3 of 10 families in Eastern Visayas poor in 2021: report
TACLOBAN CITY – At least three out of every 10 families in Eastern Visayas are poor based on the result of the first semester 2021 survey, the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) said.
In a report released by PSA on Feb.3, the poverty incidence among families in the region in the first half of 2021 was estimated at 28.9 percent, slightly lower than the 30.4 percent level recorded in the same period in 2018.
“These families have income that were below (of) amount needed to buy their basic food and non-food needs,” Wilma Perante, PSA Eastern Visayas regional director, said in a phone interview.
A family of five in Eastern Visayas needs at least P11,292 monthly to sustain their basic needs last year. The amount is higher than the P10,163 monthly income requirement in 2018.
“The first semester 2021 data is a reflection of income and spending experiences of families in the region in the past three years. This is also affected by what people have gone through during the pandemic early last year,” Perante added.
The National Economic and Development Authority has yet to come up with an analysis of the latest poverty statistics.
Meanwhile, poverty incidence among families in Eastern Samar was estimated at 36 percent, the highest in the region.
However, the province has shown improvements after it recorded a 43 percent poverty incidence in 2018.
Leyte province maintained its poverty incidence in three years at 31.3 percent.
Samar’s figure dropped to 30 percent from 32.2 percent while Southern Leyte registered a higher incidence from 22.9 percent to 25.5 percent.
Northern Samar province is one of the most improved provinces as poverty incidence dropped to 23.1 percent from 30 percent three years earlier.
On the other hand, poverty incidence among families in Biliran increased to 22.4 percent from 18 percent.
Poverty incidence among families for Tacloban City, the lone highly urbanized city in the region, was recorded at 14.7 percent in the first semester of 2021, higher than the 13.1 percent recorded three years ago.
PSA came up with these figures from the Family Income and Expenditure Survey held every three years.
The study examines the family’s income and capacity to buy basic food requirements based on the 100 percent adequacy for the Recommended Energy and Nutrient Intake, and 80 percent adequacy for other nutrients.
It also looks into the ability of families’ income to provide basic non-food requirements such as clothing and footwear, housing, fuel, light, water, maintenance and minor repairs, healthcare, education, transportation and communication, furniture, household operations, and personal care.(SARWELL Q.MENIANO/PNA)
Cheers, hugs, and bouquets welcome bar takers at DVOREF
TACLOBAN CITY – Cheers and applause and warm hugs.
These were the scenes after the more than 300 bar takers finished the grueling examinations on Sunday (Feb.6) held at the Dr. Vicente Orestes Romualdez Educational Foundation (DVOREF), this city.
Hundreds of family members, relatives, friends, and classmates of the bar examinee waited for them for hours just to give their loving support, some even giving bouquets of flowers.
As part of the protocols set by the Supreme Court, the waiting crowd was not allowed to get near the examination venue.
A fire truck was also sent near a barricade that was put up.
More than 300 examinees took the first regionalized bar examination in the country, where DVOREF is one of the 28 venues identified by the Supreme Court.
It is also the first to use digitalized examination program.
The 2020/2021 bar examinations that were held last February 4 and 6 were postponed for three times due to the surge of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases in the country.
Angela Cabidog, whose son was one of the bar takers, said that she is thankful that finally, the bar examination took place.
“After he passed the CPA board, he told me that he wanted to become a lawyer so I let him, and supported him,” the proud mother said.
“What we did was to pray and update him every time and make sure that he won’t be disturbed so that he can focus for the bar exam,” Cabidog added.
A bar examinee who graduated from San Beda, who asked not to be named, said that she find the questions difficult.
“But it is fulfilling because it is over now,” she quipped.
Conduct of in-person classes in selected schools in Leyte halted as province still under Alert Level 3
TACLOBAN CITY – With Leyte still under Alert Level 3, the conduct of limited face-to-face will be suspended until the alert level is lifted.
