.
The Australian ambassador made the announcement before Social Welfare Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and other officials of the regional office of the Department of Social the officials of the Department of Social at the Citi Hardware in Apitong Area.
The Citi Hardware serves as a hub where donated sacks of rice are repacked and distributed to the typhoon victims.
The $30 million fresh financial assistance of the Australian government will be used for the following: A$4 million(P162 million) to help about 450,000 people affected by the typhoon to restore their livelihoods;A$3 million(P121 million) for construction of 75 classrooms and day care centers;A$1 million(P40 million)to help 336 communities in Leyte and Eastern Samar to build back better and be more disaster resilient through multi-hazard mapping, improved land use planning and building codes and establish early warning systems and emergency response teams;A$1 million(P40 million) to various agencies of the United Nations to restock prepositioned supplies, to include dignity kits, rice and high energy biscuits and another A$1 million to help bring in Australian technical experts.
Also, the Australian government will provide A$20 million or more than P800 million to build 500 classrooms in typhoon hit areas, Tweddell said.
Sec. Soliman assured the Australian ambassador and his government that the additional financial assistance extended to the country would be used according to its purpose.
“The additional support that they have announced today will further strengthen our efforts to rebuild and build back better the areas that have been affected by Yolanda…in Tacloban and Leyte and Samar,” Soliman said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

PALO, Leyte – The Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) is keeping the P6.18 billion collection target for Eastern Visayas – slightly higher than last year’s goal – despite losses suffered by businesses in the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda.
BIR Deputy Commissioner Nelson Aspe said that despite negative impacts in the business sector, they remain optimistic to generate more taxes from rebuilding and reconstruction activities.
“There is high demand due to rebuilding activities plus government infrastructure spending. We believe that 25% to 50% of the economy will improve because of government spending,” Aspe told reporters at the sidelines of the 2014 BIR Tax Campaign on March 25.
The official said the target is final and thee regional office is mandated to collect the amount, notwithstanding negative impacts of the storm last year.
“We just work hard by trying to attain the target considering that there are factors that would dramatically increase the collections. However, at the end of the reporting period, if there are factors beyond control, we will probably take some considerations,” Aspe said.
This year’s P6.18 billion target for the region’s six revenue district offices (RDO) is slightly higher than the P6.05 billion in 2013.
Last year, the BIR office here posted a P1 billion shortfall when it only generated P5.01 billion of the P6.05 billion target, according to BIR Regional Director Diosdado Mendoza.
Storm-ravaged Tacloban (northern Leyte) RDO has the lion’s share of the regional target with P2.72 billion, Ormoc (western Leyte) RDO with P1.08 billion, Catbalogan (Samar) RDO with P775.59 million, Catarman (Northern Samar) RDO with P553.34 million, Borongan (Eastern Samar) RDO with P533.17 million, and Maasin (Southern Leyte) with P514. 57 million.
“During the first two months, we set the target for the region as if there was no typhoon last year. I expect that they would not even attain 50%, but they achieved 75 to 80%. This is a very good turnout,” Aspe added.
Director Mendoza, obviously feeling the pressure, said that they would do their best to meet the collection target set by their central office.
“It is given to us and we have to collect. We just need to strictly implement tax laws to achieve the goal,” Mendoza said.
Although the region is heavily dependent on withholding taxes from the national government, but they still have to closely monitor the compliance of storm-hit businesses, the BIR regional chief said.
The tax bureau’s field office here generated almost zero collection from November 8 until end of December in the region especially its revenue district offices in Tacloban, Ormoc, and Borongan.
“Based on our survey, only 25% of businesses in Leyte and Eastern Samar provinces have resumed (their) operations,” Mendoza told reporters.
“Banks were not operating normally, thus affecting the collection even in areas not devastated by Yolanda,” said Mendoza in his first press briefing for almost a year. The BIR regional office has stopped sharing information to Tacloban-based media, heeding an April 22, 2013 memorandum order of BIR Commissioner Kim Jacinto-Henares. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

MAASIN CITY– A simple commemorative program will be staged on March 31 this year for the 493 anniversary of the First Mass held in the historic island-town of Limawasa, Southern Leyte.
A fluvial parade to start from this city to Limawasa will serve as a highlight of the celebration with the arrival of the image of Sr. Sto. Niño and guests led by Bishop Precioso Cantillas of the diocese of Maasin, Southern Leyte Governor Roger Mercado, Representative Damian Mercado, Maasin Mayor Maloney Samaco and other guests, according to Nedgar Garvez, Southern Leyte tourism officer.
The image and delegation is expected to arrive at 7:00 A.M. in the island municipality.
Limasawa Mayor Melchor Petracorta and local officials will welcome the guests at Triana pier as “Sinugdan” dancers of Limasawa will offer a dance ritual in welcoming the Holy Image.
Foot procession follows from Triana port to Magallanes village, a 2-kilometer distance. A 6-gun salute will signal for the start of the Holy Mass to be officiated by Bishop Cantillas.
The officers of the National Commission of Culture and the Arts will launch the Declaration of the Opening of the TAOID Heritage Program in Limasawa.
The Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan planted the Holy Cross at the Magallanes village where the Friar Pedro Valderrama officiated the First Catholic Mass that saw the birth of Christianity in the Philippines.
In historical accounts, the indigenous natives of the island welcomed their guests and showed them their hospitality. The natives were never converted to Catholicism, which may account that until 493 years after the First Mass, the Limasawa island residents of 6,000 remained a mixed of different religions.
After the anniversary mass, a dance that recreates the beginning of the Christianity in the country will be showcased in the Sinugdan Festival (the beginning) followed by the ceremonial tree planting.
The Holy Image of Sr. Sto. Niño is expected to arrive in Maasin City around 5:00 P.M. A foot procession of the faithful around the city follows upon arrival and a welcome Mass will be officiated by Rev. Fr. Jonas M. Mejares, OSA, Rector of the Basilica Del Sto. Niño, Cebu City.
Every year, the people of Limasawa and Southern Leyte celebrate the first Christian Mass in the country. This year, the theme revolves on “Unang Misa sa Pilipinas ug Asia ug ang Sto. Niño: Maoy Naglig-on sa pagtuo ug paglaum sa katawhan taliwala sa katalagman ug kalisdanan,” Garvez said. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)