The night crept with chills when Summit Hotel Tacloban celebrated its appreciation night with “The Addams Family” as the theme to culminate fruitful collaborations and partnerships that have been instrumental to the success of SHT.
The hotel honored the TOP 5 partners who were crucial to its success this year on the horror-themed appreciation night. Ms. Joy De Mesa, director of sales and marketing for Robinsons Hotel and Resorts Group, and hotel senior sales executive Donna Doncillo presided over the awarding. They offered their congratulations to the recipients and said that this year’s appreciation night was SHT’s way of expressing its deepest gratitude to the group and a reaffirmation of a strengthened partnership.
“Tonight, we ought to appreciate all of you. The partnership that we have built through time with everyone in this room is a testament that we have the industry’s back and we are much stronger than ever. Our success is your success, so I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone! We couldn’t have gotten this far without you,” Miss Joy De Mesa said.
The top producers of SHT 2022 are the following:
Department of Education- Leyte Division
Department of Social Welfare and Development VIII
Department of the Interior and Local Government VIII
Environmental Management Bureau VIII
Plan International Inc., Philippines.ternational Inc., Philippines.
Survivors of ‘Yolanda’ marked the 9th year anniversary of its onslaught on Tuesday (Nov. 8) by offering candles and prayers.
TACLOBAN CITY– MARY Juliet Karen could still clearly recall the nearly six hours battle with the world’s strongest storm to hit land, ‘Yolanda’ when it leveled this city and killed over 6,000 people on November 8, 2013.
“Yolanda literally pounded us to the grounds,” said Karen, a cultural worker in the city.
“But it was the hours and days and weeks and eventually years after the typhoon that was the real struggle. The life of surviving, the mental struggles in between,” she said.
As the city commemorated the 9th year of Yolanda on Tuesday (November 8), Karen admitted that “we slowly heal and we continue to pray for guidance, healing and strength to those who needed closures.”
“Our stories are facts and perpetual. We may not be glorified, but we live for those who were perished and for others. That is our purpose,” added lawyer Aljim Denver Arcueno added, recalling his own experience during the onslaught of Yolanda.
In Borongan City, Bishop Crispin Varquez offered a prayer for those who died during the storm.
“For this commemoration, let us continue with binding hopefulness and solidarity in the face of so many challenges coming our way and be thankful to the Lord that we have risen from the horrible destruction that super typhoon Yolanda had brought…We also remember the lives that were spared that they may find comfort and strength in God to rebuild and move forward in their lives,” the bishop said.
In their initiative to continue the conversations on Yolanda, members of Katig Network Inc. held a night of poetry and story-telling to remember those who passed away on that day.
While the Eastern Visayas State University in Tacloban also had their last episode of their “Haiyan Conversations” on the role of media in a disaster, with the main speaker, Albert Mulles, the author of non-fiction novel “Typhoon Haiyan the Untold Story: A Story of Hope and Survival”.
“Yolanda was nine years ago. To some people, it’s long forgotten tragedy. But for those who are here and who lost their loved ones, it would take forever,” said Leyte Governor Jericho Petilla, as he led the provincial capitol employees in honoring the seven provincial government personnel who died during the storm.
“Commemoration is remembering those who perished and those who helped us. Most of all, it is telling the surviving members that we did not forget,” he said.
At the Holy Cross Memorial Garden in Tacloban, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. maintained that “it is important that we come to these commemorations because it is also a demonstration, a manifestation of the strength and the courage of Filipinos.”
“To remind ourselves that Filipinos are brave, that Filipinos are kind, and that Filipinos will conquer all, especially if it is for their community, for their families, and for the land that they love. And now to see Tacloban which has, in fact, we have been hearing this phrase for a long time: this build back better. Tacloban has built back better,” Marcos said in his speech during the city-led commemorative program dubbed “Pagdumdum.”
Aside from Mayor Alfred Romualdez, also present during the event were Leyte Rep. and House Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, local officials, and other survivors.
Since 2013, the government has been implementing the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan and providing affected families with food assistance, cash-for-work programs, and Emergency Shelter Assistance, according to Malacañang.
