City Council approves P391 million loan

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January 30, 2016

TACLOBAN CITY- After being saddled with debt for almost a decade, the city government of Tacloban will embark on another loan in the amount of P391 million. On Wednesday (January 27), the members of the city council chaired by Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin, approved an ordinance authorizing Mayor Alfred Romualdez to enter into a loan agreement with the Land Bank of the Philippines.

The proposed loan will be used to bankroll in the improvement of the city’s drainage system in the amount of P192 million; repair of the slaughterhouse (P113 million) and construction of the long-delayed sanitary landfill, P86 million. City budget officer Vicente Dy said that while the city is still reeling after it was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013, it could “afford” to pay the proposed loan. He said that Yolanda-related rehabilitation projects like road construction in the resettlement sites located in the northern portion of Tacloban and delivery of water to these sites and construction of temporary shelters have been given an allocation of about P60 million by the city government under its current budget. The city budget officer said that construction of permanent shelters for Yolanda survivors who totally lost their houses is the concern of the national government having the most resources compared to the city government.

“If we want development, we must have long-term projects, programs and activities. And we can only do them if we have enough funding and a local government is allowed to resort to any external sources like seeking assistance to our senators, congressmen and domestic borrowing,” Dy explained when asked why the city government has to seek for a financial loan. He added that while the projects identified to be funded by the city government under the proposed loan are not income-generating save for the slaughterhouse, these would benefit the residents of the city. Councilor Cristina Romualdez, wife of the city mayor, said that Tacloban’s poor drainage system must be addressed now to ensure that flooding incidents could be minimized.

“Drainage affects everybody, flooding affects everybody especially now with the effect of climate change. We need to be prepared,” Romualdez added. Opposition Councilor Neil Glova said that while he has reservations on the proposed loan, he nevertheless voted for the council to authorize Mayor Romualdez to enter a financial agreement with the Land Bank.

“It’s better that they are now presenting solutions to the problems but people should be vigilant when construction of these projects starts,” Glova said. Dy said that while there was no debt servicing allocated under its P1.13 billion budget for 2016, the city government will start paying the interest of the proposed loan in 2017 yet with the principal amount to be paid within two years. Last year, the city government was freed from debts in the amount of P367.3 million incurred during the administration of former mayor, Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez, father of the outgoing city mayor.

The P367.3 million was used to fund the construction of a bus terminal, public market and the astrodome which served as an evacuation center during Yolanda’s wrath. (with reports MARK DONALD BALO and MARLA TOLIBAS, EVSU Interns)

Buyogan Festival receives invite to a world gathering in India

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January 30, 2016

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buyogan — GOING INTERNATIONAL. The Buyogan Festival of Abuyog town in Leyte was invited to perform in this year’s World Culture Festival in India. The invite was personally made by Liew Siaw San of the International Association for Human Values. Seen with Liew during her presentation were Leyte Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto and Abuyog Mayor Octavio Traya. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

GOING INTERNATIONAL. The Buyogan Festival of Abuyog town in Leyte was invited to perform in this year’s World Culture Festival in India. The invite was personally made by Liew Siaw San of the International Association for Human Values. Seen with Liew during her presentation were Leyte Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto and Abuyog Mayor Octavio Traya. (LITO A. BAGUNAS)

TACLOBAN CITY– Abuyog Mayor Octavio Traya, Jr. is enthusiastic since its town’s Abuyog Festival has been invited by the International Association for Human Values (IAHA) of Malaysia to participate in the World Culture Festival on March 11-13, 2016 in New Delhi, India. Traya said he and the rest of the local government are enthusiastic about this invitation because this would be the first time the Philippines would send a representative to this global event.

“Our challenge is to raise PHP8million for the local travel expenses, international flights and food and hotel accommodation for a hundred dancers,” the town mayor said.
The bee-inspired festival was just adjudged as best in street dancing (free interpretation category) in this year’s Sinulog Festival. It also won 3rd place both as best musicality and in free interpretation categories of the said Cebu City-based cultural festival.

The invitation was personally hand-carried by Siaw San Liew to the mayor this week. Liew is the project leader of Philippines Empowerment Program of IAHA. According to Liew, the World Culture Festival will be attended by close to 3.5 million people from dignitaries, humanitarian organizations, cultural and art aficionados. The World Culture Festival is part of the Art of Living Foundation’s 35th year which is spearheading the event. In the invite, it was stated that Leyte province, being one of the critically impacted regions in the country by the climate change, is a voice that needs to be embodied in this massive event.

Thus, the invite added, it would be a great opportunity to send the best of Leyte to the World Culture Festival to perform in behalf of the Filipinos as a way to express their gratitude to the world for the help received after supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) devastated the region. Mayor Traya said Buyogan boasts of its new colorful costumes patterned to the different shapes and colors of a bee and mimicking its bee life to the beat of distinct Buyogan music.

