TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health (DOH) and Bloomberry Cultural Foundation Inc. (BCFI) formally turned over to the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) the Mother and Child Hospital designed to help bring down the maternal mortality rate in the region.
Health Sec. Paulyn Ubial led in the turnover of the four-level facility located within the complex of the new EVRMC at Barangay Cabalawan on Sept.8
The government constructed the new facility located at the city’s Cabalawan village through a P300 million donation from BCFI, a corporate social responsibility arm of Bloomberry Resorts and Hotels, Inc. chaired by billionaire Enrique Razon, Jr.
This is the first building completed at the new regional hospital site in the northern part of the city. The facility had its soft opening early last month.
“The (operation) of this facility is also design to help bring down the mortality rate (here in the region),” Ubial said, noting that the facility is equipped with state-of- the- art facilities.
Eastern Visayas has one of the highest mortality death rates at more than a 100 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
The Mother and Child building is designed to accommodate at least 150 patients.
At present, one doctor is on a 24- hour duty at the new facility assisted by 24 nurses.
Each room of the facility is equipped with built-in oxygen machine, ceiling fan, sink and bathroom.
Ubial said the project is a product of public-private partnership in the bid to provide better health services to poor Filipinos.
“We need everybody’s cooperation and assistance to make the health system work in this country. This building is a work of everybody – private sector, national government, local government, and hospital staff. They are all part of the growth and development,” Ubial said.
Senator Panfilo Lacson was present during the inauguration. He was one of the officials who looked for donors for the project in his capacity as Presidential Adviser for Rehabilitation and Recovery during the early phase of post-Yolanda recovery.
“This looks like a private hospital. This is a product of private sector initiative,” Lacson said.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY– Three years after supertyphoon “Yolanda” pummeled Eastern Visayas, thousands of its survivors continue to grapple just to meet their daily needs.
But thanks to the continued effort of Oxfam, an international relief agency, survivors who are still reeling from the financial impact found an ally on them.
Last Sunday, (September 11), Oxfam together with Smart and PayMaya Philippines banded together in collaboration with the Tacloban city government launched the financial inclusion program at the Leyte Park Hotel.
The program is projected to benefit 16,000 Yolanda survivors.
At the launching, Justin Morgan, Oxfam country director, said that Oxfam believes that equitable access to financial services is crucial for them to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.
“We are happy that Smart and PayMaya are working with us to help the LGU of Tacloban rebuild the local economy by improving financial literacy and inclusion. We have good partners in this collaboration for Tacloban to recover faster,” he said.
Oxfam is an international confederation of 18 organizations working in 94 countries, as part of a global movement for change, to build a future free from injustice of poverty.
In the Philippines, Oxfam works with poor people to sustain their livelihoods and reduce their risks to natural and human-made disasters and climate-change impacts.
Charmaine Esguerra, 24, a resident of Barangay Paseo de Legaspi, this city, with her four-month old baby girl in tow during the launching, said that she is happy that she was identified as one of the program’s beneficiaries.
“I want to avail of the Smart Retailer SIM and the sari-sari starter package incentive and resell the products. My baby is only four months old and this package is convenient for me since I don’t need to go out to sell the items. I can sell Smart load at the comfort of home,” Esguerra, whose husband is a construction worker, said.
Alex Hembra, 65 and a resident of Brgy. Calanipawan shared that program could just be the beginning for him to stop working as a pedicab driver, a job he’s been doing for the past 20 years now.
“I am too old to drive a pedicab. My dream is to have a mobile sari-sari store and I know this will come true with this program,” Hembra, who lives with his 73 year-old brother, also a pedicab driver, said.
The humanitarian project promotes entrepreneurship and the value of savings in communities.
Under the project, qualified beneficiaries will receive Smart Money prepaid cards that can be linked to their mobile phones – a mobile money product of PayMaya Philippines where they are encouraged to place any amount (P1 and above) through any Smart Padala Center in Tacloban.
As they put their money, they will receive real-time notifications such as available balance via SMS or short message service.
Rewards and incentives are in-store for the beneficiaries.
Once they reached a certain amount in their savings, they can opt to have a Smart Retailer package consisting of a Smart retailer SIM and credits that they can use to start a mobile load business.
Another choice is a sari-sari store starter set with Unilever products that they can resell as another source of income.
The estimated 16,000 beneficiaries from 45 coastal villages in the city are encouraged to save every day to build the culture of savings.
City Administrator Irene Chiu, representing Mayor Cristina Gonzales Romualdez, thanked the partners in helping the city become resilient.