Yolanda displaced more than 3 million families, destroyed more than 1.1 million homes and properties and recorded P90 billion in damages. (RONALD O. REYES)
Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla said it is important to hold a commemorative program the day the province was pummeled by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ not only to remember those who perished but also to express Leyteños gratitude for those who helped them during those times. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
PALO, Leyte– Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot” Petilla led in commemorating the 9th year anniversary of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that pummeled the province on Tuesday (Nov.8).
The governor and other provincial officials and employees offered prayers and lit candles for the seven employees of the provincial government who died due to Yolanda.
In his message, Petilla said that it is important to commemorate Yolanda every year for people to remember and be thankful that they survived the strongest typhoon in modern times.
“Yolanda was nine years ago. To some people, it’s long forgotten tragedy. But for those who are here and who lost their loved ones, it would take forever,” the governor said during the program held at the new provincial capitol complex, this town.
He added that the commemoration is also a way of thanking people, organizations and countries that sent help to Yolanda-affected areas for their fast recovery and rebuilding.
Petilla emphasized that the disaster taught the people and the government to be ready all the time to any disaster situation.
“We can always be ready but we cannot always prepare enough,” he stressed.
The governor was joined by Vice Governor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier and his wife, Rep, Lolita Karen Javier of the 2nd district and board members Ronan Christian Reposar, Wilson Uy, Raissa Villasin, Maria Corazon Remandaban, and Kathryn “Chinggay” Veloso Kabigting, and provincial government employees.
In Tanauan, the commemoration started with wreath-laying ceremonies at the ‘Surge of Hope’ memorial where more than 300 bodies were buried, and at the mass grave at the town plaza where over 1,000 were buried.
The commemoration in Tanauan was headed by Mayor Gina Merilo with Philippine Information Agency Director General Mon Cualoping as the guest of honor.
In Palo town, the commemoration was highlighted with the episcopal coronation of the Our Lady of Hope of Palo led by Palo Archdiocese Archbishop John Du.
The Our Lady of Hope of Palo symbolizes the ray of hope that has been shed on the province of Leyte by the Virgin Mary and was blessed by Pope Francis during his papal visit to Tacloban and Palo on January 17, 2015. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
A house in Borongan City was gutted down on Wednesday (Nov.9). The fire probers have yet to determine the cause of the fire. (PHOTO COURTESY)
ORMOC CITY– A house in Borongan City was gutted down in a fire incident on Wednesday (Nov.9) with fire probers still to determine the cause.
The fire started on the second floor of the house owned by Allan Limbauan in Barangay A at about 2 pm, Fire Officer 2 Ariel Campo said.
The owner and his wife, are both in Manila with only the caretaker, Mark Albert Sotto, around when the fire broke out.
Sotto, 35, said that he was on the ground floor of the house when he noticed a thick smoke coming from the storage room at the second floor.
Neighbors in the community immediately called the fire station who responded quickly to put off the fire.
The fire, which was declared on first alarm, was controlled at about 6:40 am and was totally out 20 minutes later.
No injury was reported from the said fire but the damage was estimated at P1.8 million.
Meanwhile, fire trucks from the neighboring towns of Balangkayan and Taft arrived in the city to assist in putting off the fire. (ROBERT DEJON)
Ormoc City – Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte 4th District Engineering Office (DEO) has completed the construction of Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) Center in Ormoc City.
The project has a total budget allocation of Php 20 million funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) 2021. The 3-storey building has an overall floor area of 912 square meters and includes 9 classrooms in total which will benefit more than 200 trainees, and a roof deck with provision for water tank.
According to Technical Education and Skills Development Center (TESDC) Administrator Allan O. Nobria, the building will be used for carpentry, masonry and tile-setting courses as these skills are most in demand by construction firms.
“With the completion of this structure, DPWH has provided TESDA personnel and trainees a spacious, reliable building conducive to learning,” said District Engineer Allan D. Eway.
The utilization of said building will eventually lead to more skilled workers and increased livelihood opportunities in the City of Ormoc. (PR)
(I learned later that he reached home that same hour we left the night before). After this, my friend with his company’s pickup brought me home around noon time. Tatay was already there and so was my brother and the carpenters. My wife and kids also were there but we spent the night and the night after at my cousin Doris home in Nula-tula. My first time to take a bath this night and I drank with Lolong the Johnny Walker I brought from home to help me sleep my worries.
