TACLOBAN CITY-The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration (OWWA-8) conducted a scholar’s orientation and held a memorandum of agreement signing to the newly-admitted scholars for Education for Development Scholarship Program (EDSP), OFW Dependent Scholarship Program (ODSP), and Education and Livelihood Assistance Program for the School Year 2018-2019.
A total of 130 scholars – 95 ODSP scholars, 15 EDSP scholars and 20 ELAP scholars – gathered at Ritz Tower de Leyte last October 29, 2018 for the said activities along with their parents and guardians.
The orientation and MOA signing was conducted in two batches due to the large numbers of newly admitted scholars for this school year, ODSP scholars from the provinces of Southern Leyte, Biliran, Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar joined the first batch of the orientation in the morning whilst ODSP scholars from Leyte, the EDSP scholars and ELAP scholars were the one present in the afternoon session.
OIC Regional Director, Juliet Z. Tan, delivered the opening remarks to welcome and congratulate the present scholars and parents.
She gave encouraging words to the students and prompted them to always strive to reach their goal – to finish their studies.
She assured them that OWWA will be at their side in their journey of reaching this goal. Finally, she encourage them to listen carefully in the orientation and not to hesitate to raise their concerns and clarifications during the orientation.
Salient points contained in the scholarship agreement were discussed during the orientation.
The activity concluded with the signing of the memorandum of agreement between OWWA, the scholar and the parent.
EDSP scholars receive P60,000 financial assistance per school year, while ODSP scholars receive P20,000 and ELAP scholars receive P10,000 for college students, P8,000 for high school students and P5,000 for elementary pupils. OWWA accepts application for the different scholarship program two months prior the start of every school year.
(KATRINA D.OBEJERA/PR)
OWWA-8 conducts scholar orientation, MOA signing with 130 newly-admitted scholars for 2018-2019
Thousands join regional quake drill in Eastern Samar town
BORONGAN CITY- Some 5,000 Arteche residents and emergency rescue teams (ERTs) joined the 4th quarter Nationwide Simultaneous Earthquake Drill (NSED) in Arteche town as the world marked Tsunami Awareness Day on November 5.
Office of the Civil Defense (OCD)-8 Regional Director Henry Anthony Torres led the team from Tacloban City and some ERTs coming from Palapag, Northern Samar, Catbalogan and nearby towns like Dolores, Jipapad, Oras and DepEd personnel from other schools meaning to observe the drill.
Mayor Roland Evardone said that the drill is a big help to his people as Arteche town faces the vast Pacific Ocean, and is prone to tsunami.
At 8 a.m., the siren wailed off and as the public was instructed to ‘duck, cover and hold’ they obeyed so, and as the siren stopped, people rushed to their designated evacuation center with their emergency kits, the LGU had assigned five evacuation centers on higher grounds.
Maria Jenny Dagal, who owns a meat shop in town, showed her emergency kit with flashlight, biscuits, canned goods and a whistle.
“Kinahanglan an silbato kay bangin ako mawara, masilbato ako basi matad-an ak rescuers.” (I need the whistle to signal to rescuers that I am alive.)
Dagal said that her people were victims of Typhoon Ruby and that they are aware of disaster preparedness and get better each drill.
The NSED aims to test the efficiency and usefulness of the preparedness, response and recovery plans, systems and policies developed in various localities and offices.
In the aftermath, rescue of people injured, victims being ‘downloaded ‘ from second floor houses and the town hall were shown.
The covered gym became the incident command system, where Evardone serving as the incident commander was busy orchestrating the assessment and rescue efforts with ERTs along with Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Officer Natalio Operario, Jr.
In the evaluation, Eliot Lopez of Catbalogan City’s Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office suggested that Arteche acquire better equipment that can help rescue. He urged his counterpart to request the needed equipment.
Engr. Leonilo Jumagdao of the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways urged the OCD to perform the drill in other areas until everyone in Eastern Visayas has practiced the drill.
Sgt. Edwin Madeja of the 8th Infantry Division was impressed that people were rushing to higher grounds on their own, that they did not need any prodding except the disaster to push them to the evacuation centers.
Director Torres said he was impressed with the outcome of the drill and that the LGU though needing some fine tuning in their disaster preparedness have noted all observations and will act on it as promised by their youthful Mayor Evardone. (PIA 8-EASTERN SAMAR)
Hugpong, Tingog alliance to uplift Eastern Visayas from poverty
TACLOBAN CITY- The alliance between Hugpong ng Pagbabago and Tingog Sinirangan will bring more development in Eastern Visayas and uplift it from being the country’s second poorest region.
Leyte Rep.Yedda Marie Romualdez (1st district), the first nominee of Tingog Siniragan, said this following the brand of leadership of Hugpong founder and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.
“Mayor Duterte has the political ascendancy and credibility to lead other regional political parties towards the direction of regional development based on federalism, internal self-determination and inclusive economic growth, the political ideals to which both our two political parties strongly adhere,” she said.
“With this goal in mind, Tingog is committed to foster a strong partnership with Hugpong ng Pagbabago in pursuing the agenda of positive social change, economic growth, peace and order and security, and overall national development,” added Romualdez.
Duterte said that she formed Hugpong ng Pagbabago “to pursue the ideals of what we all want, a strong region, a secure life for our constituents, good governance and effective leadership of the members of the party.”
As a regional political party, Hugpong has a constituency that is spread over the present geographical territory of Region XI (Davao Region).
According to Rep. Romualdez, Tingog is willing to support “in whatever possible role that our party may undertake that would further the aims and mission of Hugpong ng Pagbabago, so that together we can be an effective voice that will serve the best interests of the people.”
