To help hasten ‘Yolanda’ housing projects

TACLOBAN CITY- The National Housing Authority (NHA) will now allow local government units to build houses intended for survivors of super typhoon ‘Yolanda.’
This was disclosed by Rizalde Mediavillo, NHA regional manager, during a congressional inquiry on the status of housing projects located in areas pummeled by Yolanda in 2013.
Mediavillo said that among the local government units that signified interest to construct housing units for typhoon survivors who totally lost their houses is the municipal government of Maydolong in Eastern Samar.
According to the NHA official, about 139 units are to be constructed in Maydolong, one of the towns in Eastern Samar that suffered destructions due to Yolanda that hit the region on November 8,2013.
Mediavillo said that they are only awaiting a formal letter from the Maydolong municipal government for the NHA to download the needed funds and for the project to start.
“The letter to NHA is to make it official that the LGU has the intent to implement the project and they want the NHA to download the fund to them,” Mediavillo said.
NHA will conduct monitoring once the LGU starts the construction of housing projects, he added.
Mediavillo made this disclosure during a public inquiry conducted by the committee on housing and urban development of the House of Representatives held in this city last Friday (Sept.1).
Lack of takers among contractors was among the reasons cited by the NHA why construction of housing units intended for Yolanda survivors appeared to be on a snail-paced.
Close to four years after Yolanda pummeled the Visayas, only 48,950 units were completed out of the 205, 125 housing units targeted by the government.
And out of this number, only 13, 997 or 28.6 are occupied.
Here in the region, Yolanda housing projects in the provinces of Biliran and Samar have zero occupancy, Eastern Samar with 289 units occupied, 988 units in Leyte has 988 units and 9,801 of these units are occupied in Tacloban, considered as the ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
Maydolong Mayor Henry Afable said that they are very much willing to do the housing work if only the NHA will provide them the needed funds.
At P290,000 of each unit, the municipal government need about P40.31 million for them to do the construction.
Afable also said that they have already identified the location where these houses are to be constructed.
This move of the NHA could also benefit the town of Hernani, among the worst-hit areas in Eastern Samar due to Yolanda.
Mayor Edgar Boco said that they have enough manpower and skilled personnel who could do the project.
“What we lack is the needed funds. But we are just willing to do the project ourselves,” Boco said.
It was learned from Boco that the NHA-funded resettlement project at their town consisting of 989 units has yet to be completed.
Committee chair Alfredo Benitez of Negros Occidental 3rd District welcomed the response of the NHA to allow local government units to do the housing projects.
Under the present setup, the NHA conducts bidding for contractors to build these houses.
But during the hearing, it was discovered that the winning bidders passed the work to another contractors which only result to the delay of the project or with a poor quality of work. ROEL T. AMAZONA

TACLOBAN CITY– About P11.25 billion of government funds meant for rehabilitation projects for areas ravaged by super typhoon “Yolanda” nearly four years ago remain untouched as of first half of 2017.
The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) said the latest Yolanda progress report showed that only P20.94 billion of the P32.19 billion had been disbursed to implementing government agencies.
Of the total funds released, the social services cluster got the highest share of P8.71 billion, followed by resettlement (P6.09 billion), infrastructure (P4.28 billion), and livelihood (P1.86 billion).
“More than three years after Yolanda struck the region, there are still issues and concerns that impede the smooth and fast implementation of programs and projects in Region 8,” NEDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Bonifacio Uy told PNA.
The report also identified five major issues in carrying out post-disaster projects, all related to relocation efforts.
These are: delay in the construction of permanent housing projects in this city and other typhoon-hit areas; substandard housing units; poor access to water and power in resettlement sites; livelihood assistance to newly-transferred families; and absence of permanent school building near housing sites.
Citing reports from the National Housing Authority, NEDA revealed that only 15,422 houses out of the 56,140 target for Eastern Visayas have been built.
Among the major setbacks are unavailable lots, land acquisition issues, procurement concerns, and lack of qualified contractors.
Uy said the national government and regional officials have been working closely to complete all ongoing projects within three years.
Last week, key regional officials held a meeting among members of an inter-agency task force for the unified implementation and monitoring of post-”Yolanda” rehabilitation and recovery projects.
The formation of the task force is in compliance with Administrative Order No. 5 issued on Aug. 8, 2017 by President Rodrigo Duterte.
The task force is chaired by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco with Presidential Assistants for the Visayas Michael Dino and for Special Concerns Wendel Avisado as co-chairs. Avisado is also the Presidential Assistant for “Yolanda” Rehabilitation.
The directive has listed 17 government agencies as members.
“There are some issues that can be better addressed and decided quickly at the highest level. We’re very hopeful that this administrative order will help address the remaining works,” Uy added.
The super typhoon, which struck the central Philippines on November 8, 2013, is the deadliest typhoon in the country on record, killing at least 6,300 people. This city is considered as its ground zero. (PNA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Science of Technology (DOST) is eyeing at least 6,000 applicants of 2018 scholarship programs in Eastern Visayas as the country expects to see the first batch of graduates from senior high school program next year.
DOST regional information officer Ramil Uy said they had stepped up their information drive for secondary students to avail scholarship meant for poor and deserving learners.
“Our campaign had been intensified since it has been two years that we don’t have new high schools graduates,” Uy said.
The DOST accepted applications until Aug. 25 and examination will be done on Oct. 15 this year.
Qualified students will enroll in state universities and colleges and Commission on Higher Education center of excellence schools.
Those who will qualify must pursue priority fields of study in the basic sciences, engineering, other applied sciences, and science and mathematics teaching.
For next year, the DOST added new courses in the priority list – Aeronautical Engineering, Nutrition and Dietetics, Pharmacy, Packaging Engineering, Psychology, among others.
“This newly-identified priority courses are due to the transformation of our industry landscape and integration of the different requirement of our society,” Uy added.
The government through the DOST offers two scholarship programs – Republic Act No. 7687 and Merit Scholarship Program.
Republic Act No. 7687, also known as the “Science and Technology Scholarship Act of 1994”, provides a scholarship to talented and deserving students whose families’ socio-economic status does not exceed the set cut-off values of certain indicators.
The DOST Merit Scholarship Program is awarded to students with high aptitude in science and mathematics and are willing to pursue careers in the fields of science and technology. (MELVA MAE C. MENIANO)

