PALO, Leyte- Four cultural groups, besides the papal Mass grand choir, will provide gleeful welcome and departure to Pope Francis and his entourage on January 17. The committee jointly led by Msgr. Ramon Aguilos and Tourism Regional Director Karina Rosa Tiopes identified the performers from Leyte Normal University Dance company, Samleyaw of Eastern Visayas State University, Leyte Kalipayan Dance Company, the Inagta Children.

According to Rev. Fr. Bryand Restituto, member of the church committee on the papal reception at the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport, upon the arrival of the Pope at around 9:30 in the morning of January 17, the 8th ID band together with the LNU brass band will play the traditional “Mabuhay” song and a tableau dance presentation proceeds in the tune of the famed “curacha.” As a matter of security arrangement, the performers will only enter the performance area upon arrival. They will simultaneously perform for only 5 minutes, while in the departure, the 250-man grand choir will render three songs including the Argentinean song The Amigos, to which the Pope is familiar.

Three Philippine Airlines chartered planes are expected to bring the Pope and his entourage which include dignitaries from the Vatican and the Pope’s curia. The usual reception protocol will be accorded to the Pope and the dignitaries by the committee at the airport upon arrival until he goes to the makeshift sacristy to be put up near the altar at the airport apron for the papal Mass. Same courtesy wish will be shown to them upon departure at around five o’clock in the afternoon.

“We were told that the reception should be as simple, but as Leyteños, we cannot avoid but give him the best hospitality that we could,” Restituto said. The performers as well as the individuals tapped by the committee to cordon the area from the tarmac to the airport apron are undergoing same prerequisites required, including security and physical, mental and spiritual fitness. They had their retreat on January 5 at the LNU student center, given by Rev. Fr. Kim Margallo, Commission on Youth of the Archdiocese of Palo. “We are looking forward to the coming of the Holy Father Pope Francis with great anticipation and joy,” Aguilos remarked, underscoring the coming of the Pope as “no ordinary visit,” but “an apostolic journey of the leader and pastor of the whole Catholic world.” “It, too, is historic, it being the first time ever that the Pope sets his foot in our region, island, province, and the archdiocese. That explains why there is so much eagerness among all sectors for this event,” he stressed.

“Beyond the material preparations all of us are tediously having, we entreat everyone that we put a high premium on the spiritual dimension of his visit,” Aguilos added. The theme of the papal visit, “Mercy and Compassion”, for him behooves “No better preparation other than our show of compassion to the poor and needy, as well as our mercy to the weak and the lost.” Aguilos encouraged everyone to “prepare ourselves sacramentally by going to confession and communion. These will be the ‘spiritual bouquets and garlands’ that we will offer to the Holy Father, that is our holy and heroic lives, all in keeping with the Gospel values.”

Tiopes meanwhile commented, “It is our nature as Filipinos that whenever we have visitors, we are proud to welcome them to our home.” She added, “Pope Francis is not just any ordinary visitor, whom I personally have never dreamed in my lifetime that I will get an opportunity to see as pope in person. It is a great honor for all of us.” She said the performances, which are “snippets reflective of the culture of the people of Eastern Visayas” are being showcased to let the Pope feel how very much thankful and happy the people of the region are to him for personally deciding to visit us after what we have been through.”
(EILEEN NAZARENO BALLESTEROS)

ORAS, E. Samar- With this town devastated in successions by typhoons “Ruby” and “Seniang,” a relief operation was conducted by graduates of several high schools of this town on January 2. Graduates of the Holy Cross Academy, Oras National High School and Nicasio Alvarez Memorial High School, raised funds to conduct their January 2, 2015 relief operations in Barangay Naga, a remote village that is about 10 kilometers away from the town proper.

The members of the relief mission to Naga all finished their high schools in 1999. They received donations from their former classmates now living abroad and in Metro Manila. About 122 families benefited from this food relief operation. “This is in our personal capacity as part of the community of Oras to help our people hit by calamities,” Angeli Maiso, one of the co-organizers, said. She added that giving hope among these affected families may bring a better start for the new year. Despite her aching back, she endured a 4 kilometer walk to reach the village. Naga could be reached via a boat ride to Barangay Agsam.

Irvin Pormida, who is a member of the Sangguniang Bayan of Oras, happily went through the sacrifice. “Giving back to the community and adopt-a-barangay is our theme for this and this is in my own personal capacity” said Pormida. “We tend to continue this every holiday season here in Oras, of course with the help of batch mates and maybe from other local Orasnon” also added Maiso. According LGU-Oras, Mayor Viviane Alvarez stated that there were 1,952 totally damaged houses, 6,316 partially damaged houses, and 9,776 total number of families affected. (ALJIM ARCUENO)

TACLOBAN CITY- The Sangguniang Panlungsod of this city passed a resolution urging the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to include employees, both in the private and public sectors, earning P15,000 and above be included in the distribution of emergency shelter assistance (ESA). The resolution, passed during their special session last December 1, would mean that regardless of incomes, families who either totally lost their houses or just sustained damages could now receive the ESA. “We passed a resolution urging the DSWD to expand the coverage of the ESA to include even those earning P15,000 and above as long as their houses were totally or partially damaged,” Vice Mayor Jerry “ Sambo” Yaokasin, presiding officer of the council, said.

Those whose houses were totally damaged are to receive P30,000 while it will be P10,000 for those whose houses suffered partial damages. Under Memorandum Circular Number 24 issued by Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, those earning P15,000 above, either from the government or private sector, would not be entitled to receive the ESA as they have either access to loans or does not live below the poverty threshold. Tacloban’s poverty threshold was placed at P10,000. However, this order of Soliman was strongly criticized by those who will not receive the ESA. City officials described it as a “moronic” policy.

“What kind of policy is that? That is very moronic! Just because we are government employees we will be denied with this assistance? We were also hit by Yolanda. Our houses were also hit by the typhoon,” Mila Ragot, president of the Government Association of Tacloban Employees (Gate), said. During their same session, the members of the Tacloban council also passed a separate resolution appealing the DSWD to give ESA to all families in the city either they have totally or partially lost their houses. This after the council ratified the memorandum of agreement earlier signed by City Mayor Alfred Romualdez and DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos. “The good news is, after ratifying the MOA , it will paved the way for the release of ESA which is P30,000 for the victims whose house were totally damage and P10,000 for victims whose house were partially,” said Yaokasin.

The release of the ESA will be by areas as area 1 covering the San Jose district will be the first to receive the shelter assistance to be followed by area 4 covering Sagkahan district and until all the areas of Tacloban.
Yaokasin said that he hope the distribution of the ESA will be over by this month. The DSWD provided P315 million for the first tranche on the ESA distribution. The city needs P1.09 billion for the shelter assistance covering 57,499 houses.

BY LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA