TACLOBAN CITY– A leading humanitarian and development organization has urged local governments in the country “to shift from reactive spending to a proactive approach by utilizing local calamity funds, also known as the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Funds (LDRRMF) effectively.”
“We cannot afford another Yolanda devastating people’s lives. We learned the hard way that the best way to reduce the impacts of a climate crisis is by preparing early for an imminent disaster,” Oxfam Pilipinas Executive Director Erika Geronimo said.
The group’s call came as the country commemorated the 10th year of Super Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), which affected more than 14 million people across 46 provinces on November 8, 2013.
Citing their new study entitled “Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund Utilization Patterns and Opportunities for Improvement,” it said that local government units (LGUs) “tend to spend their 30 percent quick response funds (QRF) in response to actual disasters but are less likely to spend a significant portion of the 70 percent disaster preparedness and mitigation fund.”
It will be better if local governments proactively utilize their 70 percent mitigation/preparedness funds that do not require a declaration of State of Calamity instead of merely expending their 30 percent QRF when disaster strikes, it said.
The report cited the annual audit reports of the Commission on Audit, which pointed out a chain of delays from plan submission to liquidation of funds, resulting in the annual accumulation of unspent funds.”
“It added that this bureaucratic inefficiency means that a substantial portion of funds that could have been spent on enhancing community disaster preparedness remains unspent, resulting in fewer investments to address the disproportional impacts of disasters on vulnerable groups,” the humanitarian group said in a statement.
Oxfam Pilipinas reminded LGUs that they “must listen to the voices of communities and co-create solutions to reduce risks and impacts of disasters before they even happen.”
“We should ensure that our humanitarian response helps communities prepare for the next disaster,” Geronimo said.
Meanwhile, the group encouraged local officials to also “prioritize the nuanced and differentiated needs of women, girls, persons with disabilities, indigenous people, the elderly, the youth, and people of diverse sexual orientations, gender identities, expressions, and characteristics (SOGIESC).”
“Their active participation in all stages of decision-making ensures that any humanitarian response is appropriate and builds more resilient communities,” it said.
“Inclusive and community-based disaster preparedness, along with anticipatory actions such as pre-disaster cash assistance, are effective strategies to reduce the devastating effects of the climate crisis,” added People’s Disaster Risk Reduction Network Executive Director Esteban Masagca.
Oxfam Pilipinas and its partners maintained that anticipatory action programs “have influenced government policies and actions to act preemptively when predetermined triggers are met.” (RONALD O. REYES)
NSSDEO, Brgy. Burabud, Laoang, N. Samar– The Department of Public Works and Highways Northern Samar Second District Engineering Office (DPWH-NSSDEO), spearheaded by OIC-District Engineer Charlito S. Carlobos and OIC-Assistant District Engineer Arthur Eric L. Sabong, has completed the Construction/Upgrading/Rehabilitation of Drainage along Laoang-Calomotan Road, Northern Samar, which mitigates flooding and improve infrastructure resiliency.
The construction of drainage has a big impact to the travelling public, where the primary goal is to mitigate the risk of flooding during heavy rainfall and can enhance the resilience of infrastructure such as roads, buildings, and utilities. Additionally, this project can effectively manage stormwater runoff, the potential causes of erosion and waterlogged foundations. It can also lead to increased operational efficiency and decreased maintenance costs in the long term.
On the other hand, the completed project was supervised by Project Engineer Christian Dave Pangandoyon under contract with CDU Construction with a total contract amount of Php 2,910,475.74 million funded under DPWH-Regular Infrastructure Program of General Appropriation Act (GAA) of CY 2023. The scope of work involved the construction of 11.30 meters Double Barrel RCBC cross drainage at K0794+882.30 with Contract ID No. 23II0008.
This project will benefit road users traversing the Laoang-Calomatan Road and support positive impact of the economic activity in the area. The end-users of this project are rest assured that they can pass through even in times of rainy season by reducing the risk of floods and damage to property.
