Spear Troopers donate one-day meal allowance for the victims of Typhoon ‘Rolly-‘ A soldier’s commitment to serve the people
CAMP ELIAS ANGELES, Pili, Camarines Sur-Bags of rice and additional construction materials were procured and distributed by the Office of the Civil Defense-Bicol (OCD-Bicol) to Catanduanes province barely two weeks after receiving the P7 million donations from the Philippine Army.
Eleven municipalities received the aid last December 31.
In a ceremony last December 20, MGen. Henry A. Robinson, Jr.,PA, commander of 9th Infantry Division (9ID) and Joint Task Force Bicolandia (JTFB) turned-over the check to Director Claudio Yucot of OCD-Bicol.
The amount was generated from the soldiers, including the Spear Troopers, who donated a portion of their mess allowance.
Both the OCD-Bicol and JTFB believe that it will greatly help the Catandunganons who are still recovering from a string of strong typhoons that battered their province last November.
Prior to this, the same effort was also made by 9ID to help fund the construction of houses of 27 informal settler families relocated from Camp Elias Angeles to Sodusta Village in Barangay Caroyroyan, Pili, Camarines Sur.
Spear Troopers voluntarily donated their one-day mess allowance and also provided the labor counterpart in the still on-going house construction.
These undertakings go hand in hand with 9ID’s effective anti-insurgency campaigns which continue to gain momentum in Bicol manifested in the skyrocketing number of surrenderees and successful military engagements.
“The sincerity to extend a hand to those in need runs in the blood of every soldier. We help not because we can but because it is our earnest desire to uplift the living condition of the Bicolanos including our brothers who went astray by joining the terrorist group. May emergency man o wala, laging naririyan ang mga sundalo upang tumulong. Patunay diyan ang tuloy-tuloy nating panawagan sa mga myembro ng Communist Terrorist Group (CTG) na magbalik-loob na sa pamahalaan. We are happy that they are continuously heeding our call,” MGen. Robinson said.
Right now, aside from assisting the former rebels to receive their benefits through the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP), the military is also an active member of the Regional Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (RTF-ELCAC) which also provides additional assistance for the FRs and initiates projects towards an armed conflict-free and progressive region. (PR)
Tacloban has yet to allocate funds for anti-COVID vaccines but has enough budget
TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city clarified that they have not yet allocated for any procurement of anti-COVID vaccines.
The city mayor said, however, that they could easily release P30 million as support services for the vaccination campaign.
Romualdez issued this clarification amid report that the city government of Tacloban has set aside P30 million for the procurement of the vaccines.
“We don’t really have a specified amount yet, but our goal is to vaccinate all that needs to be vaccinated pursuant to the vaccination plan of the Department of Health (DOH). The P30 million is primarily for support services for the vaccination drive,” the city mayor said in a statement.
“Rest assured that funds are available from different sources such as the calamity fund and economic development fund but we are still waiting for the guidance from the national government and DOH as to the kind and availability of the vaccine,” Romualdez added.
The city mayor said that they would know the exact amount once they gathered all needed information related to the purpose.
Meantime, while the vaccine is not yet available in the city and the rest of the country, Mayor Romualdez asked the people to strictly follow all the health protocols so as not to further spread the deadly virus.
Although, local government units can allocate funds for COVID-19 vaccine, they have to inform first the office of vaccine czar, Carlito Galvez, before they can arrange for the procurement of the vaccines.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
A chapel in Tacloban collapses due to continuous rain
TACLOBAN CITY-Continuous heavy rains forced several local government units here in Eastern Visayas to suspend classes and work as flooding and landslide were also reported across the region.
Here in Tacloban City, Mayor Alfred Romualdez issued an order suspending both classes and work among government employees whose offices are located in the city effective 12:01 noon.
Romualdez personally conducted his monitoring across the city as several portions of the city experienced flooding due to the incessant rains spawned by the tail frontal system.
The rise of flood water have resulted for some workers, both in the government and private sector, not to proceed to work.
An entire chapel located at a top of a hill at the Regina Heights subdivision in Barangay 91, Tacloban, also collapsed due to the continuous rain experienced by the city since Saturday. No one was hurt.
