73,000 Sinovac vaccines arrive in the region, expected to complete shots for medical and frontline workers
TACLOBAN CITY-At least 73,200 doses of Sinovac vaccines arrived in the region last Saturday (May 1) which are intended for frontliners who have not yet received the vaccines.
The arrival of these vaccines is expected to complete the vaccination of all health and frontline workers in the region, Dr. Exuperia Sabalberino, DOH regional director said.
The vaccines are also to be administered to medical workers and frontliners as their second doses.
As of last week, 42,101 medical and other frontline workers across the region have received the vaccines, the DOH reported.
“This is the biggest number of doses received by Eastern Visayas and is expected to complete the vaccination of those belonging to A1 category,” she said.
These doses could accommodate over 36,500 individuals, Sabalberino said.
Sabalberino earlier said that they have identified over 80,000 medical and frontliners in the region who are to receive the shots.
The region, she added, expects to receive doses of vaccines this month and on June.
Meantime, the regional Office of Civil Defense (OCD) will be providing free meals for medical and frontline workers in the region.
Lord Byron Torrecarion, OCD-8 director, said that providing meals to these medical and frontline workers is their way of expressing their gratitude during this time of pandemic.
“This is our way of giving back to our medical and frontline workers who are making their own sacrifices (during this pandemic), Torrecarion said.
The giving of free meals started on Sunday and initially projected to end next month.
OCD had earlier provided assistance to various hospitals and offices in the region like distribution of PPEs (personal protective equipment)
As of Monday, the region has 18,223 confirmed coronavirus disease (COVID-19) cases with 35 new cases as reported by the DOH. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
Mayor Romualdez extends assistance to fire victims in Calanipawan
TACLOBAN CITY- Fire victims that erupted in Barangay 96, Calanipawan on Saturday (May 1) were immediately provided assistance on the order of City Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
The city mayor personally went to the area to look after the 16 families whose houses were gutted down by the fire incident that started at around 11:10 am.
Upon Mayor Romualdez’ order, the City Social Welfare and Development Office(CSWDO), headed by Chona Fe Bahin, distributed food packs composed of six kilos rice, 10 canned goods, coffee, biscuits, milk, and cup noodles, together with hygiene kits, blankets, mosquito nets, and mats.
A day after the blaze, the CSWDO again extended kitchenware and used clothing to the fire victims who are temporarily taking shelter at their relatives’ houses in the area.
Meanwhile, CSWDO Head Bahin stated that the office is working on the recommendation of the family-victims for financial assistance from the City Government of Tacloban.
The fire which was declared “fire out” after almost an hour and left 16 families homeless, was responded by Tacloban City Fire Station, Tacloban Chamber Volunteer Fire Brigade, and the Local Chief Executive himself, Mayor Alfred S. Romualdez.
(TACLOBAN CITY INFORMATION OFFICE)
Govs. Petilla, Evardone nix move
Plan to defund NTF-ELCAC
PALO, Leyte – Both Governors Leopoldo Dominico Petilla of Leyte and Ben Evardone of Eastern Samar have expressed their opposition to defund the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) saying this would affect the development of the targeted far-flung villages.
The NTF-ELCAC current budget is at P19 billion of which P16 billion is intended for the barangay development program (BDP).
However, some senators have expressed their plan to defund the NTF-ELCAC after its spokesperson, Lt. Gen. Antonio Parlade called them stupid in the midst of controversy on the community pantry organized by Anna Patricia Non whom the Army general red tagged.
Both Petilla, who chairs the Regional Development Council, and Evardone, who sits at the Regional Peace and Order Council, said that this move could hamper the development effort on the targeted barangays, especially in the remote areas.
“We will not allow that. We will strongly oppose it.In the first place it is not the ELCAC that is utilizing or disbursing or using the funds. The funds is used directly by the barangay,”he said.
“I think the perception of some of our friends in the Senate are misplaced. This ELCAC funds are intended for barangay which had been cleared from insurgency, from conflict situation so that the people will not go back at the other side of the law,” Evardone added.
The Easter Samar governor revealed that in the current budget of NTF-ELCAC, although some villages in his province has been declared cleared from influence of the communist group has not yet received funding from the project.
He said that the current budget of ELCAC is allocated for villages that had been cleared from influence of the communist group from 2018 downward.
“If the village will not receive project from ELCAC the government reputation will be tarnished; its credibility is affected. People in the village will say, you promised to help us but where is it? So the people will not believe the government. If that happens they go to the other side,” the Eastern Samar governor added.
For his part, Gov.Petilla also expressed his opposition to the possible defunding ELCAC saying this would greatly affect villages especially in hinterlands that needs accessibility, social services and help for development.
“ELCAC is one of the few funds from the national government that can be used to fund projects for far-flung communities especially the conflict-affected areas. If ELCAC is defund, you are punishing the communities in hinterlands and not the person who committed a mistake,”he said.
In Leyte province, although the provincial government had been providing funds for barangay development which includes infrastructure and livelihood projects in conflict-affected areas since 2013 under the Leyte Economic- More Income in the Countryside Program, support from the national government is still needed mostly in big funded projects like road network construction.
“Right now, all villages in Leyte are already declared as conflict-affected free areas, but if they push for that plan to defund ELCAC, other provinces such as Samar will be greatly affected. And if conflict happens in Samar, Leyte is also affected, “Petilla said.
During his visit in Palo, Leyte last April 30, Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go also expressed his strong opposition on this move.
“I’m opposing to it because it will hamper the government’s anti-insurgency campaign, “Go said in an interview after the turn-over of cash assistance worth P3,000 each to 526 typhoon Auring flooding affected families in Palo town.
He also lead the turn-over of the Malasakit Center at the Leyte Provincial Hospital and at the Schistosomiasis Hospital also both in Palo town.
“We’re in the middle of its implementation. It’s insensitive for us to defund it now. The intention of the ELCAC is to alleviate and develop the conflict-affected villages and not to engage in armed battle,” the senator added.
Switching on of San Juanico Bridge lighting lined up among this year’s Samar Day highlights
TACLOBAN CITY – The formal switch on ceremony of the lighting project at the iconic San Juanico Bridge remains uncertain.
This was confirmed John Michael Cristobal, Samar provincial tourism officer, said that due to some technical problems that need to be fixed.
He, however, said they hope to have the ceremony in time for the Samar Day celebration on August 11.
The P80-million San Juanico Aesthetic Lighting project is funded by the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Authority (TIEZA) was approved in 2018.
The bidding started in 2019 with the groundworks started in the same year.
Amigo Entertainment Technologies Inc., the contractor of the project, had targeted earlier the completion last year but was not realized due to the ongoing pandemic caused by the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
A test run was held in December 2020 with glitches identified resulting for another delay of the turn-over.
“We are targeting August 11, in time for the 180th Samar Day celebration but this may become early depending on the development,” Cristobal said.
Amigo lighting is targeting to finish the electrical lighting wiring works this April while works at the substation is targeted to be completed by June.
Early this year, the contractor had asked for the 90-day extension to fix the power connection from the substation to the bridge.
The contractor found the problem when they turned the lights on during the dry run from mid-December to January of this year.
Cristobal added that the project consultant and TIEZA also suggested to modify the substation located in one of the islands below bridge to optimize the use of power supply and efficient operations and reliable supply to the lighting requirements of the San Juanico Bridge.
Once operational, San Juanico Bridge will not only become a day-time tourist attraction but a night-time destination with the provincial government projecting business establishments operating around the area. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)