Legend has it that Abuyog has a mystical creature popularly known as Opayda who was said to be a good fairy who helped cure victims of bee stings and guides fishermen safely back to shore through her magical voice. Buyogan was the champion in the first Leyte Kasadyaan Festival in October 1996. It was adjudged Hall of Famer after it became a champion five times since that year. As Hall of Famer, it was not allowed to compete until it made a comeback in 2007 and won again in the twin-billed Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival held in Tacloban City to celebrate the city fiesta. In 2009, the well-loved Buyogan Festival created history when it swept in both Cebu City’s Sinulog Festival- champion in the free interpretation category and best in street dancing.

It won the Aliwan Festival on April that year, a competition of the 17 best regional festivals in the country at the Quirino Grandstand in Manila organized by the Manila Broadcasting Company and brought home P1 million cash prize. After the Yolanda tragedy on November 8, 2013, it didn’t compete in any festival due to financial constraint as the costumes and props were destroyed by the supertyphoon. It was a guest performer though in the Pintados in 2014. It did a smashing comeback in the 2015, winning both the Sinulog and the Pintados-Kasadyaan Festival of Festivals.
(VICKY C. ARNAIZ)

Law student starts clean up campaign at People’s Center and Library

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January 30, 2016

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Thousands of books, several of them written by some of the world’s literary giants, could still be found at the People’s Center and Library. But these books, due to lack of maintenance, are gathering dust and are worn out.

Thousands of books, several of them written by some of the world’s literary giants, could still be found at the People’s Center and Library. But these books, due to lack of maintenance, are gathering dust and are worn out.

TACLOBAN CITY- Last December, Jacklyn Saño went to the People’s Center and Library for the very first time to do some research. While she marvels the fact that there are still thousands of books that could still be found at the library, Saño was shocked to see the condition of these books-worn out, gathering dust and damp.

What depressed her most is seeing these books, written by some of the world’s literary giants, apparently left unmaintained. The library, built by former first lady Imelda Marcos here in Tacloban, contain more than 55,000 hardbound books with some of the world’s well-known authors and writers ranging from William Shakespeare to James Joyce to Leo Tolstoy to Mark Twain to Alexander Dumas to Stephen Hawkins, among other literary giants. And the library, with Greek-inspired posts and round-shape tables made of hardwood, was even said to have the original copy of the “Noli Me Tangere” written by our national hero, Jose Rizal.

Of course, books and journals written by former President Ferdinand Marcos could also be found in the library. “It’s the best and classic public library that I have ever seen. But I was utterly shock seeing its present condition. Books are worn out, in disarray and dirty and gathering dust; poorly lighted,” the 30-year old Saño who hails from the town of Abuyog, Leyte, self-confessed book lover, said. “Any book lover who will see books gathering dust and in bad conditions will have this immediate reaction to clean them up,” she added, reason why she volunteered to, for a start, to clean the books and eventually, do an inventory.

The very sad condition of the library prompted Saño, who is a third year Law student at St. Paul’s Business School and Law in Palo, also in Leyte, prompted her with the help of her friends, to conduct a clean-up drive and clean the books. “But the library is so huge and there are thousands of books to be cleaned up. It might take us a decade to finish the job,” Saño, a native of Abuyog, laughed. Thus, she is also asking support from the public to help them on their campaign preserve “a part of our heritage.”
Renoir Dauag, regional representative of the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), said that he truly welcomes the act of Saño and her friends to clean up the books and other reading materials inside the library.

“It will be a big help for us. We don’t have a librarian and enough personnel to help us maintain cleanliness and restore these books from their original shelves,” Dauag, who has been at the helm of the PCCC in the region since 2000, said. Aside from Dauag, where he holds office in one of the 16 rooms of the library, there are only a security guard and a janitor who could be seen regularly inside the facility. Saño and her friends started their campaign last January 12 from 9 in the morning until 12 noon every Tuesday and Thursday. “We cannot commit ourselves full time considering that we are all students,” she said.

Since the start of their clean-up campaign, they were able to clean 4 out of the 16 rooms of the library. “We hope we could gather other people, book lovers especially, to help us clean up the library again; where our students can go” Saño said. Bernardita “Bering”Valenzuela, information officer of the city government and one-time chief of staff of Marcos when she was congresswoman of Leyte’s first district, said she welcomes the move of Saño. “The library is still with the PCGG so we cannot do anything about it. But we welcome her campaign and we’ll see what we can do,” she said.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

Japan continues to provide aid to `Yolanda’-hit E. Visayas

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January 25, 2016

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PALO, Leyte- While it’s been over two years after the region was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda,” it still continues to receive donations from other countries and agencies.
On Monday, the Japanese government through its Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) donated 14 units of boom trucks to different local electric cooperatives whose respective areas were pummeled by Yolanda on November 8, 2013.
Japan is one of the top donors to the country due to Yolanda.

