TACLOBAN City- Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin of this city remained hopeful of a “united” 14th Sangguniang Panglungsod (SP).
“I’m hoping that we will be able to rise above and beyond our political differences,” Yaokasin told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
Six councilors, Leo Bahin, Steve Brian Granados, Dalisay Erpe, Evangeline Esperas, Aimee Grafil and Dr. Elvira Casal are considered to be allies of Mayor Alfred Romualdez while Councilors Jose Mari Bagulaya, Edmund Edward Chua, Rachelle Erica Pineda, Nikki Chua as well as Sangguniang Kabataan city federation president Thomas Diaz and Association of Barangay Chairmen president Eden Chua Pineda are considered to be members of the opposition in the city council.
In his inaugural speech, Yaokasin said: “Let us act like true leaders of Tacloban: servants, not spectators; contributors, not critics; doers, not destroyers. As we begin the work of leading and serving our city, may these principles bind us together and guide us in this august body: mutual regard for one another; genuine humility of spirit; respect for each other’s views; a willingness to work hard and work together for the common good.”
Meanwhile, a “movement for pro-people change” in Tacloban challenged the new officials and adopt what they called their 12-point people’s agenda.
‘Gios Taclobanon Kita an Pagbabag-o’ along with progressive group Bayan Eastern Visayas formally submitted their demands to the new set of city councilors on July 5 after lobbying their agenda to council during the July 3 inaugural session.
In its 12-point agenda, Gios Taclobanon Kita an Pagbabag-o urged the new city officials to “release a moratorium for all the demolition cases within the city, to distribute land title and ownership to Yolanda housing beneficiaries, to halt the jeepney phase-out scheme so as to review the anti-MCH (motorcab for hire) drivers and commuters scheme, release immediate aid for the agriculture sector, repeal the existing comprehensive land-use plan and provide the marginalized sector in Tacloban City a bigger voice in the decision-making and formulation of laws and rules in the city.”
The groups challenged the council to listen to their demands and push for a pro-people legislation.
Yaokasin admitted that “there is still so much to be done to uplift the lives of our fellow Taclobanons,” following the 2013 super typhoon Yolanda that devastated the city.
Six years after Yolanda, survivors at the northern resettlement sites have complained of the lack of water supply, electricity, livelihood support, and “substandard” housing. (RONALD O. REYES)
Yaokasin hopeful for ‘united’ Tacloban city council
Leyte launches automated system for teachers’ notices of step increment
GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- Teachers and personnel from the Department of Education (DepEd) in Leyte Division will no longer need to submit documents after every three years of service for the increments in their salary following the automation system of their Notices of Step Increment (NOSI).
Jose Mariano Barril Jr, human resource management officer, said the division through the leadership of Superintendent Ronelo Al Firmo started the automation system in June.
“It will be the personnel section who will automatically produce the said documents for its employees. The only thing that the employees will submit are the latest pay slips for the purposes of submission to the Regional Office so that said increments will be included in the payroll,” Barril said.
According to Barril, the move is part of harnessing the Personnel Section’s Project MIS DepEd Leyte (Management Information System for DepEd Leyte Division Employees) and their way of welcoming the teachers of Leyte for the new school year.
“Further, employees in DepEd Leyte should expect more innovations and improvements in the systems and processes of DepEd Leyte, more specifically in the Personnel Section in the coming months,” added Barril.
He said the division will also automate the service records of teachers “so that request can be online and teachers from as far as Matalom or Villaba no longer need to visit the office personally and spend for their transportation.”
While saying that their system is not the first in the country, he maintained that for an “extra-large division” like Leyte, the task to automate “is quite daunting but we made strides to realize it.”
Also, the division is holding a regular induction program-cum-orientation for newly-hired teachers as an offshoot of the Teacher Orientation and Personnel Induction to the Career Service (T.O.P.I.C.S) program of the Personnel section in line with its banner project “Management Information System and other Integrated Services for DepEd Leyte Employees “ (Project: MISIS DepEd).
Meanwhile, applicants for teaching and promotion in the division continue to avail the “New Doors” or Nurturing Employees Welfare thru the Division’s Objective Open Ranking System, a breakthrough in hiring system in DepEd-Eastern Visayas region.
The open ranking system allows the applicants to see for themselves the evaluative assessment of their documents by different committees before they will undergo an interview and examination.