DPWH pursues its goal and objectives to provide resilient infrastructure and mitigate risks during devastating impacts of natural phenomenon affecting the livelihood and properties of the people located within the area. (RONEL L. GALUPO, PIO STAFF)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Samar State University (SSU) Deer emerged victorious in the championship battle against the Southern Leyte State University (SLSU) at the Eastern Visayas Collegiate Athletic Association Season 2.
SSU proves their superiority over SLSU with their 89 points making it difficult for Kingfisher to overtake the lead of the Deer ballers and settle with 71 points during the championship battle at the Tacloban Astrodome on Sunday (Nov 12).
Rogelio Tolipas Jr., was awarded the best player of the game award for his 22 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists.
He was SSU’s most valuable asset in the game that resulted for their team to be proclaimed as EVCAA Season 2 champions. He was also awarded as defensive player of the game.
As EVCCA Season 2 champion, SSU won P100, 000 cash prize, medals, and a trophy.
These were handed over to them by Commission on Higher Education chief education program specialist, Engr. Socorro Q. Ramos; chief administrative officer, Marcelo M. Uy; deputy secretary general for operations of Tingog party-list, Jonathan Calvara;and and EVCAA Commissioner Julius Ross Abuda Lacaba.
Chosen for the EVCAA Season 2 Mythical 5 were Tolipas and his brother Aj, along with SLSU Kingfishers Melvin Malatag, EVSU Eagles, Jose Maraviles, and NwSSU Lions, Hanson Menterola.
Menterola was also awarded as the EVCAA Season 2 most valuable player.
Meanwhile, Arron Espinas from the Mighty SLSU Kingfishers was awarded as EVCAA Season 2 Coach of the Year award. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
10th YEAR. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. graces the 10th year anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ on Wednesday (Nov.8) with the commemorative program held at the astrodome, once home to thousands of people who lost their houses due to Yolanda. Among those present were Senator Mark Villar.(ALFRED ROMUALDEZ FACEBOOK)
On the 10th year ‘Yolanda’ anniversary
10th YEAR. President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. graces the 10th year anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ on Wednesday (Nov.8) with the commemorative program held at the astrodome, once home to thousands of people who lost their houses due to Yolanda. Among those present were Senator Mark Villar.(ALFRED ROMUALDEZ FACEBOOK)
TACLOBAN CITY-President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. led in the 10th year anniversary of the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ on Wednesday (Nov. 8) here in the city, considered the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
But due to bad weather, the President was not able to offer his prayers and flowers at the ‘Yolanda’ monument, where the names of the more than 2,200 people from the city who perished due to Yolanda were inscribed.
Still, the President urged those who perished due to Yolanda should not to be forgotten as he again expressed his doubt as to the real number of persons who died when Yolanda smashed its full fury to the city, in particular, 10 years ago.
“The devastation we suffered included over 6,000 lives lost, over 28,000 injured, over a thousand missing, and over three million families affected. And to this day, we still do not know the true scope of our loss because we grieve and we mourn those of our dead,” he said in his speech during the commemorative program held at the astrodome, which served as an evacuation center and temporary shelter for the typhoon victims.
“So, even if that is the case, let them not be unremembered. So, when we grieve and when we mourn for our dead, keep a special place in your heart for those who have not been known to have gone but we know in our hearts, we know the loss that we feel. Let us always pray for them,” he further added.
Mr. Marcos, in his speech, also acknowledged the pivotal role played by the international organizations, various governments, and local aid groups for coming to the city during those times as they extended the needed assistance to the typhoon survivors.
“I know that everyone here had a part to play in the recovery but we cannot overstate the importance of the efforts of the different countries who came to the Philippines to assist – the NGOs, the international NGOs, the local NGOs that came and helped with the rebuilding and the rehabilitation and the recovery,” he said.