In Biliran province, Governor Rogelio Espina has also suspended work at the provincial capitol building due to the heavy rains.
In the town of Caibiran, also in Biliran, classes and work were also suspended by Mayor Rhodessa Delantar to avoid any untoward incident as the town also experienced heavy rains.
In Kawayan, also Biliran, the distribution of modules were also suspended by the local schools division due to the inclement weather.
A bridge in Barangay Larrazabal, Naval town, was also flooded rendering it as unpassable.
In Southern Leyte, a main highway located in Silago town was washed out due to the continuous rains brought by the massive rains.
A minor landslide occurred in Barangay Kahupian, also in Sogod town. No was injured due to the rock fall incident.
Flooding and landslide incidents were also reported in the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar, and Northern Samar with the level of rain water reaching up to four meters in depth.
In the town of Arteche, Eastern Samar, 1,102 families consisting of 4,534 individuals from its nine coastal villages were evacuated to safer and higher grounds due to the flooding incidents that submerged several houses, Mayor Roland Boei Evardone reported.
A rock fall was reported in Barangay Binaloan, Taft town, Eastern Samar dumping four cubic meters of rock, the Department of Public Works and Highways said.
Flooding reaching up to the second floors of the several houses also hit the towns of Maslog, Jipapad and Can-avid, all in Eastern Samar.
A minor landslide incident was also reported in Brgy.Poblacion 2 in Pinabacdao town in Samar. A flooding incident in Brgy. Piñaplata in Gandara, also in the same province, has also rendered the town unpassable.
Rise of rain water was also experienced in Catbalogan City and at San Jose de Buan.
In the town of Catarman, Northern Samar, at least 21 families consisting of 94 individuals from the villages of Yakal, Baybay, and Dalakit were evacuated due to the flooding incidents.
Personnel of the local municipal health office visited the evacuation centers to ensure that the protocols against coronavirus disease (COVID-19) are being followed by the affected individuals.
The heavy rains have also resulted in flooding incidents in the towns of Palapag and Catubig. In Catubig town, 106 families or more than 500 individuals from its 14 villages were affected by the flooding.
In Allen town, two houses were totally damaged due to the flooding.
Town Mayor Joey Suan said that about 805 families from its 14 villages were affected by the landslide incidents and around 300 hectares of rice fields were submerged by the rain water. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Ormoc procures anti-COVID-19 vaccines
Expected to be delivered by July of this year
TACLOBAN CITY-The city of Ormoc is the first local government unit of the region to purchase the vaccines against coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
On Sunday (Jan. 10), Mayor Richard Gomez signed electronically their purchase order for the supply of 270,000 shots of AstraZeneca vaccines.
The vaccines are expected to be delivered to the city by July of this year.
The city government has allotted P350 million for its vaccination program.
The vaccines are projected to inoculate 90 percent of Ormoc’s more than 240,000 residents or those 18 years and above.
The priority sectors of the vaccination program of the city are the senior citizens, health workers and other frontliners, those with existing health problems and the rest of the city’s populace.
The city government chose the brand as it was said to be the cheapest brand in the market and is not difficult when it comes to storage as these vaccines could be stored even in ordinary refrigerator.
Currently, the city has 536 COVID-19 cases of which 70 are considered as active cases with seven confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 complications.
Meantime, the town of Naval in Biliran is the latest local government unit in the region to signify plans to procure its own vaccines.
Mayor Gerard Espina said that they have set aside P20 million from their development funds to buy the vaccines.
He, however, could not say yet what brand of the vaccines they will be purchasing except they will chose those with ‘high potency.’
The local government unit will also coming up with their own pre-registration for those who want to receive the vaccines.
Earlier, several local government units in the region have signified their desire to procure their own vaccines.
Among these local government units include the provincial governments of Leyte, Samar, Eastern and Northern Samar and the cities of Borongan, Catbalogan, and Maasin.
The city government of Tacloban has also signified to have their own supplies of the vaccines though Mayor Alfred Romualdez has clarified that they have yet to earmarked a particular amount for this purpose