To maintain transparency, an applicant will be given an opportunity to see the rating which he or she garnered before confirming it.
Applicants who earned the required number of points will be included in the Registry of Qualified Applicants (RQA).
“Equal opportunity, fairness, objectivity, transparency and team work. All these capsulized in one significant innovation- New Doors. The passion and love of each committee member toward their services is very evident which made each aspirant to keep pushing and reach the end,” said Freddie Timon, a head teacher III applicant.
Institutionalized in July 2017, the New Doors was made possible through the initiative of Firmo, along with his Assistant Schools Division Superintendents Marilyn Siao and Edgar Tenasas and division personnel.
Leyte Division has over 17,000 teachers assigned in 40 towns in the province. (RONALD O. REYES)
Leyte town faces upsurge of dengue fever cases
By: ROEL T. AMAZONA
STA. FE, Leyte –The municipal government here is facing a serious problem on dengue fever with more than 100 people, mostly children, have been affected by the mosquito-causing ailment.
As part of their campaign to contain further spread of dengue fever, the municipal health office, aside from a heightened information campaign, has proposed for the procurement of a misting machine that aims to kill breeding places of the mosquitoes causing the disease.
The municipal health officer, Dr. Rowena De Veyra, said that based on their record, there are about 120 people, and 90 percent of them were children, who were affected by dengue fever since May 15 until this week.
Fifteen out of its 20 barangays have confirmed dengue fever cases.
The villages of San Juan, San Roque and Milagrosa were the first to report dengue problem on their areas.
Based on the record of the Municipal Health Office, San Juan has the most number of dengue cases with 39 cases followed by Milagrosa with 25 and San Roque with 12 cases.
Dr. De Veyra said that while there is an upsurge of dengue fever in their town, they have yet to have any reported death due to the ailment.
“That’s our consolation. The parents themselves bring their children to our office for examination of their children who are experiencing some fever,” she said, citing one of the manifestations of dengue fever.
The town council, presided by Vice Mayor Ismael Lantajo, conducted a special session on Thursday (July 11) has agreed to the suggestion of De Veyra to procure misting machine.
They also defer earlier plan to place the town under a state of calamity just for it to use part of its calamity fund in procuring the misting machine.
“During the deliberation, the municipal council members learned that there is no longer need to declare a state of calamity just for the municipal government can procure the misting machine,” Lantajo said.
Instead of declaring a state of calamity, the municipal council suggested for the local disaster risk reduction management council (LDRRMC) to convene for it to recommend to Mayor Amparo Montesa to approve for the release of fund needed to procure a misting machine.
“The LDRRMC will have to convene and will make a resolution authorizing the mayor to use the emergency fund to procure a misting machine, then they will forward it to the council so that we can authorize the mayor,” Lantajo said.
A misting machine is use as preventive measure in the fight against mosquito-borne dengue disease just like the fogging machine which is used to kill, or ‘knock-down’, any adult dengue mosquitoes that may be carrying the dengue virus.
Although the fogging machine is more effective, it is more costly than a misting machine, Dr.de Veyra said.
The Department of Health has reported that since the start of the year until last week, there were 4,550 dengue fever cases across the region with 19 deaths.
Last year of the same period, there were only 3,913 dengue fever cases in the region.
John Paul Roca,DOH-8 regional information officer, said that while the number of dengue fever cases in the region for the first seven months of the year is higher compare to last year of similar period, they are not moving to declare a state of calamity in the region due to dengue.
“We believe that our local government units are still in the position to contain the menace of dengue fever in their respective areas,” Roca said.
Nutrition Month highlights proper diet, physical activity
TACLOBAN CITY- Concerned by rising cases of lifestyle diseases, the Department of Health (DOH) and National Nutrition Council (NNC) has emphasized the value of proper diet and more active physical activities for better health.
On Friday(July 5), hundreds of government officials and representatives from the private sector gathered at the Leyte provincial capitol grounds here to join the advocacy meant for all ages.
Department of Health Eastern Regional Visayas Director Minerva Molon said the advent of technology and fast food craze have changed the dietary behavior and physical activities of Filipinos.
“The abundance of technology now available to most children discourages them from participating in more traditional physical activities needed to stay healthy. Most parents allow children to use gadgets to pacify them because they’re busy,” Molon said.
The DOH Region 8 chief also noted that people are more inclined to patronize fast food chains since it is readily available in just a few minutes.
