TACLOBAN CITY- Discrimination against them from the locals is now a thing of the past.
Thus said Farhana Jamel, 26 and a mother to five children, who fled the war-torn Marawi City and sought temporary shelter in Barangay 62-B, Sagkahan district, this city.
Jamel disclosed that they faced harassment and bullying from the residents of the said village when they arrived here last June 2.
Of the 16 Muslims who fled Marawi City, nine of them are children who also bullied at the schools where they are now enrolled.
But thanks to the village officials who, upon learning the problem, asked the residents to stop harassing the Marawi residents and treat them with respect.
“During our first few days here, we were bullied. Some people called us Maute,” Jamel said, referring to the terror group that attacked Marawi City last May 24.
The attacked by the terror Maute Group prompted President Rodrigo Duterte to place the entire Mindanao until martial law which is to last until the end of the year.
Jamel said that they just ignored the harassment directed against them and chose to live normally by doing small businesses like vending foods.
Jamel, however, said that they informed the barangay officials about their predicament and in turn, village chairwoman, Rosita Luyten, told her people to stop harassing the Marawi residents and treat them with respect.
And this stopped the harassment and bullying of their children who are studying at the elementary and secondary schools in Sagkahan, Jamel said.
“They have learned to accept and interact with us,” she said, referring to the residents of the village.
“We told the residents that we have taken precautionary measures that if in case they do something wrong or illegal, we can easily trace them because we did profiling on the evacuees,” Wilma Almeria, a barangay councilor, said.
Meantime, Jamel and her group are now occupying temporary the village’s legislative building after the owner of the apartment that they have rented asked them to leave.
“We decided to let them transfer to the legislative building as their temporary resettlement while they are waiting for the condition in Marawi to get better,” Luyten said.
Luyten added when they met City Mayor Cristina Romualdez last July 25, she gave an assurance that her administration will provide the basic needs of the evacuees and to ensure that they are safe while they are here in Tacloban City.
Jamel said that she hopes the war in Marawi City will end soon so that they could return there and live peacefully just like in the past.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
No more harassment against them, says Marawi City evacuees
Catbalogan City experiencing a booming economy, mayor says
CATBALOGAN CITY- Business climate of this city is on the upward projection with its income covering the first five months expected to surpass last year’s performance.
Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan said that she is confident that the good economic performance of the city will continue showing the confidence of the investors.
The mayor said that from January to May of this year, they have earned over P44 million out of the local taxes it collects from businessmen.
Last year, the city government earned P66 million from local sources which were higher compared to the P51 million it collected in 2015.
Data from the Business Process and Licensing Office shows that there are 1,380 businesses operating in the city covering the first five months of the year.
Last year, 1,424 business establishments secured permits from the city government which was higher compared to the 1,319 licenses issued in 2015.
Among the newly-opened businesses in the city includes coffee shops, hardware stores, restaurants and department stores.
In terms of capitalization, about P2.9 billion so far has been poured in by those currently doing business in Catbalogan covering January to May period.
This is already relatively higher compared to last year’s P2.7 billion and P2.1 billion in 2015,respectively.
“This shows that more investors are confident in putting up businesses in the city,” Mayor Uy-Tan.
Among the new investors that are to open in Catbalogan are the Prince Warehouse and the Primark Properties that will develop the central public market of Catbalogan into a mall-type establishment.
Mayor Uy-Tan added that soon, they will welcome two new branches of banks in their city, the Bank of Philippine Island (BPI) and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Based on the information provided to them by the BSP, Catbalogan City has the most number of deposit accounts in the entire island of Samar with 57,000 bank accounts compared to the 51,151 in Catarman, Northern Samar that is on second; 45,754 in Borongan City; 44,433 in Calbayog City and 12,171 in Guiuan, Eastern Samar.
“On the total deposit liabilities in Samar province amounting to more than P 8.826 billion, more than half are in Catbalogan Banks amounting to more than P 5.272 billion,” said Mayor Uy-Tan.
“This only shows that indeed Catbalogan is the center of economy in the province,” Mayor Uy-Tan added.
She attributed the good performance on local economy to the good peace and order situation of the city and the influx of people from other places in Samar Island that
Although it is good that there businessmen and corporation are coming to the city to invest and do business, the city mayor said that she hopes that local businessmen will do business in the city.
“We continue to invite more investors from the national especially our local businessmen to make our local economy more productive and give more jobs not only for the residents of Catbalogan but also for those from our neighboring towns,” Uy-Tan said.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Beltejar: 30 percent of EV’s barangays are now drug-free
CAMP RUPERTO KANGLEON, PALO, Leyte- Retiring regional police director, Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, said that 30 percent of 4,390 barangays of the region have been cleared from illegal drugs proliferation.
Beltejar, who is to retire at the end of this month, said that the proliferation of illegal drugs, particularly methamphatime hydrochloride or shabu, is one of his top priorities when he assumed his post in 2016.
“During my incumbency, Eastern Visayas was peaceful (and) village officials and even teachers can attest to the safety of the region and the great effect of the war on drugs in terms of peace and order situation in the region,” Beltejar said during a farewell get-together party with the members of the local media held last Friday (August 4).
“More or less, we were able to clear about 30 percent of the drug-affected villages in the whole region” he added.
The police regional director also said that it was during his watch that several high-profile drug personalities in the region were arrested.
He particularly mentioned the Espinosa Drug Group which was believed to be controlled by murdered Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Sr. and his son, Kerwin.
But in an earlier interview, Beltejar disclosed that there some individuals who are trying to build their strength with the hope of supplanting the Espinosas in the illicit drug activity in the region.
Beltejar admitted that illegal drug continues to enter various parts of the region coming from Manila or Cebu reason why security at seaports in the region are being strengthened.
