TACLOBAN CITY- The inflation rate of the region rose to 2.2 percent in March 2020, according to the report from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA-8).
Wilma Perante, PSA regional director, told Leyte Samar Daily Express that the regional inflation rate is 0.3 percentage point lower than the 2.5 percent national average inflation rate of the same month.
Perante reported that Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Biliran and Leyte registered higher inflation rates in March compared with their figures in February 2020. Eastern Samar recorded the highest increase of 0.8 percentage point, then rose to 3.1 percent in March from 2.3 percent in February.
On the other hand, Samar registered a 0.8 percentage point decrease as it dropped to 2.3 percent in March from 3.1 percent in February.
Northern Samar eased down to 3.5 percent from 3.6 percent in February but still recorded the highest inflation rate among the provinces in the region.
Southern Leyte, meanwhile, posted the lowest inflation rate among the provinces during the month in review at 1.4 percent.
Perante also reported that majority of the commodity groups in the region exhibited higher inflation rates in March compared with their rates in February.
These include housing, water, gas, electricity and other fuels commodity group which registered the biggest increase of 1.0 percentage point, from 0.9 percent deflation in February 2020 to 0.1 percent inflation in March 2020.
“This increase can be attributed to the inflation recorded in the actual rentals for housing index (7.5 percent); maintenance and repair of the dwelling index (2.6 percent); and water supply and miscellaneous services relating to the dwelling index (0.1 percent) in March 2020. The double-digit deflation rate of 11.0 percent in electricity, gas and other fuels, however, eased the impact of those increases to the overall IR of the commodity group,” Perante said.
Meantime, the PSA director said that the purchasing power of peso (PPP) of the region was recorded at P0.79 in March.
This PPP implies that the goods and services worth P79 in 2012 is worth P100 in March 2020.
All provinces in the region sustained their PPP last month.
Biliran, Leyte and Southern Leyte recorded the strongest PPP at P0.81, followed by Eastern Samar at P0.76 and Samar at P0.74. Northern Samar posted the weakest PPP at P0.73, Perante concluded.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Region’s inflation rate rises to 2.2% in March of this year
Church, villagers to Duterte: Stop mining operations in Homonhon Island
By RONALD O. REYES
CATHOLIC church and villagers in Homonhon Island in Guiuan, Eastern Samar have urged President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the ongoing mining operations in the island.
“The decades-long mining operations in the historic island of Homonhon have caused immense and tremendous environmental and ecological damages. The presence of mining companies in the island has also been a cause of divisions in the communities of the island,” said Fr. Christian Ofilan of the St. John the Baptist Parish in Homonhon, a fishing community of over 4,800 people.
In his online petition, which already earned over 10, 000 signatures as of April 24, Ofilan also appealed to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other government officials “to give our island time and a chance to heal itself.”
“There is an ongoing silent show of opposition or protest ongoing now in the village,” said Ofilan following the successful shipment of some 7,000 metric tons of chromite ore from mining company Techiron Resources Inc. in the island after the DENR on April 11 overturned its earlier decision to delay the loading activity.
“We are very disappointed. The people feel helpless,” said the 37-year-old priest.
The loading of the mineral ore, with estimated worth of P61 million, happened despite the opposition of the Eastern Samar provincial government and the Diocese of Borongan led by Bishop Crispin Varquez, following the health crisis brought by the deadly coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).
Earlier, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone banned “all entries of non-residents to the provincial coastlines, regardless of origins” as he placed the entire province under the general community quarantine.
Evardone also tasked concerned government agencies to “refuse the entry of any vessel attempting to dock and enter the province through the coastlines.”
In his letter dated April 14, Evardone appealed to DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu “to protect the health and safety of our people, to reconsider your decision to lift the suspension order on the loading of chromite ore of Techiron Resources Inc.” in the island.
“The people of Eastern Samar have raised serious concerns on the possible danger this poses to public health while our province is under general community quarantine,” the governor wrote.
However, the Panamanian-registered vessel, MV VW Peace, with a crew of 13 Chinese and four from Myanmar nationals, arrived on April 4 to collect and transport the minerals from the island to China.
A domestic ship facilitated the transfer of the minerals from Homonhon to the foreign cargo vessel which was anchored just few miles away from the island, according to CBCP News.
