SOUTHERN LEYTE- All public funds received have been duly accounted for.
This was the central message conveyed as the provincial government here sent a Fund Utilization Report to the city government of Davao.
The report, marked received by the city accountant office of Davao July 9, 2018, covered the P 3 million cash assistance donated to the province in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda in November, 2013.
“As seen in the report, the total amount disbursed is P 2,992,678.68. Also enclosed is a check amounting to P 7,321.32 representing the balance thereof,” wrote Gov. Christopherson Yap to Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio in a letter dated July 5, 2018, a copy of which was obtained by PIA.
An official receipt was given to the returned, unspent money.
As gleaned in the report, the disbursed amounts were given to all the 18 municipalities and one city in an almost equal amount of P 100,000.00 per LGU, in order to aid constituents with partially damaged houses,
Other amounts were used to purchase medicines for disaster victims, and still others were given to individuals whose houses were totally damaged.
“We would once again take this opportunity to thank the City Government of Davao for your generous gift. It has helped many of our constituents who were victims of the typhoon,” Gov. Yap said in his letter. (PIA8-Southern Leyte)

Leading Philippine carrier Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB) has signed an agreement with Switzerland-based IPR Conversions Ltd to convert two of its ATR 72-500 passenger aircraft into freighter planes. This will make Cebu Pacific the only passenger airline in the Philippines with dedicated cargo planes.
“We will be able to offer cargo capacity that no other carrier in the Philippines can provide,” said Lance Gokongwei, President and CEO of Cebu Pacific, “With the freighter aircraft, we will further support the growing needs of the logistics industry, especially as the Philippines’ e-commerce businesses expand rapidly and look for faster delivery schedules.”
Cebu Pacific expects to receive the first of two converted aircraft in the fourth quarter of 2018. The cargo aircraft will continue to be operated through CEB’s wholly owned subsidiary, CebGo.
IPR Conversions, based in Lausanne, Switzerland, is one of the leading ATR freighter conversion service providers in the world. The conversion of two of CEB’s passenger ATR 72-500 aircraft into dedicated air freighters involves the installation of a large cargo door, allowing standard containers and pallets used throughout the aviation industry to be loaded. The aircraft will have space for seven (7) AKE Unit Load Device (ULD) containers; and can carry more than seven (7) tons of cargo.
Both aircraft will be converted at the facility of Sabena Technics DNR S.A.S. in Dinard, France. Sabena is one of France’s leading maintenance and modification services (MRO) providers for both civilian and military aircraft.
This marks the first foray of Cebu Pacific in operating specialized aircraft to transport cargo. With a longer body to fit in more freight, an increased wingspan and more powerful turboprop engines, the ATR aircraft is ideal for expediting the transport of high-value and time-sensitive commodities such as marine products, computing equipment and even heavy machinery to various points across the country. It is suited to landing and taking-off in airports with runways less than 1.2 kilometers long—which is too short for jet aircraft.
Only about one-third of the 90 airports in the Philippines can land jets.
Cebu Pacific has about 50% market share for domestic air cargo, currently utilizing belly space of its passenger aircraft fleet. CEB’s cargo services have grown considerably, with revenues growing 29% in 2017, to PHP4.6 Billion; and 26% in the first quarter of 2018, to PHP1.3 Billion. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) here in the region together with its partner agencies and organizations launched the Social Welfare and Development Learning Network (SWDL-Net) here in this city on July 16.
Restituto Macuto, DSWD regional director, said that the launching of the SWDL-Net took place with the signing of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) among involved agencies.
Macuto explained that his office created the SWDL-Net “to achieve its mandate to alleviate poverty and empower disadvantaged individuals, families and communities for improved quality of life.”
Macuto said that SWDL-Net is composed of six national government agencies, four non-government organizations, nine universities and colleges and one individual group member.
The DSWD director claimed that the partners of the network are willing to provide support and share their programs and services for the SWDL-Net.
Macuto added that their office will connect the partners’ respective agenda to the vision, mission, and goals of the SWDL-Net.
The DSWD will assist in the designing and the development of training and capability building activities of the network and also assist in disseminating information about the network members’ capability building activities to partners and other social development organizations.
Macuto further said that his office will help inform partners and other social development organizations about the teachings and training materials of member organizations and also will provide technical assistance, training management and other capability building for the SWDL-Net members.
(RESTITUTO A.CAYUBIT)

