TACLOBAN CITY– The Inflation Rate (IR) in Eastern Visayas has declined to 1.8 percent in September 2020, a report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-8) said.
PSA Regional Director Wilma Perante said in an interview that the 1.8 percent IR in the region is 0.5 percentage point lower than the 2.3 percent IR recorded in August 2020.
“The September 2020 IR of the region, however, is higher by 1.9 percentage points compared with the 0.1 percent deflation in the same period last year,” she said.
Perante reported that the regional IR is 0.5 percentage point lower than the 2.3 percent national average in September 2020.
She said that among provinces, Samar posted the highest IR in September 2020 at 5.3 percent. This figure is 1.0 percentage point higher compared with its 4.3 percent IR in August 2020.
Southern Leyte and Eastern Samar also recorded increases by 0.1 percentage point, resulting to an IR of 3.1 percent and 1.6 percent, respectively
Leyte retained its previous month’s IR of 1.3 percent.
Perante added that the Purchasing Power of Peso (PPP) of the region remained at P0.79 in September 2020. “This PPP implies that the goods and services worth P79.00 in 2012 is worth P100.00 in September 2020,” she said.
She added that the PPP in Northern Samar strengthened by P0.01 compared with its figure in August 2020. Biliran weakened by P0.01, while the rest of the provinces retained their previous month’s PPP.
On the other hand, Perante said, Biliran recorded the strongest PPP at P0.82. Leyte ranked second at P0.81, followed by Southern Leyte at P0. 80, Eastern Samar at P0.77 and Northern Samar at P0.74. Samar posted the weakest PPP at P0.73. (RESTITUTO A.CAYUBIT)
EV inflation rate declined to 1.8% in September
Statement on the disbursement of SSS pensions
The Social Security System (SSS), since October 2020, has been following a new schedule for the disbursement of monthly pensions using the Philippine Electronic Fund Transfer System and Operations Network (PESONet) and other checkless disbursement channels.
The new schedule covers pensioners receiving their pensions through PESONet participating banks, e-wallets, and the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) accredited Remittance Transfer Company/Cash Payout Outlet – M Lhuillier.
Under the new schedule, the said pensioners with dates of contingency from the first to the 15th day of the month will receive their pensions on the 1st day of the pension month (first batch), while those with dates of contingency from the 16th to the last of the month will receive their pensions on the 16th day of the pension month (second batch).
If the credit date falls on a Saturday, Sunday, or a holiday, the pension will be credited to their accounts on the last working day before the Saturday, Sunday, or holiday.
September 2020 pensions
The SSS reiterates that pensions for September 2020 were already released to banks in mid-August 2020. These pensions were schedule to be credited to their accounts on their dates of contingency – the old disbursement schedule.
After receiving the funds from the SSS, some banks are crediting them to their pensioner-clients’s accounts ahead of the scheduled crediting date, which may be, but not limited to, the last week before or the first week of the pension month.
Pensioners, to double-check whether they have already received their September 2020 pensions, are advised to secure a Statement of Account from their depository bank; this could be the pension credited to their account on the 3rd to 4th week of August 2020.
They can also check their Pension Payments History by logging in to their My.SSS account at www.sss.gov.ph. The history can be accessed by clicking on “Inquiry,” followed by “Benefits,” then “Pension Details.”
October 2020 pensions
The SSS has already released all pensions for October 2020 through PESONet and other checkless disbursement channels as well as through the old disbursement method for non-PESONet participating banks and checks.
For releases through the new disbursement method, the SSS through DBP credited the funds to PESONet participating banks and other checkless disbursement channels last October 1 for the first batch and October 16 for the second batch, as scheduled.
November 2020 pensions
Through DBP, the SSS has already credited the first batch of November 2020 pensions to other PESONet banks before 12 noon on october 30, 2020. These PESONet participating banks are expected to make the said pensions available for withdrawal to their pensioner-clients on October 30 onwards.
The SSS is requesting PESONet participating banks to release the said benefit to pensioners as soon as possible if they still have not.
Pensioners are advised to contact their respective depository banks should there be any delay in crediting their pension as the SSS has already disbursed the funds. (PR)
Major Gen. Diñoso promised protection to residents of far-flung barangays from NPAs
BASEY, Samar- Major Gen.Pio Diñoso, the commanding general of the 8th Infantry Division, vowed to protect the residents of this town from the New People’s Army (NPA).