Beltejar added that aside from addressing illegal drugs, he also campaigned against illegal gambling, arrest of individuals who are considered wanted and ensuring the peace and order situation of Eastern Visayas.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
Drug surrenderees receive financial assistance from city gov’t, DSWD
(TIM CANES/CMO)
Town hopeful return of Balangiga Bells
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
By: JOEY A. GABIETA
TACLOBAN CITY- Music to the ears and hearts.
This was how the officials and residents of Balangiga town in Eastern Samar reacted on the demand of President Rodrigo Duterte for the United States return the bells taken by them 116 years ago.
Mayor Randy Graza said that they are grateful that the church bells would finally find themselves restored back at their old church now that President Duterte signified his desire for their return to the country.
“We were really grateful and ecstatic that he mentioned for the return of the bells during his Sona,” Graza, in a phone interview, said.
“We just don’t consider the bells as mere part of our heritage but a symbol of the sacrifices made by our forebears (fighting against a foreign power),” the town mayor said.
“We are proud what our forebears did… offering their own lives for our sake,” Graza added.
During his State of the Nation Address (Sona), Mr.Duterte called on the US government to return the bells they carted away on September 28, 1901, as war trophies.
Mayor Graza said that when he heard the President sought for the return of the bells during his Sona, he became emotional.
“I was heartened when I heard him seeking for the return of our bells.It is very heartening that he made it while he was delivering his Sona,” Graza said.
Former provincial board member Enerio Sabulao, who authored a resolution for the return of the bells when he was a member of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan in 2007, said that they are thankful for the President to ask the US government for the return of the bells.
He, however, appealed to the President to at least slow down his tirades against the American government now that the government needs their help on this particular issue.
“It’s a give and take thing,” he said.
Meantime, a great granddaughter of one of the heroes of the Balangiga Encounter also expressed her elation on this announcement of Pres. Duterte.
“Wow. Just wow! When we heard it from the President, we all rejoice! There were shouts of joy!” said Ma. Aida Addellia Elaba, who works as the secretary of the Sangguniang Bayan.
“Hopefully, this time, it will be for real,” she added.
Elaba’s mother, Constancia, is the granddaughter of local hero Valeriano Abanador who was among the leaders of the uprising against the Americans in 1901.
Her mother always serves as a narrator during the reenactment of the Balangiga Encounter every September 28.
Her father, Cresencio, served as the town mayor from 1988 up to 1992.
The residents of the sleepy town of Balangiga have been clamoring for the return of the bells that were taken by the Americans who could not take the defeat they suffered in the hands of the locals in 1901.
Balangiga is the site of the single biggest defeat suffered by the Americans in the Philippines. At least 54 American soldiers were killed while 18 others were wounded in what is now called the Balangiga Encounter of Sept. 28, 1901.
An outraged General Jacob Smith deployed 180 soldiers on Sept. 29, 1901, and ordered them to turn the town into a “howling wilderness.” He commanded that every Filipino male at least 11 years old and capable of carrying firearms should be shot dead.
The soldiers also burned down the communities. Not contended with the death of thousands of Filipinos, the Americans took the Balangiga bells as war booty.
The bells were used by Filipino resistance fighters to signal the attack on the American detachment in Balangiga. One church bell is at the 9th Infantry Regiment at Camp Cloud, South Korea.
The two bronze bells are on a former base of the 11th Infantry Regiment at F. E. Warren Air Force Base in Cheyenne, Wyoming. There have been efforts by the Philippine government but nothing happened.
Former President Fidel Ramos wrote a personal letter to then President Bill Clinton, for the bells to be return to Balangiga but it was not heeded.
The statement of the President rekindled the residents’ hope that had diminished over the years.
“This time, we see a glimmer of hope that the Balangiga Bells, which we consider as part of our history, will be returned to us,” said Elaba.
Fe Campanero, another Balangiga resident, also expressed her happiness on this declaration of Mr. Duterte.
“We Balangiganons are glad by the President’s pronouncement regarding our bells. I hope it does not end here. I hope he will help our present efforts to have our bells back,” said Campanero, niece of Vicente Candilosas, one of the Filipinos who fought in Balangiga Encounter.
“For so many years we have been promised that these will be given back to us. This time, this present administration will turn our hopes into reality. When that day comes we can say, our efforts did not go to waste,” she added.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)
Power now fully restored in 3 quake-hit Visayas provinces
The Department of Energy (DOE) reported that power has been fully restored in the three provinces of Leyte, Samar and Bohol hit recently by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake.
Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi commended all those in the energy department and industry participants who contributed to attaining this achievement four days earlier than the 31 July deadline.
“I congratulate and thank the hardworking people, especially those on the ground, for attaining 100% restoration of power in Leyte, Samar, and Bohol, “ Cusi said.
“The task to build a stronger and more resilient energy system lies ahead. Our hosting of the Asian Cooperation Dialogue in Bohol next week will help us learn more and do more,” Cusi added.
The System Operator, National Grid Corporation of the Philippines, reported to the DOE that the newly transferred 150Mva Transformer 2 at the Ormoc Substation was successfully energized at around 2140H on Wednesday (July 27) and is loading electricity today (July 28).
This means that another 135 MW can be delivered to Leyte, Samar, and Bohol (LSB).
The total potential of 330 MW in the three islands to address its projected peak demand of 291 MW is broken down as follows: (1) 135 MW traversing the Ormoc Substation; (2) 40 MW from Tongonan Geothermal Power Plant; (3) around 20 MW from various embedded generation sources; and (4) an additional 135 MW through the Ormoc Substation.
The projected peak demand for LSB is 291 MW is broken down as follows: 210 MW for Leyte and Samar and 81 MW for Bohol. (PR)