TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Crop Insurance Crop (PCIC) in the region is providing a P215 million premium subsidy to farmers affected by supertyphoon Yolanda.
PCIC president Jovy Bernabe said that the three provinces in Samar Island got P165 million from the P1 billion funding intended for poorest provinces. Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran provinces got P50 million subsidy.
The initiative shoulders full amount of the premium plus an accident insurance. In the past, the government only shoulders half of the premium cost.
“We are stepping our effort to reach the target of 70,000 farmers who will benefit this crop insurance program this year. Crop insurance is really important because it will protect us if natural calamities happen again,” Bernabe said during the launching of the premium subsidy scheme.
Usually, a farmer pays P890 for every P10, 000 worth of insurance coverage for both rice and corn. The state-owned crop insurance firm also offers 46 types of insurance packages for high value commercial crops.
The P50 million aid for Leyte, Southern Leyte and Biliran farmers and fishermen is part of the P80 million subsidy for Yolanda-affected areas not classified areas in the 20 poorest provinces.
The PCIC’s principal mandate is to provide insurance protection to farmers against losses arising from natural calamities, plant diseases and pest infestations of their rice and corn crops as well as other crops. The agency also provides protection against damage to non-crop agricultural assets. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY- Five major civic organizations in Leyte have joined forces to deliver complementary missions to Yolanda victims.
Rotary Club (RC) of San Juanico, Rotary Club of Kankabato, Junior Chamber International (JCI) Tacloban, JCI Candahug and JCI Tanauan have all agreed to work together through a united fund drive for various projects in Yolanda affected areas.
The five civic organizations came up with a decision that whatever help that they could extend for the survivors of Yolanda, it would be a livelihood project.
Inspired by the move of Rotary and JCI, civic mover and “Haiyan (Yolanda) Chronicles,” local producer Jeff Manibay met with incoming Rotary International District governor Salvador Estudillo, former JCI Regional vice president Domingo Balintong, Jr. and JCI Tacloban president Cheryl Enrica Esperas to explore possibilities for a collaborative undertaking.
In a press conference, in a meeting held last April 12 at Catnetwork studios, Estudillo revealed Rotary Clubs San Juanico and Kankabato both agreed to look for donors to fund club projects in pre-identified areas of the region hit by Yolanda.
He believes Rotary’s vast experience in civic missions can contribute somehow in accelerating the recovery process.
“We have enough civic oriented members to make a difference. But the scale of destruction is so vast we can hardly make a dent. If we can find sources of funding other than ours I believe we can make a lot difference”, Estudillo said.
On the other hand, Esperas sees a need to utilize the youth and fuel their aspirations to contribute in the recovery process. She sees a lot of potential culled from years of experience and recent relief missions in the aftermath of superstorm Yolanda.
“We went as far as Guiuan, Eastern Samar to implement relief missions. Now that it’s done, our members are currently looking for ways to contribute in the recovery phase”, Esperas said.
Estudillo and Esperas both agree on the power of media while Manibay welcomed the need to incorporate civic initiatives into the documentary series.
“This is a good opportunity for us. From five clubs we found an extra hand in The Yolanda Chronicles who will carry our message,” Estudillo said.
Meanwhile Manibay informed that the Haiyan (Yolanda) Chronicles premieres worldwide on May 8, 2014 starting 10am Ph time, 7pm PST and 11PM EST in US & Canada exclusively on-line. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY– The city government of Maasin City is among the three local government units vying this year’s Nutrition Honor Award (NHA), highest nutrition award conferred by the National Nutrition Council (NNC) annually.
This was announced last week by newly- designated Regional Nutrition Program Coordinator for Eastern Visayas Dr. Catalino Dotollo who said that a multi-sectoral member-team will make pre-evaluation in Maasin City during the Holy Week.
Assistant Secretary of Health and NNC’s Executive Director Maria-Bernadette Flores will lead the inter-agency National Evaluation Team (NET) in conducting the validation visits to these LGUs from April to May 2014.
“The NNC-8 gives its full support to the city of Maasin as they vie for nutrition’s highest award. They have passed many resolutions last year in support for the nutrition programs and to engage the people of Maasin to actively participate the local government unit’s nutrition programs,” Dotollo said.
According to Maasin City Mayor Maloney Samaco, they are hopeful they can bag the highest award this year, having worked hard for the good nutrition and the best interest of the pre-school and school-aged children of the city.
Last year, Maasin bagged the Crown Award for the second time with P500, 000 as cash incentive. The cash prize was used to further curb malnutrition and improve the nutrition needs of the children of the city.
“This is a challenge to us because Maasin City has 85,200 population based in the 2010 Census. To have a healthy populace, this is a big nutritional challenge,” Samaco said.
The other LGUs vying for the award are the Ifugao Province in the Cordillera Administrative Region and the municipality of Lal-lo, Cagayan in Region II according to the NNC website.
Annually the NNC honors LGUs that have shown efficient and effective management of their nutrition program consistently for the past five years.
The nutrition programs of the LGUs are expected in the low prevalence of underweight among its pre-school and school-age children.
The awardees of NHA will get a cash prize incentive of P1 million. In 2011, the municipality of Limasawa, Southern Leyte won the Nutrition Honor Award. It was the first for the province and the Eastern Visayas region. (VICKY C.ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Dona Remedios Trinidad Romualdez (RTR) Medical Foundation has donated two farm tractors to the municipal government of Albuera, Leyte.
The donation of the equipment was held last April 14 and was accepted personally by Mayor Ramon de la Cerna who said that the equipment would be of big use to the farmers of the town which also suffered extensive damage of its agriculture sector due to Yolanda.
Ana Margarita Honteveros of the RTR Medical Foundation represented Benjamin Philip Romualdez during the simple turn over rites of the equipment held outside the municipal hall graced by town and barangay officials and several farmers, the intended beneficiaries of the equipment.
The Albuera mayor said that the donation of the two farm tractors was “very timely” considering that the farmers are now in the midst of land preparation.
Aside from palay, planting of sugarcane is also among the principal livelihood of the people of Albuera. However, this sector was also affected by Yolanda.
The tractors would help the farmers in the cultivation of their farmlands and plant vegetables, for example, as their alternative source of income.
de la Cerna said that all farmers of the town, particularly those who suffered losses due to Yolanda, can use the tractors for free.
The municipal government, he said, would shoulder the gasoline expenses and even lend a driver.
It was learned that Mayor de la Cerna made a personal request before the RTR Medical Foundation for the tractors which are guaranteed to help the farmers of the town. (JOEY A. GABIETA)