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)
‘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)
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.
TACLOBAN CITY- The mayor of Palapag town in Northern Samar, Manuel Aoyang, was confirmed to have died due complications of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on early morning Friday (Oct.6).
This was confirmed by the town’s health officer Dr.Delia Chy who said that the 68-year old mayor died while confined in one of the private hospitals here in Tacloban City at around 1:30 am.
Aoyang, who was serving his third and last term as mayor of Palapag (with more than 38,000 people spread on its 33 barangays), has been on a dialysis for two years now.
“(The entire) town is in mourning. The flag (at the municipal building) is now at half-mast to show our respect to our mayor,” Chy said in a phone interview.
As a rule of succession, Vice Mayor Marlon Agno will assumed the post of mayor of the town.
Chy said that Mayor Aoyang was brought to the hospital last October 27 and as part of the protocol, was swabbed the following day, Oct.28.
The positive result of the swab test came out on Oct.29.
Also tested was his son, who turned positive, and his wife, whose result turned negative. Both served as guardians of the mayor while he was confined at the hospital.
Chy said that as part on the protocol on the managing of a dead person due to COVID-19, the mayor would be buried today (Oct.6) at the town’s catholic cemetery.
At present, the town has 35 cases.
Aoyang is the first incumbent official in Eastern Visayas to have died due to COVID-19.
Meantime, the regional office of the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday night of 100 new COVID-19 cases, bringing the region’s total cases to 7,147.
The new cases were from Leyte,37; Samar,33; Northern Samar,25; and Eastern Samar, 5.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
The lush and thick mangrove forest in Barangay 83(Paraiso) in San Jose District, Tacloban City is credited by the residents for saving their lives when Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ pummeled their village seven years ago.
The lush and thick mangrove forest in Barangay 83(Paraiso) in San Jose District, Tacloban City is credited by the residents for saving their lives when Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ pummeled their village seven years ago.
TACLOBAN CITY- Pedro Cahindo, Jr., swears that their village in San Jose District could have more deaths when this city was pummeled by Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda’ exactly seven years ago.
But because of the mangrove forest along the shore in their village in Barangay 83(Paraiso), the more than 2,800 residents were saved from the storm surge that comes with the massive typhoon.
However, 23 residents of the village died due to Yolanda which generated a deadly 20-feet storm surge coming from Cancabato Bay which rings San Jose district, considered the worst-hit area of the city due to the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
“Our mangroves saved our lives. Without them, the storm surge could prove to be more deadly. The mangroves helped slow down the gushing of the water down to our houses,”Cahindo, who was a village councilor at that time, said.
Unfortunately, the mangroves that saved the lives of the villagers, could not withstood the powerful storm surge as many of these trees were damaged, even beyond rehabilitation.
But the villagers, knowing the benefit of the mangroves during the Nov.8,2013 catastrophe, decided to rehabilitate their mangrove forest by planting again sometimes in 2015.
“We are thankful to these mangroves and there is no way for us not to rehabilitate our mangrove forest knowing that these will save us again from a natural calamity like typhoon,” Cahindo said.
And now five years later, the more than seven hectares mangrove cover of Brgy.51 appears to have been completely restored and in full life and now thriving with fishes and crabs.
Cahindo said that the rehabilitation of their natural barrier against flooding or storm surge composed of more than 70,000 mangroves trees mostly of ‘meyapi’ variety, is their way of helping the environment and as part of their risk reduction management during a calamity situation.
“Our people here in the village are aware on the usefulness of our mangrove forest. That it is not only for our protection from a typhoon but even in preserving our marine lives like fish and crabs which now thrives there,” he said.
Girlie Obillo,43 and mother to seven children, said that she too was thankful that their village have mangrove cover that helped them during the onslaught of Yolanda and in the succeeding typhoons.
“While we’re hit by the storm surge, its impact was not that strong because the mangroves protected us. They helped slow down the rush of the water from the sea,” she said.
Obillo said that she and the rest of the families living close to the mangrove forest are aware on the usefulness of the mangrove forest.
Thus, she said, no one dare cut the mangroves. “We know it is illegal to do. And why would we destroy something that protects us from a calamity?” she said.
Cutting of mangroves is illegal in the country unless one secures a permit from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Danilo Elias, 62, who was one of the residents of the village who helped plant more than 500 propagules back in the 1990s covering around four hectares, said that they are thankful that the villagers are aware the benefit of these mangroves.