“The village officials of Pagbabangnan have prepared quarantine protocols and safety measures for all those involved in the loading operations,” said Ofilan.
Since the province is under a general community quarantine, the priest cannot help but lament over the issue on social media.
“It feels like we are on our own at this point. For this government, it is China’s interests first, second our rights,” said Ofilan.
“We can’t trust our government to protect our rights always. This is the bitter truth,” he wrote on Facebook.
Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) in Eastern Visayas also condemned the “blatant intrusions and disregard of existing quarantine laws and exploitation of our natural resources” in Homonhon.
“We also call upon the national government as well as the respective line agencies, most especially the DENR and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to be true to your oaths and the duties of your offices of protecting our valuable natural resources. No one is above the law; and most especially in times like this, they should be reminded that the welfare of the people greatly, if not entirely, outweighs the interest of a few individuals,” the group said in a statement.
LONG BATTLE AHEAD
Ofilan said there are currently two active mining operations in the island while they are on community lockdown since March 22.
He identified the other mining company as Emir Mineral Resources Corporation.
“Like cancer cells, the damage is slowly eating up the entire island.Hinahakot talaga nila yung lupa. Nakaka-flatten talaga ng bundok,” Ofilan said, describing the extent of the environmental damage suffered by the 20 kilometer-long island as nickel, chromite, and other minerals, are being extracted for many years.
“As for my safety, dati natatakot talaga ako nung umpisa palang pumutok yung issue. Pero ngayon okey na naman. I learned that most of those working in these mining companies are locals. The local people have assured me of my safety here,” said Ofilan, who has been assigned in the island for two years now.
Despite the continued inaction of the government, Ofilan remains thankful to the villagers and other environmental groups for their support.
“I really feel pity for them. Many of them have been fighting this cause for a long time already and it seems that nothing happens. It somehow gives them a sense of hopelessness. Kaya gusto ko lang ipagpatuloy ang laban nila,” he said.
An appropriate name
Many Western media, health, and political organizations are now naming the COVID-19 as CCP Virus, which stands for Chinese Communist Party (CCP). This, accordingly, is the most appropriate name after numerous proofs had surfaced, from the ongoing proves, that the present corona virus came from a Wuhan laboratory, not from a wet market as previously reported.
If it were true that this virus didn’t originate from a wet market, which does not exist there based on reports, then that virus must have been the handiwork of the Chinese regime, which directs and controls research activities throughout the country. And, for sure, it must be for crucial reasons that this virus was created; reasons that work to the regime’s great advantage in various ways over other countries.
At first, the Chinese government protested against the idea of naming it as Wuhan Virus for its racist implications. With the help and guidance of World Health Organization (WHO), another body accused of acting as China’s mouthpiece, they came up with the name COVID-19, which was immediately and widely used afterwards. This new name then is far safer and does not implicate any race or nation.
But with the many evidences pointing to the CCP’s role in the production and spread of the virus worldwide—many of which had been suppressed, covered up, and destroyed, in fact—full-scale investigations were still able to gather pieces of documents, images, and other proofs that the CCP was behind such virus production, no wonder why the regime had had plenty of preparations made to combat a global pandemic, such as the prior stockpiling of safety kits, masks, and suits.
As to the likely question of why would the CCP create and spread such a virus, one answer could be its glaring militarization of strategic locations like the West Philippine Sea, the grabbing of other countries’ territories, and the strengthening of their defenses while the potentially powerful rivals are desperately crippled by the deadly pandemic—the CCP virus.
SAP beneficiaries in the region starts to receive cash
TACLOBAN CITY-Bernardita Codilan,67, could not contain her happiness after more than an hour of waiting at their barangay hall, finally receive the P5,000 social amelioration program (SAP) of the national government on Wednesday (April 22) afternoon.
Codilan was one of the 6,984 residents of the town of Barugo, Leyte province which was among the first areas in Eastern Visayas to distribute the financial assistance starting on April 18 and concluded four days later.
“Of course, I am happy! This amount is huge for us poor people. This P5,000 will go a long way as I can now buy my medicine for my high blood pressure with the rest of the amount for our food needs,” Codilan, a resident of Barangay District II said.