“You stayed with us and stayed with us for years until you could see that we had recovered. And for that, we owe you a debt of gratitude that we will never be able to repay,” he added.
He further said: “So, to all the national leaders, all the local leaders, then and now, the private sector, the international [and] local organizations, volunteers, [and] donors: Accept our eternal gratitude.”
Among those present were representatives of different international and local humanitarian groups that came to Tacloban.
Chinese Ambassador Huang Xilian and Thailand Ambassador Tull Traisorat were among the dignitaries who also witnessed the commemorative program.
The President arrived at the venue at around 9:21 am and was welcomed by Leyte congressman and Speaker Martin Romualdez, and Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
Both local officials, cousins of the President, expressed their gratitude for Mr. Marcos coming to the event, the second time since he assumed the presidency in 2022.
Also present were Senators Mark Villar and Francis Tolentino, Special Assistant to the President Antonio Lagdameo, Environment Sec.Maria Antonia Loyzaga, Interior Sec.Benhur Abalos, and Housing Sec.Jose Rizalino Acuzar.
In his speech, the President also directed the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority ‘to accelerate the provision of housing units and land titles to our beneficiaries.”
“But the work is not done, there are still many who continue to await our assistance. So, we have engaged the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the National Housing Authority to accelerate the provision of housing units and land titles to our beneficiaries,” he said”.
“I also urge the Yolanda Response Clusters to work closely with concerned local governments to address the lingering issues of the different affected communities. Let us continue to work hard so that we can provide them with the tools and the resources to rebuild their lives,” he said.
During the event, Mr. Marcos also led in the handing of certificates of ownership to nine housing beneficiaries.
Based on the records of the NHA regional office, out of the 69,969 housing units it was tasked to build in areas hit by Yolanda in Eastern Visayas, 51,857 units have been completed of which 40,393 are now occupied by the recipients or 77.89 percent.
Meantime, several local government units pummeled by Yolanda also observed the 10th year anniversary with masses and offering of flowers for the departed due to the monstrous typhoon.
But for Guiuan, Eastern Samar Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan, the ‘mourning’ period is over adding that they are more concerned in development of their town.
“After the storm, the sun shines in Guiuan. Guiuan has recovered and built back better. We are better off now than before Yolanda-the lesson learned from that devastation is what makes us going,” she said.
It was in Guiuan that Yolanda made its landfall, killing 101 people with 16 missing and P7.6 billion estimated damages.
Survivors of the typhoon who lost their loved ones offered their prayers and flowers at the Holy Cross cemetery in Barangay Basper where the mass grave was put up by the Tacloban city government weeks after Yolanda unleashed its fury.
Nerissa Estrada and Juvilyn Tañega, who used to live in Sitio Alimasag in Barangay 88, San Jose, the hardest-hit village in the city, were among those who visited the mass grave.
Both said that while they were not able to find their loved ones who died due to Yolanda, they hoped that they were among the 2,200 persons buried there.
Estrada, who lost her mother, sibling, and son, offered her prayer and candles in a graveyard which she is not sure if her loved ones were actually buried there.
The mass grave was made hastily to avoid the possible spread of disease at that time reason there were no identifications of the dead persons.
TACLOBAN CITY– Senator Mark Villar vowed to the Taclobanons that he will always be ready to help them in all efforts for the total recovery of the city.
The senator made this commitment as he attended the 10th-year commemoration of the onslaught of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ last Wednesday (Nov.8) at the Tacloban Convention Center or astrodome.
Villar also said that he was glad to notice that 10 years after, the city and its people have recovered though there are still a lot of things to do for it to have a total recovery.
“To all the people of Tacloban, you can rely on my support for the rehabilitation and aid programs of the government para sa tuluyang pagbangon ng ating mga kababayan dito sa Tacloban,” the senator said.
When he was the secretary of the Department of Public Works and Highway, Villar continued to oversee the construction of the tide embankment project which will serve as a protection against possible occurrence of storm surges.