“From their experience in Yolanda, they have learned that these mangroves could protect us from a calamity like massive flooding. That is why, they don’t cut any of our mangroves here. They are helping us protect the mangroves as they know that mangroves help mitigate the impact of flooding brought by typhoon,” he said.
He, however, said that during their clearing of mangroves, the cut trees are given to the community where they can use them as fire woods or turned into charcoal which they could even sold.
The DENR, noting the multi-purpose of mangrove are encouraging local government units to have their own communal mangrove forest, especially in ‘mangrove-endowed municipalities or cities.’
Mangroves have been proven to be a strong and natural barrier against storm surge or flooding.
“Initiatives made by local communities are most welcome and appreciated by the DENR,” Maita Reina Sucgang, DENR regional information officer, said.
When Yolanda pummeled Brgy.83, almost 80 percent of their already old grown mangrove trees were destroyed.
Again, with the aid of DENR and an international group, OISCA (Organization for Industrial Spiritual and Cultural Advancement International) which is into agriculture and environmental conservation and restoration, a group of 28 men and women of the village revived their mangrove forest back in 2015 by removing the dead mangrove and planting 3,000 propagules.
Several scientists and experts have claimed that Yolanda was a climate change-induced typhoon that claimed more than 6,000 lives, affecting 4.1 million residents, and damaging more than one million homes, mostly from Eastern Visayas.
In Tacloban alone, considered as ground zero of the mammoth typhoon, more than 2,200 people were confirmed to have died, turning the once bustling city into a deserted and God-forsaken area.
In Guiuan town, where Yolanda made its first landfall before Yolanda, packing a wind of 295 kph and gusts as 360 kph, before it barreled its way to Tacloban City, the people there have learned their hard lesson, Mayor Annaliza Gonzales Kwan said.
The town mayor said that this kind of attitude was evident when Super Typhoon ‘Rolly’ threatened Eastern Visayas. The super typhoon struck Bicol Region.
“The people of Guiuan have learned their lesson after Yolanda. The Guiuanons, whenever there is a bad weather, follow weather forecasts in radio or in television. And if there is a need, they themselves evacuate from their homes to safer place,” Kwan said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Thirty four SIKAT scholars of Lopez-led geothermal leader Energy Development Corporation (EDC) recently received their brand new ASUS laptops last 22-23 October as the learning environment in the country shifted to online and modular classes due to threats of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
EDC tapped Taiwan-based multinational computer and electronics company ASUS to provide laptops for free to the SIKAT scholars in Kananga, Leyte and Ormoc City as they venture towards the new normal of online learning.
EDC Corporate Social Responsibility Head for its Leyte geothermal facility, Erwin Magallanes, said it has always been the company’s top priority to support unprivileged but deserving students through its newly branded flagship education program SIKAT.
Magallanes, likewise, expressed his gratitude to ASUS for its laptop donation to SIKAT scholars. “We thank ASUS for their support to our program, which will definitely help our students in obtaining quality education despite the current remote learning set-up,” he said.
One of the recipients, Rica Baring, Batch 2018 BS Mechanical Engineering from Visayas State University, expressed her utmost gratitude to EDC and ASUS for their support in achieving her dreams of completing tertiary education. “Words cannot describe how thankful we, SIKAT scholars, are for receiving the laptops. Through this, we can accomplish and perform our school tasks efficiently. We are eternally grateful for the support that the companies have provided us. This will serve as our inspiration to strive harder in chasing our dreams,” Baring said.
Kananga town Mayor Matt Torres facilitated the turnover of 20 laptops to SIKAT scholars in Kananga, Leyte while 14 laptop units were given to scholars from Ormoc City.
The laptop units, with memory capacity of 1 TB HDD and runs an Intel Core i3-1005G1 Processor, will help the students attend synchronous classes, execute their class assignments and do research for their class requisites.
Moreover, each student beneficiary of the laptops also received one unit of pocket wifi from EDC to enable them to connect to the internet and have hassle-free remote learning access and environment.
SIKAT is EDC’s flagship education program that aims to help the youth in EDC’s host communities to have access to quality education and enable them to become productive citizens and change-makers in our society.
EDC’s Leyte geothermal facility that straddles between Ormoc City and the Municipality of Kananga currently supplies more than 30% of the country’s installed geothermal capacity.
In total, EDC generates over 40% of the Philippines’ renewable energy output and serves about 10% of the country’s overall electricity demand with its installed capacity of 1,499MW. Its over 1,200MW geothermal portfolio accounts for 62% of the country’s total installed geothermal capacity, putting the Philippines on the map as the world’s third largest geothermal power producer. (PR)