This was confirmed by Manuel Albaño, provincial schools superintendent who identified 18 public and private schools across the province that are to conduct the face-to-face classes.
However, with the declaration of the Inter-Agency Task Force placing the entire province under Alert Level 3 until Feb 15, this will need to be temporarily suspended and must wait for it to be lifted.
Leyte was earlier placed by Malacanang under Alert Level 3 beginning Feb.1 and is to end on Feb.15.
The in-person classes among these identified schools are to start once the alert level of Leyte will be downgraded to just Alert Level 2.
Among the public elementary schools that are to implement the limited in-person classes as recommended by the provincial office of the Department of Education (DepED) are Caloogan Elementary School (ES) and Cabarasan Daku ES in Palo; Granja Kalinawan National High School in Jaro; Yapad ES and Manaybanay NHS in Pastrana; Sta. Fe ES; Sogod NHS and Jugaban NHS in Carigara; Victory ES and Cabacungan NHS in Dulag; Danus ES in Leyte town, and Isabel Central School in Isabel town.
Some private schools are also expected to be part of the expanded face-to-face classes.
Albaño added that aside from the mentioned schools, they also visited far-flung schools if they are ready to implement the in-school learning like the public schools in Babatngon and Capoocan towns.
“We tried to visit them, and they are actually ready. As far as we are concerned, these schools are prepared and qualified, but because (our) central office always instructs us not to implement without their go signal, we have to abide,” he said.
For a school to be selected for face-to-face classes, they must belong to a community that has had no active coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases for the last 28 days.
They must also be supported by their respective local government units for the offering of limited face-to-face classes and certified by their rural health units of zero COVID-19 cases.
Ventilation of classrooms must also be improved and with a better lighting.
Classes will also last for only four and a half hours a day.
Prior to the 18 schools, three public elementary schools were selected to pilot the face-to-face classes in Leyte.
These are Dolho ES and Bato Central School in Bato town, and Palo Central School in Palo.
Meantime, of the 17,032 teaching and non-teaching staff at DepEd Leyte, more than 14,000 had already received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccines.
Also, only 35,509 learners from age 12 to 17 out of 397,000 had been administered with the vaccine. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
EV’s top Army official to pols: Don’t use PAGS
M/Gen. de Leon assures of peaceful elections
TACLOBAN CITY- Eastern Visayas top military official has warned candidates not to resort to arm use just to win in the forthcoming elections.
Major General Edgardo de Leon, the commanding officer of the 8th Infantry Division based in Catbalogan City, made this declaration as he vowed for peaceful and orderly elections in the region with the help from the Philippine National Police(PNP) and the Commission on Elections(Comelec).
He said that it is only the members of the government forces who are allowed to carry firearms and while they are on duty.
“We will not allow any political candidate to organize an armed group. If they feel threatened, they can request for a security detail which is subject for evaluation…,” de Leon said on Monday (Feb.7)
“You can engage even in a shouting match so long as there will be no violence, no killing,” he added.
Previous elections in some parts of the region, particularly in Samar province, have been marked with killing and shooting incidents reportedly carried out by private or partisan armed groups and supported by local politicians.
The Army official also said that the arrival of troops last weekend was meant to secure the forthcoming elections across the region and fight against members of the New People’s Army.
Soldiers from the 3rd Infantry battalion of the 7th Infantry Division arrived in Samar last Saturday.
de Leon also assured the public that the 8th ID will remain to be a non-political organization whose loyalty is towards the people and to the nation.
He also dissuades any of his men not to ‘solicit’ any support from those running in this year’s elections to ensure that they will remain neutral.
“Don’t ask for any solicitation from anyone. You can ask from me to avoid any being branded for any political color. Perhaps, after the elections,” he said.
De Leon also said that he will not make any ‘unlawful order’ to any of his men whom he described to be committed, educated, and who follow the rule of engagement.
“I assure you that I will not give any unlawful order to the soldiers. I am guided by law,” he said.