ORMOC CITY– The top three policy-making bodies in Eastern Visayas approved on Monday(Dec.3) a resolution asking the central government to reallocate the P729.67 million unused ‘Yolanda’ funds that had been returned to the National Treasury.
Members of the Regional Development Council (RDC), Regional Peace and Order Council, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council unanimously endorsed the proposal presented by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy is optimistic that the main offices of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and NEDA will consider the proposal since there are still many post-Yolanda unfunded projects.
The unspent budget is under the 2016 “Yolanda” Recovery and Reconstruction Program that “remained untapped and were not released until the expiration of the validity of the funds last Dec. 31, 2017,” Uy said during the quarterly Regional Project Monitoring Committee meeting.
The 2016 allocation was released late in 2016 or early 2017, giving the agencies less time to procure and obligate the funds within the year.
The consolidated unspent budget came from the calamity fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, quick response fund, automatic and supplemental appropriation, realignments and savings, and regular agency funds, among others.
These funds were not utilized as some agencies encountered issues in the procurement of “Yolanda” projects, such as processing of documents and usufruct agreement, according to NEDA.
Of the nine agencies and universities with unspent outlay, the top three with returned allocations are the Department of Social Welfare and Development (P493.2 million), the Department of Agriculture (P114.14 million), and the Visayas State University (P80.05 million).
Others on the list are the Department of Public Works and Highways (P26.24 million), the Department of Health (P7.9 million), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (P4.34 million), the Leyte Normal University (P3.6 million), the Professional Regulation Commission (P178,745), and the Northwest Samar State University (P1,111).
In a letter, Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns Wendel Avisado recommended the use of the funds as subsidy for individual water service connections in all relocation sites, as proposed by the Local Water Utilities Authority.
“The subsidy is highly recommended as it is crucial in the sustainability and livability of the resettlement sites and is beyond the coverage of the regular national government subsidy to the agency,” Avisado said in his letter to the NEDA regional office here.
The P495-million water system project will only cover the extension of water distribution pipes, develop two new sources in the city’s northern villages, set up and repair old pumping stations, set up a new reservoir, upgrade the existing reservoir, and rehabilitate the city’s water pipes.
More than 14,000 families transferred to the northern part of the city will benefit from this water connection project.
Since the super typhoon struck in 2013, some P146.2 billion had already been released for post-disaster recovery in all affected areas in central Philippines. About 46 percent of the funds or P67.1 billion was intended for Eastern Visayas.
In the second quarter of 2018, the RDC in Eastern Visayas and NEDA Board Regional Development Committee for the Visayas passed a separate resolution requesting the Office of the President to facilitate the reallocation of reverted post-disaster funds.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO/PNA)
Top E. Visayas bodies seek return of unspent ‘Yolanda’ funds
DOE, PIA to conduct recycled energy saving device contest in Biliran
NAVAL, Biliran- As part of the joint advocacy efforts of the Philippine Information Agency (PIA) and the Department of Energy (DOE) for energy efficiency and conservation through the E-Power Mo Campaign, PIA-Biliran is set to conduct a special event dubbed as “Recycled Energy Saving Device Contest” for secondary students on Dec. 10 at the Naval Gymnasium.
This event is aimed at harnessing the capabilities and ingenuity of students in the secondary schools of the province to innovate energy saving device utilizing available recycled materials.
The activity is also expected to raise the awareness level of the students on their social responsibility particularly on proper waste management and of putting into viable economic enterprise out of available waste materials.
The contest is open to Grades 7 to 10 students in the public and private secondary schools in Biliran province.
Each school can submit only one official entry as a team composed of three students to be selected from the said grade levels with a coach.
The entry shall be made solely of recyclable materials, those that can still be processed to make a new item or material for energy saving purposes.
The production of contest entry is not only limited with the use of recyclable materials for its functionality, but can also use other means such as electricity, battery, and other energy sources, to aid in the utilization of the device.
