The spirit of love is still up in the air this February as Secretary Ismael ‘Mike’ D. Sueno of the Department of the Interior and Local Government hovers the welfare of domestic workers or kasambahays in the country.
In a directive to local chief executives, Sueno urges them to ensure the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 10361 or Batas Kasambahay which requires every employer to register all domestic workers under their employment in the Registry of Domestic Workers in the barangay also called as Barangay Registration of Kasambahays.
“Kasambahays have a big role in keeping socioeconomic activities running. They take care of households and look after their employers’ children in order for their bosses to go to work or attend to their enterprise,” he said.
“Their wellbeing ought to be taken cared of just like workers in the formal public and private sectors,” he added.
The DILG Secretary also called on all punong barangays through a directive to enact local ordinances in support of the Batas Kasambahay and to implement the Barangay Registration of Kasambahays in their area of jurisdiction.
“Registering kasambahays is both beneficial to kasambahays and their employers,” he emphasized.
“I also encourage barangay officials to discuss your implementation of the Batas Kasambahay during the coming law-mandated conduct of Barangay Assembly Day this first semester of the year, which will be on March 25,” he said.
Under Batas Kasambahay, a domestic worker or kasambahay is any person engaged in domestic work within an employment relationship such as, but not limited to: general househelp, nursemaid or “yaya”, cook, gardener, or laundry person, but shall exclude any person who performs domestic work only occasionally or sporadically and not on an occupational basis. (PR)
Care for your kasambahays, register them in barangays – Sueno
Ex-Catbalogan councilor nabbed for extortion
CATBALOGAN CITY- A former councilor of this city was arrested by agents of the National Bureau Investigation (NBI) after he allegedly tried to extort money to former mayor and now councilor, Coefredo “Tekwa” Uy.
Rodrigo Perez III, a three-termer councilor, was arrested by the NBI agents last Feb.17 and was arraigned before the City Prosecutor’s Office on Monday (Feb.20).
Perez is facing charges for two consummated robbery and one frustrated robbery based on the complaint of Councilor Uy, father of the incumbent City Mayor Stephany Uy.
It was learned that Perez has demanded for P20 million to Councilor Uy in exchange for the dropping of an alleged plunder case filed against the former city mayor and other city officials, to include her daughter, Mayor Uy.
The amount was later reduced to P10 million.
On Feb.8, Uy gave P50,000 to Perez and P25,000 two days later which was accepted by Renate Aquino, alleged to be cohort of the former councilor.
On Feb.16, Perez demanded from Councilor Uy of P1 million wherein he instructed Uy to give the money to Aquino at his store the following day.
Unknown to the suspects, an entrapment operation was planned by the NBI agents based in Catbalogan City.
Perez tried to run when he sensed that there were NBI agents in the area but was arrested.
The alleged plunder charge against Uy and other city officials before the Office of Ombudsman by one Bernard Jake Ramos stemmed to an alleged anomalous transaction involving land acquisition.(VICKY C. ARNAIZ)
Mayor Romualdez bares dev’t plans for Tacloban City (Part I)
By Alvin Gz Arpon
There is no doubt that the city chief executive Cristina G. Romualdez has sincerely and effectively performed her role as city mayor of the highly urbanized city of Tacloban in such a short time since her assumption to the post for only about eight months ago.
One of the impressive on-going projects –activities in the city is the improvement of the problematic drainage system.
Flooding in Tacloban has been a perennial problem Taclobanons experience, especially during typhoons when heavy rains fall. Going around Tacloban now, especially along the road from V&G subdivision to Robinsons Place-Tacloban shopping mall, a team of workers are busy digging canals much deeper than what it used to be.
Livelihood projects have been zealously pursued benefitting the poor residents of Tacloban. Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program (CLEP) has given joy to jobless people who learn technical skills to go into livelihood endeavors.
Joey Gabieta, one of Tacloban’s top journalists, says that aside from the CLEP, he is impressed by the mayor’s attention in the improvement of public places like the Rizal Park and the surroundings of the Tacloban astrodome. And a lot more!!
Tacloban constituents, however, are aware of what Mayor Romualdez have been doing and have done. But they have no idea what else more are in store for them in the next quarters.
So we sought an audience with City Administrator Irene Chui. Being the city administrator and an alter ego of the mayor, she certainly knows where Tacloban is heading.
Atty. Irene Chui is not only tailored-fit to the position of city administrator. She has in her hands information on all programs, targets and plans for Tacloban’s cross-section development.
But more than that we likewise discovered of her pleasing personality, a humble lady who possesses that spectacular open-mindedness and her very impressive accommodating nature and a pretty one at that, that OSCA Head and Leyte Samar Daily Express Publisher Dalmacio “Massey” Grafil, who was with me were highly pleased.
In March this year of 2017, the city government will implement a “fixing the market” concerns focus.
Additional structures will be constructed. More stalls for vendors will be added because of the growing number of small-time businessmen in the city. A good number of them are beneficiaries of the CLEP program of Mayor “Kring-kring” (her nickname).
To provide adequate spaces for these stalls intended for these small-time vendors, the city government has earmarked P10 million for the construction of two new buildings.
(For more info/ updates at City Hall Part II comes out Saturday march 4.)
Gov. Petilla extends P5.3 million assistance to Leyte rice farmers
TACLOBAN CITY- About 91 farmers from three towns here in Leyte received assistance from Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla to help improve their respective organizations.