“It has been three years but Oxfam and Smart Communications are still helping the people of Tacloban and make our city better. This project is very helpful as not all have access to traditional financial banking system and it make it easier for people to save through Smart and PayMaya,” Chiu shared.
The Financial Inclusion for Tacloban Resettlement Integrated Program (TRIP) also offers accident insurance.
For families composed of six or more members, the family is entitled to two beneficiaries who are 18 and above and belong to vulnerable group — senior citizens, persons with disabilities (PWDs), conditional cash transfer beneficiaries, single parents, child-headed families and pregnant or nursing mothers.
City Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin who graced the event said that that he and the people of Tacloban are grateful for this financial literacy and entrepreneurship program.
He said that this program uses technology to fight poverty, fight injustice, uplift and empower our people. This is the kind of program that ensures that nobody is left behind.
Benjie Fernandez, co-chief operating officer of PayMaya Philippines, shared that this program revolves around the slogan of the launching “Handa, Matatag, Determinado, Asenso Tacloban!
“PayMaya Philippines is committed to creating a long-lasting impact on the development of communities through our financially inclusive innovations including Smart Money, which provides SIM-based mobile money services,” Fernandez said. (VICKY C.ARNAIZ)

TACLOBAN CITY – Poor regions like Eastern Visayas will greatly benefit if the country shift to federal form of government as an equalization fund will be created, former Senator Aquilino Pimentel, Jr said.
Pimentel, who was in the city Friday (Sept. 15) for a forum on federalism, said the fund is patterned after World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
The financial institution will provide loans to poor areas for development project, the former senator said.
He said the equalization fund, administered by the federal government and to be handled by central government will be made available to economically-depressed states.
“Resources for this equalization fund will come from the central government and the more developed states. All federal states will be represented in managing the fund,” Pimentel said.
Under Pimentel’s proposal, the new form of government will have 12 federal states – five in Luzon, four in Visayas, and three in Mindanao.
Metro Manila will be converted into a federal administrative region.
These states are Northern Luzon, Central Luzon, Southern Tagalog, Bicol, and Cordillera for Luzon; Eastern Visayas, Central Visayas, Western Visayas, and Mimaropa, covering Mindoro Oriental and Mindoro Occidental, Palawan and the Kalayaan Islands, Romblon, Marinduque for Visayas; Northwestern and Northeastern Mindanao, Southern Mindanao, and Bangsamoro for Mindanao.
Cordillera was added to the list of proposed state after Pimentel recently held a forum in Baguio City.
“We are not copying any model from other countries. We will only pick the good features and come up with something that is suitable for the Philippines,” Pimentel added.
Pimentel proposed that federal states get to use 80 percent of their revenues and remit only 20 percent to the central government.
When it comes to government administrators, every federal state shall be represented by six senators, who are elected by registered voters in a nationwide free election.
Aside from a total of 77 senators from the country’s 12 states, there will also be six senators that shall represent Metro Manila and nine overseas senators.
In addition, every federal state will have its own set of departments which are counterpart of the current government’s national departments.
“During the first two to three years of the Duterte administration is the adoption of federal system. The next three years is transition period towards the adoption of federal system,” he explained.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) has recognized two private companies and four government agencies and financial institution in the region for their continuous support on the bank’s undertakings.
The awards ceremony and appreciation lunch for BSP stakeholders in Region 8, held on Tuesday (Sept.13) at the BSP branch office, is the tenth in a series of 12 regional events for this year, according to the bank’s press statement.
The event is anchored on a theme “Sustained Partnership, Sustained Economic Growth.” Monetary Board Member Valentin Araneta led the awards ceremony for stakeholders.
Samar Coco Products Manufacturing Corporation was chosen as the outstanding respondent among large and medium firms while the Leyte Agri Corp. was recognized as the outstanding respondent among small firms for the Business Expectations Survey in the region.
The National Economic and Development Authority regional office received the award for outstanding partner for the report on regional economic developments of the Philippines.
The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration regional office was recognized as the outstanding partner for the financial learning campaign.
The BSP conferred the outstanding regional partner for currency programs to the Land Bank of the Philippines for the clean note policy.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development regional office got recognition for the demonetization of the new design series.
“The awards ceremony attests to the successful alliances that have helped the BSP maintain price and financial stability and ensure an efficient payments and settlement system,” the BSP said in a statement.
Araneta and other key officials led the presentation a new trophy, the “Dynamic Balance, Philippine Eagle” to the awardees.
The trophy is a sculpture crafted by renowned visual artist Ferdinand Cacnio, which features the country’s national bird, standing on a half-circle support, with its wings widely spread over three stars.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)