She warned that food with high sugar, fat, or salt content and low nutrient value can cause non-communicable diseases, which are included in the top leading causes of sickness and deaths in the region.
NNC Regional Program Coordinator Catalino Dotollo said this year’s Nutrition Month theme aims to promote the consumption of healthy diets, increased physical activity, and reduced sedentary behavior through activities of daily living among individuals and families.
“The campaign encourages the food industry including farmers, manufacturers, distributors, and food establishments to produce and make available healthier food options. We will also advocate for the enactment of national and local legislation policies for workplaces, schools, and other venues that support an enabling environment healthy diets and physical activity,” Dotollo explained.
This year’s Nutrition Month activity is anchored on the theme “Kumain ng wasto at maging aktibo…push natin to!”
“The key messages of the month-long celebration are to have a one hour or more physical activity every day, reduce screen time to two hours or less each day, and eat the three food groups every day for variety,” Dotollo said.
Among the recommended activities for the Nutrition Month are to hang streamers or posters about the celebration; conducting seminars and other forums to discuss the theme; help promote and disseminate correct information on a healthy diet and physical activity through print, social media, TV, and radio programs.
Other suggested activities include the conduct of physical activities appropriate for the audience intended; participate in activities related to Nutrition Month celebration at the national, regional or local level; and conduct other activities that would highlight and promote a healthy diet and physical activity.
Nutrition Month is a yearly campaign held every July to create greater awareness among Filipinos on the importance of nutrition. Presidential Decree 491 or the Nutrition Act of the Philippines mandates the NNC to lead and coordinate the nationwide campaign.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO/PNA)
Reopening of Ormoc City Airport will result to more tourists coming to the city and neighboring areas, says Tiopes
ORMOC CITY – The reopening of the Ormoc City Airport will open door for the development the tourism industry of this city and its neighboring areas which are part of the so-called Northwest Leyte Tourism Corridor.
President Rodrigo Duterte formally opened the Ormoc City Airport on July 5 and joined by Department of Transportation(DoTr) Secretary Arthur Tugade, Senator Christopher ‘Bong’ Go, Presidential Assistant to the Visayas Michael Diño, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines(CAAP) Director General Captain Jim Sydiongco, Leyte Rep.Lucy Torres Gomez(4th district),and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez.
Karina Rosa Tiopes, regional director of the Department of Tourism (DOT), said that with the opening of the city airport, tourists need not used the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport in Tacloban, about two hours away from this city.
Thus, she said, areas within the Northwest Leyte Tourism Corridor would now be accessible to tourists, she said.
“Access and connectivity is really crucial for Philippine tourism because we are an archipelago,” Tiopes said.
“A new airport that can service wider aircraft is a positive development for us because this means that we now develop a new connectivity with a new gateway in the other side of Leyte that will service the tourism side in part of Northwest Leyte,” the tourism regional director added.
Most of the popular tourist destinations Leyte are located on its northwestern.
Among these are the Lake Danao, Tongonan Hot Spring and Alto Peak, Kalanggaman Island, and Cuatro Islas.
Except for a flying school, the airport has yet to accommodate commercial airline since December, 2018 due to low traffic.
The Ormoc City Airport sustained major damages due to the devastation of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ in 2013 and a major earthquake four years later.
The national government through the DOTr allocated P34-million for the rehabilitation of the terminal building and another budget worth P82-million was allocated for asphalt overlay of runway and another P55-million for runway widening project which is expected to be completed by 2020.
Sec. Tugade said that target of their agency and CAAP to make the airport a night-rated before the end of President Duterte’s term.
A night-rated airport is capable of launching and receiving flights at night, allowing the facility to accommodate flights even nighttime, resulting for more travel option.
“The promise of our aviation sector is before our President’s term ends, this airport will be night-rated,” Tugade said.
Rep. Gomez welcomes this announcement of Sec. Tugade saying that she is very happy for the national government action of her constant request to rehabilitate the city airport and to make the facility capable of night flights.
“That is why Sec. Tugade is one of our favorite secretaries because he is always sincere in helping and he always has good news with him,” Rep. Gomez said.
Gomez added that with the reopening of the city airport, their next step is to invite airline companies to operate in Ormoc.
“It is always part of the plan. It will energize the economy and people who are from the city and its neighboring areas will no longer have to travel to Tacloban because we have an operational airport in Ormoc,” the lady solon said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)