In his speech, Pres. Ferdinand Marcos, the main guest during the anniversary program, praised the senator for his help to the people of Tacloban and the rest of the region.
Meantime, Senator Villar expressed his sympathies to Yolanda survivors who have lost their loved ones due to the massive typhoon.
“Ako po ay lubos na nakikiramay sa mga kaibigan at pamilya ng mga nasawi sa Typhoon Yolanda. Sampung taon na po ang nakalipas but I know that the pain of losing your loved ones and your homes still brings great agony to all of you,” he said.
In Tacloban alone, government data says that more than 2,200 people were killed due to Yolanda. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA, JOEY A. GABIETA)
As part of a preparation for a possible occurrence of a major earthquake, a drill was conducted in Tacloban City on Thursday (Nov.9) with City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and DOST Sec.Renato Solidum in attendance. Photo shows elementary pupils joining the simulation act using the dock, cover, and hold actions. (Photo Courtesy)
Part of the drill
As part of a preparation for a possible occurrence of a major earthquake, a drill was conducted in Tacloban City on Thursday (Nov.9) with City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and DOST Sec.Renato Solidum in attendance. Photo shows elementary pupils joining the simulation act using the dock, cover, and hold actions. (Photo Courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY – The scenario for the 4th quarter National Earthquake Drill: a 7-magnitude earthquake hit the city and other parts of the country, triggering a tsunami warning issued by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and Department of Science and Technology Secretary Renato Solidum, together with Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion, jointly pushed a button to signal the start of the earthquake drill held at the grounds of the City Hall.
Dock, cover, and hold were observed after the siren alarm was heard.
In Tacloban, the ‘earthquake’ has resulted in the toppling of several buildings, electrical posts, trees, cell sites, walls, houses and establishments, and roads and bridges.
A tsunami alarm was raised due to the strong quake.
An advisory was issued that a 5-meter tsunami may hit the city due to the earthquake resulting in raising an evacuation procedure for residents living along coastal areas to higher grounds.
City government employees had also evacuated to safer grounds along with school children at Rizal Central School, which faces Cancabato Bay, were evacuated to the City Hall grounds which is located on the top of a hill.
After the earthshaking and tsunami hit the city, a command post was established for proper coordination, and a search and rescue operation was commenced by personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, and the Philippine National Police.
While the drill was being conducted, heavy rain occurred which caused the participants to get wet but this did not stop the activity.
In his closing message after the earthquake drill, Sec. Solidum said that the drill incident in Tacloban was one of the best scenarios they saw in an earthquake drill as he emphasized the importance of preparedness before a calamity and disaster hit by ensuring that buildings, houses, and other structures can withstand strong earthquakes.
“It is really important that buildings will follow (the building) code and must be inspected regularly,” Solidum said, adding that the local government must make sure that people are out of the danger zone before the arrival of tsunami waves.
“It is really important that we prepare for it. It is important for people living in danger to identify safe zones and that they need to identify it quickly so that can be saved,” Solidum said.
He added that the agency had several technologies, devices, instruments, and applications that could help local government and the community to respond better when calamities and disaster happens.
These include the “How Safe Is My House” Mobile App, FaultFinder mobile app to know where fault lines are located, HazardHunterPH for one-stop shop hazard assessment, and the PlanSmart, which is an app that will empower local government units to formulate their Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (RRP) faster and improve decision-making and planning for pre- and post-disaster events.
OCD Director Torrecarion, when asked for this assessment, said that they saw several lapses in the earthquake drill which include response time and the use of new technologies for better communication.
“All these skills that we have are perishable skills, so if we don’t do regular training then we are bound to fail, but so far as to response time we saw that we still need to improve it a little more,” Torrecarion shares.
Torrecarion added that the drill is very timely since it was held a day after the region commemorated the 10th year of super typhoon Yolanda’s devastation on Wednesday (Nov. 8). (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