In all, the governor provided P2.372 million assistance to these farmers coming from the towns of Babatngon, Tanauan and Sta. Fe.
About 67 farmers from the town of Babatngon received P1.872 million from the provincial government through Gov. Petilla while 18 farmers from the municipality of Tanauan received P375,000.
Meantime, a farmers group from the town of Sta. Fe received P25,000.
The cash assistance provided to these farmers aim to help them improve their production, the main purpose of the governor’s program dubbed as More Income in the Countryside (MIC).
The governor also led a recent blessing and inauguration of a farm-to-market road located along the barangays of Cabacungan and Alegre, both in Dulag town.
It is expected that the farm-to-market road, constructed at a cost of P3 million, will help farmers in the transport of their goods aside from helping the residents in the villages hasten their transportation.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Pres. Duterte appoints Cristina as RDC chair
TACLOBAN CITY – Mayor Cristina Romualdez has been named as the new chair of the Regional Development Council (RDC) by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The President issued the appointment of Romualdez on February 9 who will serve the post until 2019.
“I am surprised with the appointment and happy because Tacloban is an economic hub being the only highly urbanized city in the region. We play a vital role for the development of the region. Everything that happens in Tacloban affects other provinces,” Romualdez said reacting on her appointment.
The city mayor thanked Pres. Duterte for the trust given to her to lead the RDC, region’s highest policy-making body comprising of 60 members mostly from government line agencies.
Asked if her appointment was due to their family’s support when Mr. Duterte ran for the presidency, the city mayor believes otherwise.
“The President is a fair and just person (and) that he believes that Tacloban is the regional hub for Eastern Visayas,” Romualdez said.
The Romualdezes and the Marcoses threw their support to Mr. Duterte when he ran for President in 2016.
Romualdez is to succeed Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla as RDC chair, a post that was once occupied by her father-in-law, former mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez from 1998 to 2001.
Speaking to reporters, Romualdez outlined her priorities for regional development – tourism, rural infrastructure, and job generation.
“Tacloban is interconnected to other provinces. We’re lucky to be progressive and we want to bring this development to Samar provinces,” she said.
She was referring to the high poverty incidence of the three Samar provinces which due to, among others, poor road network and lack of investors.
The appointment of Romualdez is timely considering the finalization of 2017-2022 Regional Development Plan and preparations of 2018 budget proposals, Bonifacio Uy, regional director of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), which serves as the secretariat of the body, said.
“The appointment again affirms the fact that Eastern Visayas is a priority of President Duterte because we are one of the regions having appointed RDC chairperson than most RDCs,” he said.
Bonifacio formally informed Romualdez of her appointment on Wednesday (Feb.15), giving her the copy of her appointment signed by the President.
During the RDC meeting last August 31, 2016, the members also nominated Petilla, Samar Gov. Sharee Ann Tan and Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez for the chairmanship.
Out of 18 RDCs in the country, only five have newly-appointed chairpersons – Region 4-B, Region 10, Region 3, Region 12, and Region 8.
Romualdez will preside this year’s first quarterly meeting on March 22 at the NEDA regional office.
Aside from presiding over the council’s meetings, Romualdez is also in position to direct members and heads of regional line agencies to perform tasks the council may deem necessary, direct the formulation of a comprehensive regional development plan and preparation of a system of investment programming for the region.
She is also expected to supervise the monitoring of the implementation of major inter-provincial and region-wide development programs, and represent the region in Cabinet meetings and other activities at the national level.
The body serves as the counterpart of the NEDA Board at the subnational level. The RDC is the primary institution that coordinates and sets the direction of all economic and social development efforts in the region. It also serves as a forum where local efforts can be related and integrated with national development activities.
Abandoned elderly, storm survivors find ‘mercy, compassion’ at Pope Francis Center for the Poor
PALO, Leyte- Renaldo Dionaldo, 65, says he is finally home now after years of spending his life literally in the dark, away from others and God.
Shunned by his own siblings and neglected by the community, Dionaldo is one of the 23 poor and sick elderly now living at the Pope Francis Center for the Poor, this town.
“I was blind for years due to cataract. The center helped me in my eye operation. Not only that, they also give me a new family, a bigger one,” Dionaldo, an unmarried elderly from Jaro town, says in vernacular.
“I was blind and living alone in a makeshift shelter. It was a hopeless situation. Coming here in the center remains a big surprise to me.The place absolutely changes my life. Here, I found hope and God’s love and feel blessed,” he added.
Fr. Philip Park, executive director of the center, says that they continue to go around the region which was pummeled by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in November 8, 2013 to search for more abandoned and sick elderly.
“We want to serve more people here,” says the 33-year-old Korean priest from Kkttongnae congregation of South Korea.
Following certain guidelines in the center, manned by 24 staff, Park said that those who will be admitted are poor and sick elderly with no family around to attend them.
The clients’ information will also undergo validation by their staff.
Park, however, says he is happy that more people were able to know about the center two years after Pope Francis inaugurated it for Yolanda survivors.
“Even on weekends, many people visit the center,” he said, adding that the Pope’s Center has recently accredited by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Alicia Advincula, adviser and consultant of the center, said that with the accreditation, the center follows the standard in their operations and services.
“More than that, the sick and elderly here in the center got inspired, they are being loved after coming out from a distasteful, inhuman condition,” says the 68-year-old former government social worker.
The youngest orphan in the center is a 24-year-old abandoned and mentally challenged man while the oldest is 94.
(RONALD O. REYES)