Diñoso made this promise during a dialogue with some residents of remote barangays of the town which are considered to be vulnerable to any recruitment or infiltration by the outlawed rebel group.
According to the Army general, some residents of the town’s barangays are easily enticed to join the rebel group as they though the national government has abandoned them.
But this time, the national government and the Army will provide all needed assistance to them, Diñoso said.
‘I am asking for your forgiveness because we were not able to protect you. We know that you don’t want to support the New People’s Army. You did that because of fear, because they have guns, you supported them because of the absence of military in your place,” he said.
But now that a military camp, the 63rd Infantry Battalion, stationed in Basey, the military official is hopeful that more residents who are supportive to the communist group will change their mind and instead pledge their alliance and support to the government.
“Kung meron pa diyan may agar-agar hindi pa makasuporta dahil iniisip na iiwan na naman namin kayo, huwag kayong mag-alala, ang 63rd IB ay hindi kayo iiwan. Nagpapasalamat kami sa inyo dahil binigyan niyo kami ng tiwala na kami talaga an inyong tagapagtanggol,” Diñoso said.
At least nine villages in the municipality are chosen to be part of the RCSP (Retooled Community Support Program) which aims to identify issues and concerns in remote communities which are threatened by the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), and the NPA.
These villages are San Fernando, May-it, Sawa, Old San Agustin, Gintigui-an, Villa Aurora, Pilit, Balante, and Inuntan.
More than 430 residents of these villages received food packs and hygiene kits distributed by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) during the visit made by different government officials last week.
The OCD also distributed nine generators that will be used by the villages when they experience power interruption and after calamity and disaster.
National government agencies and the local government units had also provided the nine villages services like medical and dental mission, mass wedding, feeding program, and they also help residents who have problem in land titling.
During the five months deployment of the RCSP team in the nine villages, military and police personnel learned that among the major issues that needed by the residents of these villages are better access road, water supply for their farm, and potable water for every household.
Diñoso said that the government troops was able to gather this information due to cooperation of the villagers and partnership with other government agencies and the local government unit.
“Dati ang Army, ginagawa ang lahat ng trabaho ng ibang ahensya, ngayon nandidito na sila. Akala namin kaya namin na kami lang, hindi pala. Yan ang maraming leksyon na natutunan namin sa insurgency at counter-insurgency. Nakita namin na hindi ito magagawan ng solusyon ng isang ahensya lamang, dapat buong bureaucracy ng gobyerno na we will adopt the whole-of-nation approach,”he said.
Diñoso added that now that the town is close to attaining peace, maintaining it should not depend to government forces but to the people in the community.
He asked residents of the nine villages to continue supporting the government and condemn the deception of the communist group for their place to become progressive and more developed. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Remembrance and Lessons
Remembrance and Lessons: With a fine weather, families and friends of the victims of Supertyphoon Yolanda started visiting the mass grave at Holy Cross Memorial Garden in Tacloban City on their 7th year death anniversary last Sunday, November 8, 2020.
Simultaneously, a mass organized by the city government of Tacloban was celebrated in honor of the fallen Taclobanons. Right after the mass, Celebrant Fr. Willy Vallar and the ministers led the blessing of the grave.
Mayor Alfred Romualdez reiterated the lessons of the devastation. In his message, he stressed that while it is important to strengthen our Christian faith, it is also important to take strides in lessening the impact of climate change.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Mayor Romualdez expresses confidence US will return to Paris climate change agreement with Biden’s election
‘Yolanda’ considered as climate-change induced typhoon
TACLOBAN CITY-Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city expressed his hope that now that the United States has a new president, the world’s super power would resume its commitment on Paris climate change agreement.
Romualdez made this remark as the city marked the seventh year of the onslaught of Super Typhoon “Yolanda” on Sunday (Nov. 8) as scientists and experts have said that the massive typhoon was climate change-induced.
On Sunday (Philippine time), former vice president and Democratic candidate Joe Biden was declared as the winner against reelectionist Pres. Donald Trump.
Upon the order of Trump, the United States withdrew from the Paris climate change agreement effective Nov. 5 this year.
But Biden vowed to return to the Paris climate change agreement once he gets the White House.
“I hope the United States will go back and really push for the (Paris) climate change agreement because it was not given emphasis and importance under the administration of Pres. Trump,” Romualdez said in an interview.
“I don’t have a personal choice. I just speak on the issue,” he added.