BY: JENNNIFER D. SAYONG

BURAUEN, Leyte- The Department of Education, through the School Health Division-Bureau of Learner Support Services implemented the School-Based Feeding Program (SBFP) for school year 2018-2019 to address under nutrition and short-term hunger among public school children.
And one of the beneficiaries of this feeding program is the Catagbacan Elementary School which is under the Burauen North District, Division of Leyte, this town.
Airen R. Modina, the school feeding coordinator, identified 25 pupils from Kindergarten up to Grade VI who were identified either as waster or severely wasted.
The school provides daily heavy lunch with malunggay (horseradish or moringa), mongo (mung beans), and kalabasa (squash) as the main ingredients mixed with chicken or ground pork or fish.
The children are to be fed for 120 days during this school year. The budget is P18 per child per meal.
The meals are prepared by the parent of the recipient, supervised by the feeding coordinator and the school head, Jennifer D. Sayong.
The feeding coordinator follows the low-cost and balanced menus for and each feeding recipients are given vitamins daily.
Health practices are being observed during feeding, hand washing and tooth brushing are also enforced.
The school has complementary activities such as deworming, food production, waste segregation and composting, integration of good grooming and personal hygiene which was integrated in some subject areas.
Through this supplementary feeding program, the schools established and maintained the Gulayan sa Paaralan Program (GPP) as a source of ingredients for the SBFP and encouraged the families of the beneficiaries to have their own home gardens so that nutritional improvement is maintained at home.
This program will greatly help improve the nutritional status of pupils, attendance and performance in school. (Note: The author is the head teacher I of the Catagbacan Elementary School in Burauen, Leyte)

BY: ARNEL C. BALLON

While watching a famous TV program, I came to watch a contestant who told the audience and the judges that he was bullied as a kid.
He then turned himself to singing instead while he skipped school without his parent’s knowledge about the whole sad scenario.
He said that bullies in school are bigger, louder and scarier. They are usually in groups or in teams. They know all the exits and the darkest corridors to do the bullying acts.
If one can avoid it, he or she can last a day without being in an embarrassing confrontation. Another was what I had come across in a social media post where an author of a book sold a million of copies.
Before that, a teacher told him how he can even make that book published with his writing style.
Bullying then happened even then bullying becomes “bullying”.
Research into bullying didn’t start until the 1970’s. Since then, decades of researches have shown that the power differential between bullies and victims is a crucial component of interaction.
“Bullies go for admiration, for status, for dominance. Unlike friendly teasing, bullying is long- term, unwanted and doesn’t occur between social equals.
Despite the aggressive behavior, bullies also want affection.
Bullies care about the approval of their own in-group, so they strategically pick victims they know few other classmates will defend.
Bullying might have been a “defense mechanism” for bullies themselves. The idea to fit in the society is also a crucial stage for teenagers who seek for approval of the group or peer they want to get into.
Bullying- ‘drama ‘or ‘intimidation’- can make kids or teens more susceptible to mental illness. The feeling of being an outsider, that feeling of not being in a group or accepted or being left out in one is very hard for them. Teenage years are considered to be the most critical stage of being an adult. It’s the stage where one is easily confused but refuses to easily accept changes readily.
Bullying can leave lasting scars, but peer pressure can help reduce this social conflict as schools now introduce more and more students to socialize and open the communication lines freely among themselves.
With the acceptance of the peer, so as equality to gender, age, hobbies and social leisure, teenagers become confident and trusting. When there is no threat in the environment, personal growth and development flourish. Young adults become open to criticism, accepting of weakness and differences and adaptable to change within the society they feel of belonging.
So, are we still entrusting the fault to the bullies?
Or is it time now for us to look at the other side of the story and help the bullies stop bullying instead by getting into the deepest recesses of their minds and taking steps to understand where they are coming from?
Let’s decide. YOU decide. (Note: The author is a teacher of the Tanauan School of Craftsmanship and Home Industries in Tanauan, Leyte)

TACLOBAN CITY – Alleged militarization continue to persist in the country, to include in the region, displacing affected families.
Thus concluded a fact-finding mission participated by the members of the Ecumenical Voice for Peace and Human Rights in the Philippines.
The group disclosed their results on Sunday, a day before President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his third State of the Nation Address (Sona) before the Filipino people.
According to the group, based on their visits to different areas in the region, ‘atrocities’ are continued to be committed against civilians by members of the government forces.
The fact-finding mission was held in the towns of Las Navas, Catubig and Lope de Vega and in Northern Samar province, Paranas in Samar province and Carigara in Leyte.
They claimed that the atrocities allegedly committed against civilians in remote villages include illegal arrests, abuses against farmers and even killings.
This so-called militarization also displaced communities who are evading to be caught in between firefight between government forces and members of the communist armed group, New People’s Army.
The group said that they are not expecting that government agencies to act upon the result of their fact-finding mission considering their previous experience on complaints they filed was just ignored by the government.
Samahan han Gudti nga Parag-uma ha Sinirangan Bisayas (SAGUPA-SB) secretary general Jun Berino said that despite the lack of trust, they are still hoping that human rights violation in the Philippines under the present administration is going to be solve.
“The importance of filling charges is that we are able to inform the people through the media the atrocities that farmers are suffering from the hands of government through the military and other uniformed personnel. This gives us more strength and encouragement to fight for what is right,” Berino said.
Some members of the ISM are United States citizens who went to the ground during the five-day fact-finding mission who talked with affected residents in the region.
“The government is using the armed forces to extract resources with little regards on people on the grounds. This incident is the same to what is happening in the United States that is why I was interested to join this particular ISM,” Copeland Downs said.
The group added that information they gathered will be presented to legislators in the United States so that they can urge their government not to provide aide to the Philippine government programs that are violating human rights.
“Instead of giving it to the Philippines it should be taken back to the United States, because our access to health and education is deteriorating, that is why we are here so that we can bring this information back there and tell our legislators to stop funding all this human rights violation instead bring that money back home and support the Americans there,” the group said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)