TACLOBAN CITY-Marive Repulda, 43, looks at the third anniversary commemoration of supertyphoon “Yolanda” on Nov. 8 with anxiety.
After all, the promised financial assistance to government workers like her has yet to be fulfilled by the government.
Still, Repulda, a school teacher at the Palo National High School in Palo, Leyte whose house was totally damaged due to Yolanda, hopes that the remaining amount of the promised financial assistance will be released this time under the administration of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
“I have high hopes that the full amount of our housing aid will be released this time. It would be too much already if it won’t happen,” she said.
Public school teachers living in Yolanda-hit areas were promised of housing aid based on a memorandum on January 4, 2014 during the administration of former Pres. Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino.
The memorandum refers to the proposed provision of financial assistance from the Presidential Social Fund to government employees who were affected by Yolanda.
Those whose houses were totally or heavily damaged were supposed to receive P100,000 and those whose houses were partially damaged were to receive P30,000.
According to Repulda, instead of receiving the entire promised amount of P100,000, she only received half of the amount October of last year.
“It is very frustrating. We were only given half of the amount due to us sometime in October 2015. And we were made to liquidate in full. We’ve waited for over a year already for our second release,” said Repulda, adding that until now her house is not yet fully rehabilitated while she continues to wait for the promised fund.
Education Undersecretary Jesus Lorenzo Mateo, in October, said that the release of said funds is on process.
“We have decided to make a concerted and collective action through this petition letter to demand for answers as to the status of the said financial assistance, and if possible, it be given to us the soonest possible time,” said MerInisa Ogario, the new regional coordinator of Alliance of Concerned Teachers (ACT-Eastern Visayas).
Along with Confederation for Unity, Recognition and Advancement of Government Employees-Eastern Visayas (COURAGE-EV), they launched a signature campaign over the issue.
Ogario said the petition will be given during the possible visit of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte in Tacloban City on Nov. 8, the Yolanda third anniversary, through DSWD Sec. Judy Taguiwalo. (RONALD O. REYES)

ORMOC CITY- Members of the media from the cities of Ormoc and Tacloban recently gathered for a seminar on sexually-transmitted diseases.
In particular, how to better tackle the issue of HIV-AIDS (humanimmuno virus-acquired immune deficiency syndrome) was given focus during the two-day gathering, held this city.
The speakers of the gathering, which started on October 15, emphasized the importance of awareness on the HIV-AIDS as the best way to address the issue that now affects even young people.
Based on the records of the Department of Health, out of the 355 HIV-AIDS cases in the region, 63 from Tacloban and another 55 cases from Ormoc City.
The Philippines has one of the world’s fastest growing HIV-AIDS cases in the world.
Since 1983, there are now 34,158 HIV cases and 3,070 HIV cases with 1,759 deaths.
“We should arm our children with sexual education to protect them from being a victim of the said virus” said Tino Ramirez, the resource speaker of the orientation forum.
To control the spread of HIV, according to him, is to manage the effects of HIV among our youth and how the disease could be acquired.
There are only three known means how HIV-AIDS could be acquired, these include infected blood transmission, sex and using infected needles.
The members of the media who attended the seminar expressed their gratitude to Tacloban Mayor Cristina Romualdez thru the City Health Office and City Population Office for providing a venue to orient practicing media in its advocacy awareness campaign against STI, HIV-AIDS spread and the stigma attached to it. (GAY GASPAY/TISAT)

PALO, Leyte–In its continuing assistance to help improve the lives of the Filipinos,especially those affected by supertyphoon “Yolanda,” the United States of America through its arm, the USAID(United States Agency for International Development)Rebuild Project, fully supported the Regional Cacao Industry Stakeholders’ Forum in this town.
Marc Barrera, Rebuild chief of party, gave a message in behalf of USAID.
Regional Executive Director Wilson Cerbito of the Department of Agriculture said that the cacao production is a sunrise industry of the region.
Working around the theme “Eastern Visayas Responding to 2022 Cacao Challenge,” the forum held last October 27 was attended by 400 participants from around the region.
Those who participated the summit were provided with needed tools to equip them in the production, processing and the post-harvest.
Agriculture Undersecretary Evelyn Laviña, who was the guest speaker of the occasion, emphasized the importance of program continuity for the success of the cacao industry.
After her speech, she traveled to Barangay Villaconziolo in Jaro, Leyte to talk to the member-farmers of the successful Leyte Compact Farming Agriculture Cooperative.
The cooperative has planted cacao in a six-hectare land area.
This support to the cacao industry is just part of the $143 million assistance provided by USAID to reconstruct and rehabilitate the areas damaged by Typhoon Yolanda in 2013. (VICKY C.ARNAIZ)