Day 5: We just spent the day in Nula-tula and sometime in the afternoon another cousin from Samar came looking for us in the neighborhood, it was raining this day. He brought us grilled bangus and told us that they just came from our home and we should go there at once as Tatay has already agreed to evacuate Tacloban via the airport. So we arrived home in the afternoon and it was planned to leave 4am the following day.
Day 6: As we were about to leave home, a firetruck stopped but later on left us when we heard someone said “ayaw hito kay naka wheelchair”. Apparently, I could have been a burden to them on their way to the airport. We proceeded to the airport in two groups, my family with Tatay and my brother with the carpenters. We were the first to head out as my brother and carpenters secured the windows and doors at home before locking the gates behind them. Just before reaching the bridge in our barangay a white pickup with a Chinese-looking family inside stopped and offered a lift to the airport (4 kms away).
With the help of our neighbors we hurriedly boarded the bed of the pickup to our destination. I thanked the driver of the pickup as we disembarked and asked around where to queue for a flight out of Tacloban. Since we didn’t have tickets, commercial airline was out of the question so we proceeded to lineup for a chance to get on board the PAF C130. We were refugees in our own city and our stay at the airport was worse than anybody could imagine. We were treated by the PAF soldiers like POWs as ordered by their CO a COL. JOSE MIRANDILLA. Whenever a PAF plane arrives we were told by the CO that military dependents were first to board and next the rest of us. However, inside the airport were VIPs who were always the first one to board. We were among those in the front line of the refugees waiting for a ride out of devastation when the CO ordered me and my family to be checked by the PAF doctors outside to validate my obvious disability condition and Tatay’s ailment so we could be allowed to board the next flight out. This was only a scheme of the CO to rid some refugees who were already inside the waiting area for the next flight out.
The young PAF doctor, CPT JUSSEL F PARLAN, who examined us was disgusted over the CO’s action and he hurriedly wrote two medical notes stating that Tatay and I were fit to travel. However, we were not allowed anymore by the CO to be back inside the waiting area for the next flight out instead we were told by him to go to the end of the line outside. In frustration, my brother talked to another PAF officer in the vicinity and convinced him to allow me and Tatay to be back inside the waiting area. While inside, two non-pilot officers were discreetly helping us — CPT Ombao and CPT KALAW, the latter gave us his personal provisions of water and biscuits through another soldier. CPT Kalaw approached me later to tell me that he was only in-charge of security and it was up to the CO who goes on board the PAF C130. However, he added, he has asked a US pilot to accommodate us in their aircraft if ever we don’t get to board the next PAF plane. During this time a PAF GENERAL ROMEO POQUIZ passed by tagging along a soldier with DSLR camera, I tried talking to him about our condition but he only ignored me. At a distance, I observed him wear an elbow sling whenever he was being photographed by the camera-toting soldier. The airfield, aircraft and us refugees were his backdrops. We may have been treated badly by some officers of the PAF but the enlisted men, who were merely following orders, were discreetly sympathetic to the refugees with some even sharing their own water provisions. One of these soldiers was a SGT TOLENTINO. The big sergeant had a very long patience despite being mocked by an effeminate foul-talking young man who, ‘armed and threatening’ the soldier with a camera-phone, wanted to get past the cordon of soldiers. Later at night another PAF officer announced thru a megaphone: Since the foreign media noticed that we didn’t gIve you anything, we are now giving you biscuits and water plus carton to lie on. Fortunately the night was clear with stars above otherwise we would have been wet in the open.
Day 7: We woke up early anticipating our turn to fly out when the next PAF plane arrives. The plane arrived as a soldier searched and led us to hurriedly board the plane with my brother pushing my wheelchair. We arrived Mactan Airbase less than an hour later and were brought to the military hospital as I was on a wheelchair and Tatay was a senior citizen for standard medical checkup. But we begged off to be taken inside for checkup as we were anxious for a clean food and place to finally rest. We hailed a taxi outside the air base and all 6 of us cramped inside, the driver understandably took us despite our smell and dirt. We first went to a McDonalds drive thru for food then proceeded to my brother’s apartment. Our first day outside Tacloban.
