CALBAYOG CITY- A total of 30 beneficiaries of Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) from the three village of this city are to undergo a farmers’ field school (FFS) season-long training on organic vegetable production. The training is to be participated from five 4Ps beneficiaries from Barangay Palanascara; 15 from Anislag and 10 from Lonoy. This is a joint undertaking of the city link and City Agriculture Office, and part of national government’s undertaking known as the “Agrikulturang Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program” or “AgriPinoy 4Ps” which, through local government units, aims to increase agricultural productivity and provide training, sustainable livelihood and short-term jobs to poor farm families in agricultural areas in the countryside. This AgriPinoy 4Ps will provide them with enough skills and livelihood activities through seedlings distribution and technology transfer that will make them self-reliant. Engr. Guillermo Calderon, assistant city agriculturist, said that this weekly FFS will include field activities, lectures and group dynamics.

He likewise mentioned special topics to be discussed in the entire duration of training which will include the importance of vegetable farming, production and consumption; nursery technology and management; soil sampling, seeding rate computation, land preparation and field layout; organic foliar fertilizer and pesticide; field management practices like transplanting, trellising and pruning; integrated nutrient management; and pest ecology identification and management.

In his talk with the 4Ps member-participants, Mayor Ronaldo Aquino thanked them for their attendance and further expressed high hopes that this will become their continuing program in coordination with their village officials for a desired productive and healthy barangays in the years to come. Mayor Aquino likewise urged the participants to contribute to the city’s progress, and shared his belief that as the city become economically progressive, the standard of living of every Calbayognon likewise changes for the better. (AIMEE A.CATALAN/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- A two- day seminar workshop on Regional and District Disaster Risk Reduction Management (DRRM) teams was conducted by resource persons from the Bureau of Maintenance headed by Engr. Ma. Vishna Manio aimed to review and enhance the participants on the Incident Command System (ICS) as well as the details of their roles and responsibilities during disaster. Members of the DRRM team from district offices of Biliran, Eastern Samar, Southern Leyte, Northern Samar I and II and Samar I and II are in attendance. This is the second batch to attend said training in Region VIII.

The participants were made to realize the varying disaster risks brought about by climate change where Republic Act. 10121 – Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction Management Act & RA 9729 Climate Change Act were enacted paving the way for the creation of the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) chaired by Secretary of National Defense and cascaded down to the 17 Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils, 79 Provincial DRRM Councils, 122 City DRRM Councils, 1,512 Municipal DRRM Councils and barangay DRRM Councils. The four pillars of DRRM includes prevention and mitigation; disaster preparedness; disaster response; rehabilitation and recovery. The resource speakers stressed more on managing incidents using the incident command system which provides for the achievement of tactical objectives, efficient use of resources and having common operating procedure.

As discussed this ICS is headed by the incident commander whose support staff includes the PIO, safety officer and the liaison officer. The IC’s general staff is lead by operations section chief composed of the operations, logistics, admin-finance and planning units. To fully operationalize the incident command post, incident facilities on site were presented which would guide others in responding once the team mobilizes.
Georeferenced photographs are most helpful, according to Bryan Telmo and other mobile applications to keep the public abreast of incidents in various areas nationwide. Submission of appropriate situational reports were tackled as per D.O. # 38 series of 2010 and a reminder of D.O. # 96 regarding funding request for structures damaged by disaster. It cannot be denied then, that climate change is here to stay and disaster may occur anytime of the day. (MARIANETTE Y. GOMEZ/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- Even Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, an administration ally, expressed his doubts whether the purported transfer of the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport would materialize any time soon.

Petilla, who chairs the Regional Development Council, said that the possible transfer of the region’s premier airport needs some studies. The Japan International Corporation Agency (JICA) is leading a study on this undertaking upon the request of the Office of the Presidential Assistant on Recovery and Rehabilitation (OPARR). The study alone will take about two years, Petilla said. “It will take several years from now probably more than a decade to construct an airport because of the process and we will also be using safety measures so that the safety of passengers will not be at risk”, Petilla said.

Petilla also denied that planned transfer of the DZR Airport is politically motivated but rather to provide the public safer and better service. The DZR airport is currently located at San Jose, where it is one of the most affected area during the onslaught of typhoon Yolanda in the region, and is planned to be transferred somewhere in Palo and Sta. Fe areas. (KAYE ANNE B. ORALLER, LNU Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- From the horses’ mouths- three years before families rendered homeless due to supertyphoon “Yolanda” could have their permanent houses. During a public hearing conducted by the Senate committee on urban planning, housing and resettlement chaired by Senator JV Ejercito in the city, an official of the Office of Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation (OPARR) admitted that it would take them three years or until 2016 before they could provide permanent houses to the 14,433 families whose houses were washed out during the typhoon. For the construction of these houses, P13 billion has been allocated by the NHA to be implemented for the next three years, said OPARR Usec. Leslie Cordero during the November 27 public hearing held this city. The P13 billion was part of the P167.9 billion comprehensive master plan of the national government in the rehabilitation of areas hit by Yolanda. Lorna Seraspe, group manager-Visayas management office of the National Housing Authority (NHA), said for now 90% of the allocated budget this year for the construction of permanent shelters for Tacloban City were already were bid out.

And for this year, they expect to construct 2,000 housing units, 3,000 for next year and the remaining housing needs by 2016. Aside of Ejercito, present during the public hearing were Sen. Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos and congressmen Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Alfred Benitez and Kit Belmonte. The solons visited bunk houses in Sagkahan and tent houses in San Jose. Ejercito said that pity the families still living in tents and bunkhouses, more than a year after Yolanda pummeled Tacloban. The senator said the reason why they conducted the public hearing in Tacloban is for them to see whatever progress the national government on its rehabilitation efforts, especially on area of resettlement of families who lost their houses during the disaster. (RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Archdiocese of Palo launched a feeding program for poor people in Leyte as a “work of mercy” in preparation for next year apostolic visit of Pope Francis. Launched on November 30, Archbishop John Du asked all the 78 parishes within the archdiocese to set up a table every Sunday for feeding of the poor in the community. Dubbed as “Lamesa ni Martha” (Martha’s table), the project is a way of taking care of the poor, said Amadeo Alvero, Archdiocese of Palo social communications director. “The table is a sign of the Church’s readiness to take care of the poor especially on this year of the poor. This is our hope and prayer that as we prepare for the papal visit, we will do this work of mercy of feeding of the poor as part of Pope Francis visit to Manila and Leyte,” Alvero said.

The project is named after Martha, a brother of Lazarus in the New Testament, who served a meal in honor of Jesus Christ. An initial P1 million budget was set aside from the archbishop’s fund to start the project, according to Alvero. The plan is to sustain feeding the poor project through donations from different organizations. (Dessa Mae Castro, LNU Intern)