Town Mayor Ma. Rosario Avestruz said that when she learned that the national government will be providing financial assistance, she immediately moved in the listing of those who could qualify for the aid.
Among those who are to receive the two-time basis P5,000 cash assistance are the senior citizens, lactating mothers, single parents, person with disabilities and the low-income earners who were displaced due to the pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
The town mayor reminded the beneficiaries to use the money that they received from the government.
She warned that those who will squander the money other than its original purposes, which to help them during this time of crisis by buying their daily and essential needs, could be delisted for the second payout scheduled next month.
“If they will spend for other purpose like for a tupada (cockfight) or liquor or worst, for illegal drugs, they will be delisted from the list for those who will receive the second payout,” Avestruz said.
For the entire Eastern Visayas, the regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has identified 596,094 beneficiaries for SAP.
Joshua Kempis, information officer of the DSWD-8 for disaster response management division, said that they intend to complete the distribution on April 30.
As of Wednesday, about9,413 beneficiaries from the provinces of Leyte (4,443), Samar (1,963), and Eastern Samar (3,007) have received the P5,000 financial assistance.
“We just like to remind to the beneficiaries that this emergency subsidy is meant to help the people sustain their basic needs, especially now that most of people’s sources of income have been affected due to COVID-19,” Kempis said.(JOEY A.GABIETA)
Quakes rock Leyte, Southern Leyte provinces
TACLOBAN CITY-Series of earthquakes rocked some parts of Leyte and Southern Leyte provinces on Wednesday (April 22) with the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) reporting of damages.
The jolts felt by the two provinces ranged from 1.5 magnitude to 4.6 magnitude.
In Leyte, the quakes were felt in the town of Capoocan having a magnitude of 2.4 am that occurred at around 8:48 am while a 2.4 magnitude tremor hit the town of Matag-ob with a magnitude of 1.5 that occurred at around 8:49 am.
Meanwhile, a series of quakes also hit in Southern Leyte with the provincial disaster risk reduction management office saying that the quakes did not result to any damages.
The first tremor occurred in Saint Bernard at around 5:45 am having a magnitude of 4.6, another jolt was felt in the town at about 6:37 am having a lesser magnitude of 2.8.
At 6:37 am, another earthquake took place in the town of San Francisco with a magnitude of 2.2.
A separate jolt was felt in the town of Anahawan at 7:01 am with a magnitude of 1.7.
Another earthshaking happened at about 10:39 am with the epicenter in San Juan with a magnitude of 2.4.
All the quakes in Leyte and Southern Leyte were all of tectonic in origin.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
DOH reports region’s 7th COVID-19 patient
New case niece of woman from Burauen town
TACLOBAN CITY-A 25-year old woman is the latest confirm coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19) case of the region.
The new patient is the niece of the 58-year old woman from Burauen town, the first case of Leyte province, Dr. Minerva Molon, regional director of the Department of Health (DOH), said during a virtual press conference Friday afternoon.
Molon said that the woman, identified as Eastern Visayas COVID-19 patient number 7, has exhibited sore throat and cough on April 18.
Swab sample was taken from her on April 19 which was brought to the Vicente Sotto Memorial Medical Center in Cebu City with the positive result obtained last April 22.
She is currently confined at the municipal isolation unit for observation and management.
Molon said that unlike in the previous COVID-19 patients, the 25-year old woman was not brought at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC), the referral hospital for the ailment, as she did not have any preexisting health problem.
The aunt of the latest COVID-19 patient is currently confined at the EVRMC since March 23.
The DOH-8 regional director said that with Burauen now having two confirmed COVID-19 cases, there is now a community transmission of the ailment considering that they lived in the same house.
Molon again reiterated for the public to adopt to the ‘new normal’ brought by the virus by wearing face mask, observe social distancing, personal hygiene and staying at home.
“From the beginning we’ve been calling the public to stay at home. If we stay, we cannot infect others. And from there, we can stop the transmission and spread in early stage,” the DOH regional director said.
On Friday, the DOH sent the batch 12 samples comprising 133 specimens from the contact tracing in Tarangan and from other areas.
(JOEY A. GABIETA, ROEL T. AMAZONA, RONALD O. REYES)