NAVAL, Biliran-The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Biliran District Engineering Office (BDEO) has completed 36 out of 57 lined-up projects for this year with a total allotment budget of P940.730 million.
Engr. Salvador G. Regis, Jr., chief of Construction Section, said that they are fast-tracking the completion of 18 ongoing projects to attain the target date of completion of each project.
Biliran DEO’s FY 2017 Infra Program consists of twenty projects under the National Road Network Services; five under the Flood Management Services, one project under the Maintenance and Construction Services of other Infrastructure; and 31 projects under the Local Infrastructure Program with a total of 57 projects based on General Appropriations Act.
As of July 31, 2017, the Biliran District Engineering Office posts 35.30% with only three projects not-yet-started (NYS).
According to Engr. Regis, these NYS projects have just bid out and undergoing post qualification while one is for revision and approval under the District Engineer’s authority.
BDEO’s major projects for 2017 include the P128.667 million concrete/ reconstruction of Maripipi Circumferential Road, P61 million slope protection project along Naval- Caibiran Cross Country Road, and P54.939 million rehabilitation including drainage and right-of-way(ROW) acquisition of access road leading to Naval Port, Naval, Biliran.
Another major project prioritized for FY 2017 is the road widening including drainage of Biliran Circumferential Road of road sections in Brgy. Tucdao, Kawayan, Brgy. Virginia, Culaba, Brgy. Bool, Culaba, Sto.Riverside to Sto. Sagrada, Naval, Brgy. Burabod, Biliran, and Brgy. Balaquid Cabucgayan, Biliran costing P172.192 million with a total length of 5.940km and another P125.588 million road widening project of road sections in Brgy. Lumbia, Biliran, Brgy. Burabod, Kawayan, Brgy. Mapuyo, Kawayan, Brgy.Tucdao, Kawayan, and Brgy. Kaulangohan, Caibiran, Biliran with a total length of 4.281km.
Engr. Regis said that the P172.192 million and P125.588 million widening project along BCR have just started in the month of July and now being closely monitored along with other on-going projects.
The big amount projects were started late due to late approval of the “request to bid and implement” at the Central Office, Manila. (PR)

CARIGARA, Leyte- One of the country’s leading grocery chains is set to open its branch here.
And this early, town Mayor Eduardo Ong allayed the fears of local businessmen that the operation of Puregold will not kill their businesses.
The Puregold branch in this town is expected to open its business on October with the construction of its space has already started.
It is located at the ground floor of a six-story commercial building located at the town’s commercial district.
Ong allayed the fears among local businessmen that the opening of Puregold here may affect their operations.
The mayor said that this could instead result to a healthy competition among business operators and create a more competitive business atmosphere that will enable small and medium businesses to grow.
Also, the opening of Puregold will generate additional employment opportunities and stir the local economy as a whole, Ong said.
Ong said he is happy that investors are considering Carigara town as ripe for such a nationwide grocery-store and favorably considers the economic footprint of the place.
Meanwhile, the mayor disclosed that more locators are interested to open new branches and businesses in his town.

He, however, admitted that lack and viable space may prove to be a challenge for these prospective locators.
“We continue to help them search for a good location if only to boost their interest and eventually help them locate in the town,” Ong said.
Puregold now has two branches in Tacloban City and another in Borongan City. (AHLETTE C. REYES)