According to the city mayor, climate change mostly affects the world’s poor countries like the Philippines reason addressing it should be given a top priority.
Former US vice president Al Gore, considered as among the leading personalities in the world in fighting against climate change, visited Tacloban last March 12,2016.
Yolanda killed more than 2,200 people in the city and almost P10 billion worth of properties, both public and private, were damaged or destroyed in the city.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
EV marks 7th year of Yolanda’s onslaught
Commemorative programs restricted due to COVID-19 pandemic
TACLOBAN CITY-Unlike in previous commemorations of the onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ this year’s anniversary-its seventh- was almost without notice.
The city government and other parts of the region were restricted to conduct the usual activities which involved mass gatherings during the commemoration of Yolanda’s onslaught due to the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Last Sunday(Nov.8) marked the 7th year anniversary of Yolanda’s wrath that resulted to the death of more than 6,000 people with still thousands more remain missing.
But despite of the restrictions, Norie Dosol,59, still managed to visit the mass burial grounds located in Barangay Basper where she believes her 17- year old son, Ronnie, could have been buried.
The city’s more than 2,200 people who died due to the wrath of Yolanda were buried at the mass grave with those who have lost their loved ones ‘chose’ a particular tombstone as where they believed their loved ones could have been buried.
“I don’t really even know if he was indeed buried here but having a place where we could visit him somehow give us a sense of comfort,” Dosol, who was joined by her three children and a granddaughter, said.
They placed three pieces of white candles at the top of the grave as they silently offered prayer to his son.
According to her, her son Ronnie, the sixth among the 11 siblings, went to report for his first day of work on November 8, the day the super typhoon struck the city seven years ago.
“He was so happy that finally he has a work but we did not realize it would be our last time to see him,” the still grieving mother said.
Ronnie worked in a beach resort located in Barangay 88, San Jose district, considered the worst-hit area in the city due to Yolanda.
They never found his body and just believed that he was among those buried at the mass grave.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who led the simple commemoration held at the mass grave marked with a Mass and candle lighting, again expressed his gratitude to the international community and other those who extended their assistance to the people of the city, making its recovery quite fast.
He also said that today’s commemoration is a thanksgiving to God for giving the people a ‘second chance’ to live.
Romualdez said that he hopes that seven years since Tacloban was devastated by the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland, the people have learned their lessons that the massive typhoon was a product of mankind’s destruction to Mother Nature.
Romualdez has also called the people of Tacloban to extend their cooperation now that the city is facing another pandemic that has already claimed 15 lives.
Tacloban, with 959 total cases of COVID-19, is under general community quarantine which restricts the movements of the people.
On the night of the anniversary, people lighted candles at their doorsteps and in the streets as their way of giving honor to those who died due to Yolanda blamed mostly of the storm surge that slammed to houses and buildings.
Elsewhere, the local governments of Palo and Tanauan, two towns in Leyte that were also devastated by Yolanda, also held simple ceremonies on Sunday.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla spearheaded a simple remembrance program for those who perished due to Yolanda held at the provincial capitol building.
“In this commemoration, we remember and offers our thoughts and prayer to the victims who died and we also offer our thoughts to those who survive, especially our provincial government family who despite the fact that we are also victims of the super typhoon we still report to work, even we have to walk from our home to the office due to absence of transportation,” he said in his message.
Petilla joined by Vice Governor Carlo Loreto and other officials of the provincial government, offered flowers and candles to those killed by Yolanda.
In Palo town, a similar program was held led by Mayor Frances Ann Petilla and her husband, Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla.
An Waray Rep. Florencio ‘Bem’ Noel also joined the said commemorative program as well as those held at the nearby towns of Tanauan and Alangalang.
In Guiuan town, Eastern Samar where the first landfall occurred, a Mass was held to give honor and respect of those who died due to Yolanda.
Meantime, Archbishop John Du, in his message, said that despite of the tragedy, those who survived the onslaught of Yolanda have something to be thankful to the Lord.
“As we commemorate the disaster that has claimed thousands of lives, destroyed heavily our properties, and instilled much fear in us, the super typhoon Yolanda, we can only look back with much lamentation,” Du said.
“But as we pray to our brother and sisters who perished we also thank the Lord for the blessing that poured in and helped us to recover from our loses.May our experience of the super typhoon remind us to put our trust in God always and help us to be more generous to those who are in need,” the archbishop added.