TACLOBAN CITY- The Leyte II Electric Cooperative (Leyeco II) has already installed electricity in 6,014 permanent houses in the different ‘Yolanda’ resettlement sites under its coverage area comprising of Tacloban City and the towns of Palo and Babatngon.
More than 15,000 families from these areas lost their houses after super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ ravaged the region on November 13, 2013.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) was tasked to build houses for these families in resettlement areas identified by their respective local government units.
Christopher Garcia, institutional department head of Leyeco II, however, said that residents of Greendale Residences Projects 1, 2, and 3 in Barangay San Isidro, Suhi respectively and Salvacion Heights project in Brgy. Salvacion, Tigbao, all in Tacloban City, have yet to be lighted up.
Also, a resettlement site located in Brgy. San Jose, Palo has yet to be provided with power, Garcia added.
It was learned that the NHA and the National Electrification Administration (NEA) have set aside P38.70 million for the electrification of the 15,746 housing units in the 21 resettlement sites within the Leyeco II franchise area.
This reporter visited the NHA office to get more information on the status of the resettlement projects for Yolanda survivors but only to be told that an appointment must be made first to regional manager Rizalde Mediavillo and written questions must first be reviewed by them.
Here in Tacloban, NHA is to construct 14,400 houses for the same number of families but has only so far managed to relocate more than 9,000 families.
President Rodrigo Duterte had earlier ordered the NHA to finish its work by 2017, a directive which apparently it failed to accomplish.
(ALBERTO E. LESIGUEZ)

TACLOBAN CITY- The regional office of the Department of Agriculture (DA-8) is pushing for goat production in areas hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda.’
In fact, goat raising has already been started in San Isidro, Leyte benefittingclose to 300 people, Francisco Rosaroso, head of the Agriculture and Fisheries Information Section (RAFIS), said in an interview,
Rosaroso said that their office allocated P14.7 million for this project whose source was taken from the Yolanda Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (YRRP).
YRRP was put up to help restore or rehabilitate the farming livelihood of the farmers in areas hit by Yolanda that devastated Eastern Visayas on November 8,2013.
Rosaroso said that aside from goats, other farm animals like carabaos, swine, and cattle will be dispersed also to the farmers later on as an additional livelihood of the beneficiaries.
He added that the agricultural assistance is also packaged with modern farm machineries, equipment, tools, and inputs like seeds and fertilizers.
The beneficiaries of the goat production program in San Isidro are four associations which have 297 combined members.
These are the Barangay Cabungaan Farmers Association, San Jose Farmers Association, Duja Dako Integrated Farmers Association, and Duja Diot-Duj Dako-Bunacan Irrigators Association.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

NAVAL, Biliran-The Department of Public Works and Highways – Biliran District Engineering Office (BDEO) will be implementing a total of P1.584 billion for the fiscal year 2018 Infrastructure Program based on the National Expenditure Program (NEP) for this year.
According to Engr. David P. Adongay Jr., district engineer, it is the first time that the district passed the one billion mark of infrastructure funds as the result of President Rodrigo Duterte’s “Build, Build and Build” mantra.
DPWH- BDEO’s lined up projects for the FY 2018 comprises of 57 projects, five of which are to be implemented by the Regional Office and 52 by the District Office.
Engr. Rosario B. Rosete, chief of the Planning and Design Section, revealed that the major projects with the biggest allotted budget are under Asset Preservation Program which has an appropriated budget of P409.166 million.
These include P75 million asphalt overlays; P14.166 million rehabilitation/ reconstruction from paved to concrete road; P190 million construction of road slope protection structure and P130 million construction of drainage structure along the road.
A total of P390.609 million was also appropriated under the Network Development Program with P300 million allocated for the road widening project and P90.609 million for the construction of a diversion road.
Furthermore, P34million was allocated under the Bridge Program with P10 million appropriation budget for the rehabilitation/ major repair of permanent bridges and P24 million for the widening of a bridge.
About P371.477 million was allocated for the construction of flood mitigation structure under the flood management program.
Under the Convergence and Special Support Program, DPWH-BDEO will implement construction of concrete road projects under the Department of Tourism (DOT) amounting to P175 million and under the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) amounting to P133.972 million with a total appropriation amount of P308.972 million.
DPWH-BDEO will also implement a total of P70 million appropriation amount for the Local Infrastructure Program.
According to Engr. Rosete, out of the district’s 52 lined-up projects, 42 projects were already bid out, two are advertised and preliminary and detailed engineering activities for the 8 projects are still on-going as of December 2017.
The Planning and Design Section of the district is exerting its utmost effort to bid out all these projects within the timelines set by the Department. (CHELSEA QUIJANO-SALLOMAN/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) in the region is seeking support from the media for it to realize its anti-poverty banner program dubbed as “AmBisyon Natin 2040.”
NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy made this appeal during their year-end press conference attended by members of the local media, information officers of different regional government offices and the Philippine Information Agency.
Uy said that by appealing to the media in the region for a successful implementation of AmBisyon Natin 2040, he recognizes the power and contribution of the media towards regional development.
“Media shape the mindset of our people. We need your support to convey the Philippine Development Plan 2017-2022 and AmBisyon Natin 2040,” he said.
Uy likewise disclosed the partnership between the government and the media with the re-appointment of media representative to the Regional Development Council (RDC), in the person of Louie Quebec of MBC-DyVL.
He likewise reported the RDC’s approval of the special membership of PIA-8 to the RDC during its 4th quarter meeting this year.
AmBisyon is considered by NEDA as its first 25-year long-term development plan formulated in the country’s history, working under the principle of continuity from one administration to another.
The country’s development plans usually cover the six-year term of a sitting President.
“This is the first time we have a long-term development vision to address the issue on ‘new administration, new development plan’,” Uy explained.
AmBisyon Natin 2040 was duly endorsed by President Rodrigo Duterte contained under Executive Order No. 5 which he signed on October 11, 2016.
EO 5 approved and adopted AmBisyon Natin 2040, the national long-term vision as a guide for development planning.
EO 5 states that all development plans until 2040 will be anchored on this long-term vision.
It further states that these will emphasize the centrality of the Filipino people and their aspirations in the planning, design and implementation of government interventions for a “Matatag, Maginhawa at Panatag na buhay para sa lahat” (strongly rooted, comfortable and secure life for all).
Jam Colas, chief of NEDA-8 Development Research Division, admitted that six-year development plans do not work very effectively which urged the agency to come up with a long-term vision.
“Maybe we should do something differently on which direction we are heading,” she remarked.
The vision, she believed, is doable if “we put the right programs and policies in place.”
Colas stressed that per the NEDA study, “Eradication of corruption is the most important aspect of government service that should be addressed.”
Reiterating the target of AmBisyon Natin 2040, Colas said that the vision of eradicating poverty and making the Philippines a high-income country by 2040 or sooner could be attained only with proper action.
Among the propelling factors towards the attainment of the goals under AmBisyon Natin 2040 as cited by NEDA are strong ownership and buy-in by stakeholders and the country’s leaders over the next 25 years and that each plan must build on previous plan and not change if unnecessary.
Regional Director Uy said that disaster preparedness and risk reduction also plays a vital function in achieving the goals of the vision.
He said that among the 15 regional development plans submitted, only Eastern Visayas incorporated this aspect.
“In relief response whenever typhoons come, infrastructure should be rebuilt in a resilient manner,” Uy pointed out.
“We do not want to happen that when typhoons come, relief goods come in late,” he said.
Moral recovery, values formation and heritage and culture preservation are also in a chapter in the RDP which was acknowledged and accepted by the National Commission on Culture and the Arts, according to Uy.
PIA Regional Director Alice Nicart commented, “There is nothing wrong with having ambition. We can dream as long as we want but when we wake up, we must starting making it happen.”
She said that PIA supports the plan.
NEDA Assistant Regional Director Meylene Rosales, meanwhile, expressed optimism on the success of the country’s PDP and attainment of the vision set in AmBisyon Natin 2040 with the full support of the media.
AmBisyon Natin 2040 is formulated to overturn a projection in Asia 2050 that the Philippines will be overtaken by India and Vietnam and log behind along with Mongolia and Cambodia.
Asia 2050 projects that seven economies will lead Asia’s march to prosperity namely South Korea, Japan, China, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand by the year 2050.
(EILEEN NAZARENO-BALLESTEROS)

