TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Alfred Romualdez of this city presented to the public his plan converting Tacloban into a “resilient, vibrant and livable city” after being pummeled by supertyphoon Yolanda last year.
Speaking to about 2,000 plus stakeholders comprising business sector, academe, people’s organizations and other national and international relief groups on March 21 at the Tacloban Convention Center, Romualdez maintained the city is focus now on “bringing people to safer area, with planned urban expansion.”
“We’re working on a plan for a new Tacloban in the northern part. The working figure is being worked out now because we have to determine also the pledges that will be realized. We will see how we will come up also,” he said.
Romualdez projected that it would need P3 billion or more to realize the program contain under the master rehabilitation plan with the bulk of the needed funds would come from the private sectors as donors.
He added the new housing project in the northern part of Tacloban would result into a “township.”
Asked if the plan will be realized until 2016 (the term limit of Romualdez), he answered, “I hope so.”
After the presentation of the city’s mechanism for a new city, the plan will be presented again to the various government agencies and private groups and individuals for possible financing.
“Even in the beginning, this is what the donors are asking. This is just a mechanism, but what we have now are areas being approved and determined already to be a hazard area and safe,” Romualdez stressed on the importance of the plan.
Ma. Adelaida Cea of the United Nations Human Settlements Programme, who helped presenting the over strategic framework of the plan, maintained that the city can “bounce back” given its many opportunities and potentials.
The short-term plan includes construction, trading and agri-diversification; while in medium term, covers industrial development, tourism, business outsourcing, economic infrastructure and development.
The proponent has divided its development districts to north covering satellite urban center; mid-coast is for urban expansion and trading area; south coast is for redevelopment with urban expansion in risk inland areas; and upland for conservation and protected area.
The city government owns 86 hectares lot ready for shelter needs in the northern part.
For its shelter projects, the city is targeting about 10,000 permanent housing (now with total donor housing commitments of 6,661); target of about 3,000 for Community Mortgage Program in Diit, Bagacay and Cabalawan; and acquisition of additional land (30 to 50 hectares) for new housing.
The Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) would also be relocated in the northern part as well as the University of the Philippines-Tacloban. (RONALD O. REYES)

PALOMPON, Leyte- The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) launches its economic recovery plans, efforts supporting Leyte ’s tourism industry which was among the key sectors that was affected by supertyphoon Yolanda.
The DILG regional office turned over 10 stand-up paddle boats and glamping tents funded by the Canadian government through the Local Governance Support Program for Local Economic Development (LGSP-LED).
The LGSP-LED is a DILG program funded by the Government of Canada. It seeks to reduce poverty by creating business-friendly LGUs and competitive tourism industries.
The LGSP-LED is working with the provincial government of Leyte to revitalize key attraction sites along the North West (NW) Leyte Tourism Circuit in order to invite tourists to go back to the destination and also encourage more tourist arrivals.
The equipment are scheduled to be turned over in Ormoc City on March 25, 2014. The Barangay Organization to Guide, Serve and Accommodate You (BOGSAY), a people’s organization protecting and co-managing the Lake Danao Natural Park , will receive the said equipment.
The Palompon Municipal Ecotourism Council (PMETC), Inc. received the equipment through a turnover ceremony held at the town’s Tourism Building. The PMETC is a private sector partner of the municipal government in managing the tourism activities in Kalanggaman Island.
The provision of equipment (including training and business enterprise management) provides for more visitor activities and add to the destination’s attractiveness to tourists.
The enhanced site will be able to cater to more tourists, particularly for the upcoming third visit of the cruise ship MS Europa 2 on March 17, 2014 to Kalanggaman Island.
The MS Europa 2’s last visit brought over 300 foreign tourists who participate in ‘voluntourism’ activities, boosting the tourism economic recovery in the area. DOT Secretary Jimenez previously expressed plans to put Kalanggaman Island on the cruise ship tourism map of the world in his last visit in Palompon.(PR)

TACLOBAN CITY-The Australian government has upped its financial assistance to the country with an additional 30 million Australian dollars during his visit to this city on March 25.
Ambassador Bill Tweddell said that the additional financial aid to the typhoon-stricken country would help further its effort to rebuild areas hit by the massive disaster almost five months ago.
With the additional aid announced by Tweddell, the Australian aid to the Philippines has now reached to around $70 million.
“We try to be responsive; we try to be generous as a neighbor and friends of the Philippines, to support you in times of disasters…and in the long terms, to mitigate and help ensure the impact of disasters is limited,” Tweddell said.
“In behalf of the Australian government and its people, I am very pleased to announce today that Australia will provide of A $30 million in contributions for recovery and reconstructions activities in areas devastated by typhoon Yolanda,” the ambassador added.
Earlier, the Australian government extended financial of A$40 million in the aftermath of Yolanda for emergency relief.
The Australian ambassador made the announcement before Social Welfare Sec. Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and other officials of the regional office of the Department of Social the officials of the Department of Social at the Citi Hardware in Apitong Area.
The Citi Hardware serves as a hub where donated sacks of rice are repacked and distributed to the typhoon victims.
The $30 million fresh financial assistance of the Australian government will be used for the following: A$4 million(P162 million) to help about 450,000 people affected by the typhoon to restore their livelihoods;A$3 million(P121 million) for construction of 75 classrooms and day care centers;A$1 million(P40 million)to help 336 communities in Leyte and Eastern Samar to build back better and be more disaster resilient through multi-hazard mapping, improved land use planning and building codes and establish early warning systems and emergency response teams;A$1 million(P40 million) to various agencies of the United Nations to restock prepositioned supplies, to include dignity kits, rice and high energy biscuits and another A$1 million to help bring in Australian technical experts.
Also, the Australian government will provide A$20 million or more than P800 million to build 500 classrooms in typhoon hit areas, Tweddell said.
Sec. Soliman assured the Australian ambassador and his government that the additional financial assistance extended to the country would be used according to its purpose.
“The additional support that they have announced today will further strengthen our efforts to rebuild and build back better the areas that have been affected by Yolanda…in Tacloban and Leyte and Samar,” Soliman said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)