The equipment, turned over on Monday, Jan.25, inside the compound of the Bureau of Equipment of the regional office of the Department of Public Works and Highways, will be of big use to the recipient cooperatives, said Edita Bueno, administrator of the National Electric Administration (NEA). “These cooperatives sustained damages due to Yolanda that is why, they were given these boom trucks after the assessment made by the JICA,” Bueno said. A unit costs around P5 million.

Noriaki Niwa, chief representative of JICA to the Philippines, turned over the equipment to the respective power cooperatives. The recipient-cooperatives and the corresponding number of units of boom trucks they received were the Don Orestes Romualdez Electric Cooperative(Dorelco) which serves towns in Leyte’s second district, four units; Eastern Samar Electric Cooperative(Esamelco), covering the entire Eastern Samar province, four units; Samar Electric Cooperative (Samelco)II, which covers towns hit by Yolanda like Basey and Marabut, two units and the Leyte II Electric Cooperative(Leyeco II), which covers the towns of Palo and Babatngon and Tacloban City, considered the worst-hit area due to Yolanda, with four units.

Engr.Fernan Tan, acting general manager of the Leyeco II, said that the power cooperative is grateful to JICA for the donation of the four unit boom trucks. “These equipment will be of big help to us, to our linemen in particular as this will help hasten their work,” Tan said. He added that these boom trucks, in case of a disaster, could help hasten any possible restoration work. One of the features of the boom truck is that they have a digging machine which could speed up the work, he added. At present, Leyeco II has five boom trucks which were already “worn out” after these were used during Yolanda’s restoration and recently, used in Northern Samar after the said province was hit by typhoon “Nona” last December 14, 2015. The said equipment could last for about 15 years. By: Joey Gabieta

Thai princess in the city

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January 23, 2016

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TACLOBAN CITY- A real princess stepped inside a “reel” palace in the city for an hour and expressed her “amazement” on how the place remained well-maintained. Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand, whose family is considered to be the world’s richest royals with fortune of $30 billion based on Forbes 2015 listing, visited the Santo Niño Shrine and Museum, known mostly as the palatial house of former first lady and now Ilocos Norte Rep. Imelda Marcos.

Her visit to the said museum was part of her itinerary during her two-day visit in Leyte that ended on Wednesday, January 20. The 21-room palatial structure, located along Real Street, this city, is under control of the government through the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), claiming it was part of the so-called Marcos ill-gotten wealth. Annabelle Arpon, staff of the PCGG-8 who served as guide to the Princess in her “room-to-room” visit of the shrine, said she finds her to be “very simple.” “Well, we usually picture a princess with a tiara on her head and wearing a very nice gown. But in her case, she came here as if she was just an ordinary guest. No tiara, no gown. She was just wearing something like a blouse and pants,” she said.

“She is very simple. But she is a princess that is why I was also in awe. It’s my first time to encounter a real princess,” Arpon, whose been serving as a guide for guests visiting the shrine since 1989, she added. Arpon said that the princess arrived at the shrine at 9:45 am on Wednesday. She left the shrine almost an hour later. She was welcomed by Juliette Romualdez during her tour to the shrine. Romualdez is the sister-in-law of Marcos. The former first lady was said to be close to the princess’ mother, Queen Sirikit. “We were briefed that she would not see all the 21 rooms here. But during her visit, she actually went inside all the rooms and lingered for almost three or five minutes in every room she was in,” she said. And using her camera, she also took pictures in every room, designed differently from each other, and even seen to have taken some notes using a small notebook.

“According to her aide, the Princess described the shrine as the best she ever visited,”Arpon said. And in the guest list, the Princess wrote a comment of “well kept.”
Arpon said that she received from the Thai princess, handed to her by a staff, a miniature designed Buddhist temple as a gift. The shrine, built in 1979-1980 during the remaining years of the Marcos regime, is undergoing renovation after it sustained damages when it was hit by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013. Found inside the shrine, once described by Marcos as her summer house, are numerous Russian icons, oriental jars and paintings by some of the country’s national artists like Malang and ivory-made statues. It has also an Olympic-sized swimming pool and state dining room located at the second floor. Each of the guest rooms are decorated with different motifs of the country’s regions.

A chapel also greets the visitors with the image of Santo Niño, the patron of Tacloban. Renoir Dauag, regional PCGG representative, said that they were happy that a royalty visited the shrine. “We were happy that her visit to the shrine was included in her itinerary. This could help encourage, among foreign tourists especially, to visit the Santo Niño Shrine and Museum,” he said. Aside from the Santo Niño Shrine and Museum, the Thai princess also visited the Santo Niño Church and the MacArthur National Landing Memorial National Park in Palo town.

The Thai princess visited Leyte to personally lead in the turn -over of a two-classroom at the Banayon Elementary School in Dagami town, Leyte.
She also lead in the turn-over of livelihood assistance involving mushroom production, tilapia raising to the locals still reeling in the aftermath of Yolanda’s destruction.
Dagami, more than 30 kms away from Tacloban, was one of the areas in Leyte hit by Yolanda.