Hugpong and Tingog along with Lakas-CMD national party headed by former Leyte First District Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, the husband of Rep. Romualdez, formally signed their alliance agreement on November 7 in Tacloban City.
A regional political party based in Eastern Visayas, Tingog “aims to be a champion for regional development.”
(RONALD O.REYES)
Rep. Ong says he was hurt move of mayors deserting him
As he seeks for a second term
PALO, Leyte- Call it Machiavellian.
Thus, in essence, what Leyte Rep. Henry Ong describes the mayors in the district who expressed his support on his reelection bid but apparently now gravitated towards his opponent, Karen Javier.
When he filed his certificate of candidacy (CoC) on October 11, Ong confidently said that he has the support of the 14 mayors in the second district of Leyte.
But this apparently changed when Javier, wife of the president of the mayors’ league in the province, Leonardo Javier, filed her CoC, these mayors were also around to express their support on her congressional bid.
“Life goes on. I don’t know what are their plans. I will put my trust to the people they will decide eventually for the leaders who will serve them,” Ong, who is seeking for a second term, said.
He admitted that he was shocked on this turn-around of the mayors in the district though he was anticipating such acts of the mayors.
Among the most prominent on the congressional bid of Javier is Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla whose family helped Ong get elected in 2016, ending the dominance of the family of former congressman Sergio Apostol.
“It’s their call, ethically, morally. I don’t know what are their reasons; my trust is with the people who was behind me, since day one” Ong said, stressing that it’s the people of the district who will help him carry his congressional bid.
Rep. Ong said that despite of the political event in the district, he would not be distracted on his work for the benefit of the people.
“It’s heartwarming that I have been receiving messages of support from people whom I don’t really know personally expressing their support on me, especially after they learned on what the mayors did to me,” Ong, who chairs the committee on banks and financial intermediaries at the Lower House, said.
He also expressed his gratitude that his former nemeses, Sergio Apostol, appears to supporting on his reelection bid.
“I am thankful with the report. He is a good statesman. I welcome the day that we will talk and be friends with him” Ong said. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
EV commemorates 5th ‘Yolanda’ anniversary
By: Joey A. Gabieta/Roel T. Amazona
TACLOBAN CITY- As the region commemorated the fifth year anniversary of the massive devastation brought by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ on Thursday (Nov.8), survivors continue to rant their woes.
Five years after the onslaught of Yolanda, thousands of survivors are yet to be relocated to the promised housing projects by the government.
Records from the regional office of the National Housing Authority(NHA), as of October this year, out of the 56,140 housing units supposed to be constructed for Yolanda survivors who totally lost their houses, only 24,200 have been so far been built.
And out of this number 18,085 of these housing units have actually been awarded or occupied by the family-beneficiaries.
Here in Tacloban City, considered the ground zero of Yolanda, 11,466 families have been relocated to the 15 resettlement sites. The city government has earlier identified 14,433 families who need to be given homes.
Dorcas Secreto, NHA’s regional management estate specialist, said that they are still on target of completing these housing units by year.
She also dismissed claims that the houses were of poor quality saying that the designs and specifications of these houses were submitted by the assigned contractors to the Department of Public Works and Highways for approval and scrutiny.
She described as just ‘construction defects which could be repair’ instances cited by beneficiaries in saying their houses were or poor quality like wobbling walls and cracking walls, among others.
Eflida Bautista, one of the founders of the People Surge, a group comprising of Yolanda survivors, said that basic amenities remain lacking in many of these resettlement sites.
“It’s like being hit again by Yolanda. There is no day that they don’t fear for their lives and the lives of their children,” Bautista, a former college professor, said.
“When it rains, come the floods (due to lack of drainage system) and on sunny days, the heat is unbearable. They have to line up for potable water rationed to them,” she added.
For the group, not only the houses were poorly built but not well-planned, citing the lack of needed facilities.
On Thursday, several local government units across the region commemorated the fifth year of Yolanda’s onslaught.
Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez, in a commemorative program held at the Tacloban City Convention Center, said that while the activity aim to give tribute to those who were killed, the now yearly event should be given a new meaning.
According to Romualdez, the event is a ‘celebration of the resilience of the survivors.’
Joining the city commemorative program were Ilocos Norte Governor Imee Marcos and her brother, former senator Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, former presidential adviser for political matter, Francis Tolentino, former Leyte congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and Sec. Michael Dino, presidential assistant for the Visayas.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla led the provincial-led commemorative program held at the grounds of the provincial capitol building.
“What we want is to remember and honor those who died and give sympathy to the families of the victims,” the governor said.
Petilla, however, said that its time for the survivors to ‘move on’ and see the brighter side of life.
“We should learn how to keep on going. We are blessed how fast our recovery not only in terms of infrastructures but recovery of the people. I know for most of us, the experience was shocking and traumatizing but we have to overcome and move on,” the governor said.
This sentiment was shared by Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla.
“We should not forget what happened to us five years ago but we should move on. Those who died due to Yolanda would not feel at peace if those they left behind continue to mourn over their loss,” Petilla said.
Tanauan Mayor Pelagio Tecson, Jr., said that while the massive disaster resulted in the destruction of properties and killed thousands of people in their town, ‘they were never defeated.’
“It failed to break our spirits. And five years since, we have gone a long, long way.Rebuolding our lives, homes and rebuilding our communities,” he said.
Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan also led in the commemorative program as she also urged the Samareños to never forget on what happened five years ago.
“Let us also remember and send our thanks to the individual people, the companies, the local and international organizations and countries who helped us to stand up and rebuild our lives one way or another,” she said in her message.
Several towns in Eastern Samar also joined in the commemoration of Yolanda’s onslaught led by Governor Marcelo Ferdinand Picardal and Guiuan Mayor Christopher Sheen Gonzales, where Yolanda made its first landfall.