QUEZON CITY – The UNTV Cup Season 9 was formally opened on 21 November 2022 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum, here.

The prestigious Liga ng Public Servants is a charity tournament among government agencies. Each team is composed of 15 players who are not less than 32 years of age and an employee of the agency at least two years at the start of the tournament. Players who have played in any professional league within the last five years are disqualified.

Twelve teams are participating this season were divided into two brackets, namely: Bracket A: 1. AFP Cavaliers, 2. JUDICIARY Magis, 3. GSIS Furies, 4. OP-PMS Trailblazers, 5.

PHILHEALTH Konsulta and 6. DA Food Masters. Bracket B: 1. NHA Home Masters, 2. PNP Responders, 3. Ombudsman Graft Busters, 4. SSS Kabalikat, 5. SENATE Defenders and 6. DENR Warriors.

Each participating team has a chosen beneficiary that will receive the cash prize that will be won by the team.

In his opening remarks, UNTV Cup Commissioner Fortunato G. Co, Jr., the famous ”Atoy Co” of the Crispa Redmanizers, expressed his excitement as he saw the teams and their fans see face to face after the pandemic.

He then explained that the tournament format will be a single round-robin in each bracket. The last two teams after the round will be eliminated. The four teams in each bracket will advance to a cross-over quarter-finals.

The final four teams will play in a single round-robin semi-finals to determine the pairing for the finals. The founder of UNTV Cup, Daniel Soriano Razon, delivered his inspirational message to the participating teams and the fans that filled the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
It would be recalled that in the UNTV Season 8 held in 2019-2020, the DENR Warriors won against the 3-time champion AFP Cavaliers.

It became the first rookie team in UNTV Cup history to win the championship. The cash prize of P4 million was awarded to its chosen beneficiary, the Environmental Heroes Foundation, Incorporated.

This year, the DENR Warriors has chosen the Environmental Sports Association, Inc. (ESAI), a non-stock, non-profit association, as its beneficiary.

In an exclusive interview with ESAI president, Engr. Al Ellema, explained that the association aims to promote health and wellness among environmental workers and advocates both in the government.

“The Environmental Sports Association, Inc. was organized in response to the challenges of the covid19 pandemic that our country suffered. During the pandemic, we were confronted with the reality where workers fell unwell and unhealthy while others succumbed to the dreaded covid19 disease” Ellema explained.

ESAI shall take a pro-active role in keeping the awareness of every worker that their health is primordial in maintaining productivity in their respective work. The call to maintain a healthy physical and mental condition is everyone’s responsibility. A healthy workforce will not only improve productivity but peace and happiness for every worker’s family.

It was learned that the DENR Warriors is coached by DENR Officials from Region 8 with its Head Coach, Atty. Ernesto D. Adobo, Jr., CESO I, Undersecretary for Legal, Administration, Human Resources and Legislative Affairs and Atty. Norlito A. Eneran, LL.M., CESO III, Director for Legal Affairs Service.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY– A first termer councilor from Eastern Samar won handily as the region’s president of the Philippine Councilors League- Eastern Visayas chapter in elections held in Cebu City Wednesday (Nov. 23).

Ralph Vincent Evardone, 22 and a council member of Sulat town, defeated Chique Uy, a councilor from Palo town, who is the incumbent interim chairman of the said league.
“Of course, I am happy but at the same time, anxious because I am in a position that I cannot disappoint,” he said in a phone interview.

Evardone obtained 61 votes against the 39 votes of Uy.

The newly-minted PCL-Eastern Visayas chapter who is also a son of Eastern Samar Gov. Ben Evardone, vowed to make their group a working one for the region’s over 1,200 councilors.

“While the councilors are aware that PCL exists, many of them do not know of its benefits like they can apply for further studies, it offers medical assistance and even mortuary,” he said.

He also said that while he may be the youngest among the newly-elected president, his slate is ‘full of veteran politicians who can help him.

“I have a good relationship with them. I’m pretty sure I can work with all of them,” Evardone, who is a graduate of management economics at Ateneo de Manila University, said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY– Eastern Visayas disaster risk reduction management officers have welcomed the recent statement of President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. to place the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council(NDRRMC) under his office.
Rei Josiah Echano, speaking on behalf of the region’s disaster management officers, said that aside from easy and fast response during a disaster situation, placing the NDRRMC under the Office of the President could also result in addressing several issues hounding them, disaster responders.

“We concur with the decision of the President that his office should be more accountable of the hazard’s impact and its response efforts by placing NDRRMC directly under OP,” Echano, who is the provincial disaster risk reduction management officer of Northern Samar, said.
“We just look forward that this zeal of the President to take over the responsibility would trickle down to our grassroots disaster response operators in the form of material upliftment of their welfare and benefits,” he added.

The region’s provincial, city, and municipal disaster risk reduction management officers have submitted a position paper to Pres. Marcos during his Tacloban visit last Nov.9, coinciding with the 9th year anniversary of Super Typhoon ‘Yolanda,’ seeking for his intervention on matters affecting them.

Based on their petition, the region’s disaster responders have sought, among others, of benefits and remunerations considering of the hazards they risk during a disaster situation.
“Our organizations for DRRM workers led by the Office of the Civil Defense in the region justly encourage the national government to take a look at our sad plight in the LGUs and institutionalize their interventions so that it becomes the basis of our LGUs in their actions for resilience building in their jurisdictions,” the petition said.

“We hope that the President heeds this call given the geomorphology and social vulnerabilities of our people in the region in particular and in the country in general,” it added.

Echano said that “90 percent” of the DRMM officer in the region is a ‘one-man team office,’ with most of them either contractual or job order workers.

Thus, he said, they ask that they must be regularized and be given longevity pay, hazard fee, and other appropriate benefits given the nature of their work.

During his visit, the President said that he is mulling the possibility of placing the NDRRMC directly under his office, saying this could result in better response during a disaster.
The NDRRMC is the highest body for the country’s disaster risk reduction and management and was established by virtue of Republic Act 10121 in 2010.

It is composed of various government, non-government, civil sector, and private sector organizations.

The council is currently chaired by Defense Undersecretary Jose Faustino Jr. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The city government here will construct a tenement-type of housing units next year.

This was disclosed by city housing chief Tedence Jopson said that the proposed housing project will be located at the northern part of the city.

He, however, clarified that the housing project is not part of the housing projects of the government intended for families who lost their houses due to the onslaught of Super Typhoon Yolanda.’

“This is not a low cost housing because each unit will cost from P750, 000 to P1.5 million,” he said during a media forum held at Hotel de Fides, this city.

One has to apply through the Pag-Ibig, Jopson added.

He added that it will be the National Housing Authority (NHA) that will build these houses of at least 10,000 units.

The building will be around three to five stories and will be constructed in the northern part of the city starting next year, 2023.

The building will occupy 50 percent of the land area allocated for the project while the remaining 50 percent will be allocated for construction of park, multipurpose building, and parking area.

Jopson added that these residential units are not only open for Tacloban residents but even for those who are not residents of the city.

“For as long as you have the capacity to pay you can buy a unit. This is ideal for working class population but subject to the approval from Pag-Ibig,” he stressed.

He added those who already have a house or those who received a Yolanda housing unit are disqualified to have a unit.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)