The first place winner will receive P5,000 cash prize, second place winner will receive P3,000 and the third place winner will receive P2,000. All the three winners will also receive plaque of recognition.
Aside from the major prizes, special awards will also be given including some tokens to the participants.
The top three winning recycled energy saving devices will be turned over to their respective schools, however, the said winning devices can be put on display or used during special events like science and technology fairs.
Judging shall be based on the following criteria: Creativity – 35%, Usefulness – 30%; Originality – 25%, and Demonstration skills – 10%.
The judges of the contest will be composed of Engr. Saul Gonzales, Director of the DOE Visayas Field Office; Milfrance Capulong, Corporate Communications Officer of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP)-Ormoc; Faustino V. Gayas, Jr., Director of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) –Biliran; Romeo Dignos, Director of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) – Biliran; and Engr. Gerado Oledan, General Manager of the Biliran Electric.(RODRIGO S. VICTORIA-PIA-8 BILIRAN)
Land deal regular: Mayor Step asserts
No Overpraicing
CATBALOGAN CITY – Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan of this city maintains that the project that was questioned by the Office of the Ombudsman was above-board.
Still, the city mayor added that she would submit herself to the legal processes and prove her innocence.
“If the suspension is served on me, I will not escape. I will accept it and respond in the proper forum because I know that what they accused of me is not true,” Uy-Tan, who remains unfazed, said in an interview.
She said that this particular issue is nothing compared to previous issues that were thrown at her which she faced head-on.
Earlier, several posts and news reports circulated in social media on the alleged issuance of preventive suspension order against Uy-Tan, Vice Mayor Art Sherwin Gabon, seven councilors and several City Hall personnel due to what is claimed an irregularity on the purchase of a parcel of property in the city.
Mayor Uy-Tan said that, as of press time, she has yet to receive a copy of the said Ombudsman decision seeking for her suspension for six-months without pay.
And contrary to the observations and conclusions of the said posts and news articles quoting the order of the Ombudsman, the questioned transaction was made aboveboard, she said.
As to the fair market value alone, she emphasized that the purchase price of the city amounting to P 1,500 per square meter is comparatively fair as compared to the purchase prices of adjoining lots such as those of the Religious of Virgin Mary (2004), Millennium Ocean Star (2011), San Miguel Corporation (2012) and Alvin Abejuela (2015) which are priced at P1454.33, P 8,403 P1,000 and P3,500, respectively.
Mayor Uy-Tan said that the transaction, in fact, made the city government ‘richer’ by P300 million in assets.
She added that the cases filed against her, the vice mayor and the rest of the council are purely politically motivated for they are orchestrated by their political enemies who are running against the Mayor’s slate come 2019 local elections. She added also that there is a pending robbery/extortion case filed by one of the respondents of the Ombudsman case, Councilor Tekwa Uy against the complainant, Bernard Jake Ramos.
On the other hand, despite these issues, she expressed her hope that the projects that are ongoing and to be constructed in the questioned property will continue for this will benefit its targeted constituents.
As this developed, Mayor Uy-Tan withdrew her certificate of candidacy for mayor on November 29, the last day for filing for substitution for candidates running in next year’s elections.
She was substituted by her younger brother Dexter, former city federation president of the Sangguniang Kabataan and ex-officio member of the Sangguniang Panlungsod in the years 2011-2013.
Mayor Uy-Tan will run instead for councilor.
By: ROEL T. AMAZONA
Ex-Samar mayor dismisses NPA claim that they were behind slay try on him
It’s politics, Boller says
CATBALOGAN CITY-Former mayor Aran Boller of Matuguinao, Samar dismissed claim by the New People’s Army that they were behind on attempt to his life.
On November 18, while inside his vehicle parked in Barangay San Francisco, which is located within the district area of this city, Boller was fired upon by one of the three suspects, hitting him on his right hand.
The city police of Catbalogan recovered eight empty shells from caliber 45 at the crime of the scene.