PALO, Leyte-The Philippine population will continue to increase this New Year, 2018, and is projected to reach around 107,190,081 by the end of the same year.
The figure was based on projections made by the Commission on Population (Popcom) using the latest population census of 2015 by the Philippine Statistics Authority.
“Based on the above projections, the Philippine population will increase by 1.8 million by the end of 2018, growing at a rate of 1.69 percent,” Executive Director Juan Antonio Perez III stated in a press statement issued by its regional office based here.
“That means we will be adding 4,965 Filipinos per day or 206 every hour in 2018,” Perez continued.
A noticeable increase will also be among women of reproductive age.
By the end of 2018, there will be around 27,713,110 women of reproductive age (aged 15-49), an increase of over 400,000 from the previous year’s projection. These women are usually the beneficiaries of reproductive health services under the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health law.
With the increasing trend of pregnancies among 10-14 year-old girls, the number of women and girls of reproductive age would be 33,114,606 (30.5% of the population).
Adolescent girls 10-19 years old next year will increase to 10,697,289. While there is an increase in absolute numbers, the percentage of adolescents in the population is projected to decline to 9.42% for girls 10-19 (from 9.53% in 2017).
Throughout the estimated population age structure, the younger age groups are declining in percentage share compared to 2017 projections: 0-4, 0-14, 10-19 and 15-49). The steepest declines will be seen in the 0-14 (0.30 % decline) and 10-19 (0.23 % decline).
The 15-64 age group increased by .16% from 63.72% to 63.88%. This means that there will be an increasing workforce and older persons, as well as a decreasing population under 14.
This leads to fewer children being born providing an opportunity for demographic dividend which the government can capitalize on.
By year-end 2018 there will be 8,013,059 Filipinos over 60, constituting 8.2% of Filipinos. Of this group, 5,082,049 will be 65 and older. Most countries are considered aging if they have at least 7% of the population over 65 years old. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

CABUCGAYAN, Biliran – The mayor of this town is encouraging its constituents, including the other municipalities, to plant trees in denuded areas so as to help prevent future landslides or floodings when heavy rains occur due to typhoons.
Town Mayor Edwin Masbang, in an interview, said that reforestation must be undertaken in particular in hilly or mountainous areas which are prone to landslides.
The suggestion of Masbang came in the wake of several landslide incidents that hit Biliran after tropical storm ‘Urduja’ struck the province on December 16 last year which killed 52 people, many still missing.
In his town, landslides occurred in the villages of Lo-ok and Balaquid though no one was hurt as the incidents happened far from where the houses are located.
Cabugcayan has a seven-hectare rain forest demonstration farm funded by the Yale University based in the United States and Visayas State University, based in Baybay City.
The model farm, which was started last October 2017, will serve as a show window for rainforest reforestation in the province, Masbang added.
Masbang disclosed that his town has also an ongoing agro-forestry reforestation project with the DENR 8 under its National Greening Program.
Carlito Tuballa, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-8) assistant regional director for technical services, said that their office is providing assistance to Cabucgayan of its efforts to rehabilitate and preserve its environment. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)