PALO, Leyte- Masses will be held in the entire Palo archdiocese, particularly in areas that suffered devastations due to the onslaught of supertyphoon “Yolanda”.
Thus said Archbishop John Du who said that he will personally lead a mass at a mass grave in Tanauan, one of hard-hit areas in Leyte when the world’s strongest typhoon hit Leyte exactly three years ago.
More than 1,000 people were killed in Tanauan and with an estimated damage of P1 billion in properties when it was pummeled by Yolanda.
“There will be masses for the victims (and) for those who died. We will pray for them” Du said.
Masses relative to the commemoration of the third anniversary of Yolanda will also be held in Palo and Tacloban City, considered the ground zero of Yolanda.
Meantime, Du challenged the people to move forward and start to live a normal life now that the horrendous disaster occurred three years ago.
Several activities have been lined up by various local government units in connection to the third anniversary of Yolanda.
Among these activities include the Yolanda Candlelight Memorial in Tacloban, covering 24 kilometer wherein the public are encourage to light a candle as a way of remembering those who perished due to Yolanda.
In Tanauan, one of the highlights of the commemorative program is the transfer of 258 families to their permanent shelters donated by a nongovernment organization.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Members of the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) arrested two men who were caught in a pot session using marijuana.
Arrested were identified as Remark Adolfo,20, jobless and a resident of Barangay 64,BLISS and Ray John Ramos,20 and a resident of Brgy.62-A, Kadungganan Village.
Another companion, Jomel Ventura, who was out of bail due to a robbery case, managed to escape from the police authorities.
The three were caught having a pot session at the back of a mausoleum at the Chinese Cemetery at around 1:20 pm on November 2, All Saint’s Day.
The police officer, assigned at the police assistance hub at the Chinese Cemetery who were conducting their foot patrol at that time, were alerted on the pot session of the three suspects by a concerned citizen.
Right away, the police personnel went to the area and managed to arrest Adolfo and Ramos. The third suspect, Ventura, managed to elude arrest by climbing over a concrete fence on his way to escape.
Confiscated from Adolfo was one piece heat sealed transparent sachet containing suspected dried marijuana leaves while confiscated from Ramos was one piece disposable lighter.
On the other hand, an improvised tooter was drop by Ventura on his way to escape.
Confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned-over to TCPO Evidence Custodian.
The suspects are now under the custody of TCPO Custodial Facility while cases for violation of Sections 11, 12, 13 & 15, Art 2 of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
S/Supt. Rolando V. Bade, acting city police director, commended the duty personnel for a job well done. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-Early initiation of breastfeeding is one of the core indicators of optimal feeding practices.
It is the proportion of children aged 0-24 months who are breastfed immediately or within one hour after delivery over the total number of 0-24 months old children born on the same period.
Breastfeeding within one hour after birth establishes breastfeeding and ensures that the child will receive its first “protection” from the immunoglobulin found in “colostrum”- the first form of milk produced by the mother’s breast.
It also protects the child from infectious and chronic diseases and promotes cognitive development. It also establishes mother-baby bonding and boosts the confidence of the mother to breastfeed.
A significant increase in the proportion of timely breastfeeding initiation was noted from 51.9% in 2011 to 77.1% in 2013, according to nutrition surveys by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology (FNRI-DOST).
This may be partly due to the strengthened implementation of the Mother-Baby Friendly Hospital Initiatives (MBFHI) in both public and private hospitals and clinics.
The MBFHI facilities follow the Ten Steps to Successful Breastfeeding Statements published by the World Health Organization as follows:
Every facility providing maternity services and care for newborn infants should:
– Have a written breastfeeding policy that is routinely communicated to all health care staff.
– Train all health care staff in skills necessary to implement this policy.
– Inform all pregnant women about the benefits and management of breastfeeding.
– Help mothers initiate breastfeeding within half an hour of birth.
– Show mothers how to breastfeed, and how to maintain lactation even if they should be separated from their infants.
– Give newborn infants no food or drink other than breast milk, unless medically indicated.
– Practise rooming-in – that is, allows mothers and infants to remain together – 24 hours a day.
– Encourage breastfeeding on demand.
– Give no artificial teats or pacifiers (also called dummies or soothers) to breastfeeding infants.
– Foster the establishment of breastfeeding support groups and refer mothers to them on discharge from the hospital or clinic.
How the child was taken cared of at birth and how was the baby was fed in particular, ultimately impact on health and survival. (PR)