The NPA’s Arnulfo Ortiz Command (AOC), in a statement, said that they were responsible on Boller’s slay try as he was said to be responsible in “series of unsolved killings and other acts of reactionary violence” in the town.
“The special operations group of the AOC attempted to carry out the decision of the people’s court to impose the death penalty on Aran Boller, ex-mayor of Matuguinao, who managed to escape justice. Boller was found guilty as the criminal mastermind behind the series of unsolved killings and other acts of reactionary violence in the town,” the outlawed group, which operates in Samar, said in a statement.
But Boller, who is running for mayor in next year’s elections against incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel de la Cruz, maintained that there would be no other group who are interested to kill him but his political opponents.
“I really doubt if they were really behind on the incident. I don’t see any reason why they will do that. The only reason that I see why this happened is politics,” the mayoralty candidate said.
Boller became the vice mayor of the town after then mayor, Celso de la Cruz, was gunned down in 2009.
The incumbent mayor, Melissa de la Cruz, daughter of the slain mayor, is now on her third and last term with her sister, incumbent Vice Mayor Carmel de la Cruz, switching posts for the 2019 elections.
Boller said that he has the trust and the support of the people of Matuguinao and is sure to win if the conduct of the election will just be fair and would not be marred by some ‘armed men.’
“I am running on the basis of their trust on me. I could win the election because the people want change. They have been suffering extreme poverty because of the neglect of the current administration in Matuguinao,” he said.
Boller said that after the incident, he even thought of withdrawing from running but was prevailed upon by his supporters.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Defense Sec. Lorenzana says bells to return to Balangiga on Dec.11
ORMOC CITY- The historic bells of Balangiga town, Eastern Samar are to return to the country on December 11.
This was announced by Defense Sec. Delfin Lorenzana in his remarks during the joint meetings of the Regional Peace and Order Council, Regional Development Council, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council held in Ormoc City Monday (Dec.3).
The Defense Secretary said that the welcoming rites, to be held at the Villamor Air Base in Pasay City, would be ‘simple.’
“Yung bells of Balangiga are coming back home on December 11 in the morning in a very simple ceremony in Villamor Air Base,” Lorenzana said to the applause of the council members.
He said that he learned on this development through a staff of US Defense Sec. James Mattis.
Lorenzana said that they will first ask the availability of the President for the bells’ eventual return to Balangiga, suggesting that no less than Mr. Duterte will be leading the restoration of the historical items in Balangiga.
“We are just looking on the availability of the President. But I suggested not to take this long in Manila and bring them to Balangiga right away,” he said.
“So we are looking at December 15 for the turnover in Balangiga,” he added.
This way, the people of Balangiga would start the holding of their Misa de Gallo with the iconic bells pealing across the town, Lorenzana said.
Lorenzana said that the two bells are now temporarily deposited in an air base in Guam and together with the other one in South Korea, will be repatriated back home.
He said that the bells previously displayed at F. E. Warren Air Force in Cheyenne, Wyoming underwent repair.
“And I saw in the photos, they are beautiful (after the repair),” he said.
“So, this is a good news for Eastern Visayas,” Lorenzana said.
Mattis led the turnover of the bells on November 15(Philippine time) during a ceremony at the F.E.Warren Air Base and accepted by Philippine Ambassador to the US Jose Manuel Romualdez.
The bells were used by the Filipino resistance fighters to signal the attack on the American detachment in Balangiga on Sept. 28, 1901. At least 54 American soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded in the attack.
An outraged American Gen. Jacob Smith deployed 180 soldiers on Sept. 29, 1901 and ordered them to turn the town into a “howling wilderness” where every Filipino male, at least 11 years old and capable of carrying firearms, was killed while communities were burned down.
Not contented with the killing of thousands of Filipinos, American soldiers took the Balangiga bells as their war trophies.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/JOEY A. GABIETA)