TACLOBAN CITY- This city’s Green Revolution program is strengthened as the St. Francis Integrated School in St. Francis Village begins their ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ project.
In collaboration with the city government of Tacloban thru Chief of Staff, City Hall North Ruth Ramirez, with the assistance of Marito Barillo of the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office, the vegetable seeds from National Housing Authority (NHA), the school administration and the parents (most of whom are 4 Ps/MCCT beneficiaries), they have converted the vacant lot inside the school property into a vegetable garden.
Monitored by the school head Jennifer Babiano, and the Gulayan sa Paaralan coordinator, Elma Lopez, the group of parents work in the garden every Wednesday and Friday.
Inspired by Mayor Alfred Romualdez’s desire for food security and sustainability in Tacloban City, Gulayan sa Paaralan has set up a calendar of appropriate vegetables to grow per season.
The group is also determined to promote proper waste disposal and segregation by producing organic fertilizer for the vegetable garden from kitchen waste.
Meanwhile, the first harvest is geared towards healthy consumption for the school children, but the group is determined to expand for the garden to be a source of income in the near future.
If this kind of community endeavor, such as farming and gardening will continue in the coming years, no Taclobanon will ever be hungry again, according to Babiano. (TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Implementation of the ‘Gulayan sa Paaralan’ program of city government continues to expand
Leyte, Northern Samar Bans Christmas caroling, parties
To stop spread of COVID-19
TACLOBAN CITY- Caroling and parties during this Christmas season have been banned in Leyte and Northern Samar provinces due to the pandemic caused by coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
This was announced by Palo town Mayor Frances Ann Petilla, president of the Leyte Mayors’ League, who said that the move is to address any further spread of COVID-19 across the province.
“We are expecting every Leyteño to understand and to follow the protocols as we continue our fight against the coronavirus,” Petilla said.
Here in Tacloban City, the provincial capital of Leyte though not under the administrative control of the provincial government being a highly urbanized city, Mayor Alfred Romualdez issued an executive order which also prohibits caroling and other Christmas-related activities that could attract mass gatherings.
Tacloban is the only area in the region to be placed under a strict general community quarantine status until the end of the year due to its high number of COVID-19 cases.
Romualdez, however, said that COVID-19 cases in the city is now under control and declining for the past weeks now.
Other areas in the region have also made similar move like in Northern Samar where Governor Edwin Marino Ongchuan issued Executive Order 12-01 last Monday.
Ongchuan bans any holding of Christmas parties in all government offices and by all local government units to include in the barangays.
In Ormoc City, its molecular laboratory which examines swab samples has started its operation on Saturday.
The Ormoc Molecular Diagnostic Center is located at the Ormoc Sugarcane Planters Association (OSPA) – Farmers Medical Center where it could process up to 1,200 swab samples.
It is now the region’s third such facility accredited by the Department of Health (DOH).
The two first molecular laboratories in the region are the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) and at the Divine Word Hospital, both in Tacloban City.
On its first day of operations, it processed 69 laboratory results of which 16 turned positive with the remaining were tested negative.
The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) donated the testing equipment worth P27 million while the Philippine Associated Smelting and Refining Corp (Pasar) donated the testing kits.
EDC, the country’s biggest geothermal company, operates in Kananga and Ormoc City while Pasar, which is into copper smelter and refinery, is based in Isabel town also in Leyte.
Meantime, the number of COVID-19 cases in Eastern Visayas has breached the 9,000 mark as the DOH reported of 15 new cases on Monday.
This means, the region’s total COVID-19 case since March of this year is at 9,016 cases.
The new 53 cases were from Leyte province with 10 cases; four from Samar and one from Eastern Samar.
25 parents of child laborers in Maasin City receive starter kits from DOLE
MAASIN CITY- In a simple ceremony held at the Maasin City gym lobby, the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) turned-over starter kits to 25 parents of child laborers.
Dahlia Gabriana, Labor Extension Officer II, said the distribution of starter kit tools and materials is under the Child Labor Prevention and Elimination Program (CLPEP) of DOLE with an allocation of P371,800 for Maasin City alone, Gabriana said. “DOLE appropriated around P699,000 for Southern Leyte province,” she added.
The identification of beneficiaries was based on DOLE’s data collected from the survey and evaluated by their office, it was learned.
The starter kits include livelihood package for food processing, carpentry, welding, vulcanizing and sewing, Gabriana said.
In behalf of DOLE, Gabriana quoted Provincial Director Marites Z. Viñas who was grateful for LGU’s support in all of their programs, in which Maasin City is an accredited partner.
The CLPEP is aimed to take away children from child labor activities particularly in its worst forms.
The program also contributes to the Philippine Program Against Child Labor as one of the national interventions for preventing or eliminating child labor throughout the country.
The turnover ceremony held on November 18, 2020 was attended by DOLE PD Viñas, Mayor Nacional V. Mercado, Ms. Gabriana, and other DOLE and city officials and personnel. (ldl/rgc/PIA8-SoLeyte)
Rep. Noel says he is hopeful that Yolanda survivors still at danger zones will be relocated as promised by Human Settlements Sec. del Rosario
TACLOBAN CITY- Rep. Florencio ‘Bem’ Noel’ of the An Waray party-list group said that he remains confident that families who remain settled in areas described as danger zones would be relocated to safer housing projects promised to them by the government.
Noel made this assertion after he questioned Sec. Eduardo del Rosario of the Department of Human Settlements during his confirmation by the Commission on Appointments.
According to the solon, he made it known to del Rosario of his dismay that there are still thousands of families who lost their houses due to the onslaught of super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ living in areas now considered as danger zones.
“He made a promise that he will deliver. We will charge him for that,” Noel said.
Rep. Noel admitted that considering that the national government through del Rosario’s office will be fully occupied in providing housing units to families displaced due to the war in Marawi City and the series of typhoons like in Bicol Region, Yolanda survivors might be neglected.
“While I understand that they will provide housing units to Bicol (for families who lost their houses due to typhoon Rolly), An Waray will always remain to supporting our own Warays who until now have yet to receive their own housing unit seven years after Yolanda’s onslaught,” the solon said.
Here in Tacloban, the city government under Mayor Alfred Romualdez has also called on the National Housing Authority (NHA) to turn over the completed housing units located in the different resettlement sites to the city government so these could be occupied by families still living in danger zones.
As of October 28 records of the City Housing and Community Development Office, out of the 12,793 housing units constructed by the NHA, 11,173 were awarded and of which 7,170 were said to be actually occupied by the beneficiaries.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Tacloban City remains under GCQ for the entire month of December
TACLOBANC CITY- This city will continue to remain under the general community quarantine (GCQ) status for the entire month of December.
And under Executive Order Number 2020-11-044 signed by City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, caroling be it by group or individual will be prohibited.
And during this Christmas season, no social gatherings or parties will be allowed to ensure that the spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) would not further spread.
Mass gatherings, such as but not limited to, movie screenings, concerts, sporting events, and other entertainment activities, community assemblies and non- essential work gatherings is also prohibited while the city is still CGQ.
However, gatherings that are for the provision of critical government services and authorized humanitarian activities while adhering to the prescribed minimum health standards would be allowed.
The movement for leisure and non-essential purposes shall not be allowed.
Residents are still required to wear face shields while riding public transportation or whether inside any enclosed establishment within the city.
However, certain protocols or measures may be modified accordingly depending on the current situation of the city.
The movement of the residents in Tacloban shall be limited to accessing essential goods and services and for work in the offices or industries permitted to operate by the IATF.
The provision for the mandatory use of QR code under scan system shall continue to take effect.
As of Friday, Tacloban has 1,066 total cases of COVID of which 16 of them have died and 43 active cases.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)