TACLOBAN CITY- The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD), through Yvonne Abunales handed-over to Lapinig Mayor Maria Luisa A. Menzon, a P3.049 million worth of check in aid for disaster stricken communities of her town.
The financial aid was issued during the recently conducted Peace and Development Caravan of the Regional Development Council-Development Administration Council-8(RDC-DAC-8) where agency representatives informed the Lapinig folks and local officials of the various government services, programs and projects for the poor.
The DSWD-8 gave the check to help the town’s folks get short-term employment, particularly those who were seriously hit by typhoon “Ruby” in December 6, 2014.
“There were 480 totally damaged houses and 2,168 partially damaged in 15 barangays of Lapinig with cash allocations of P936,000.00 and P2,113,800.00 respectively,” Abunales said.
She stressed that a ten-day day paid-work shall be granted to family heads with totally damaged houses and five-days for those with partially damaged.
Then, Mayor Menzon readily thanked DSWD08 for the financial assistance to her constituents.
“It might have come later since Dec. 2014 but it is still so much better to receive than not, at all,” the medical doctor Mayor concluded. (PIA-08)
DSWD-08 releases P3M-CFW aid for “Ruby” victims in Lapinig
ECC’S state insurance fund remains strong
“A strong State Insurance Fund (SIF) safeguards ECbeneficiaries from work-related contingencies,” said Employees’ Compensation Commission (ECC) Executive Director Stella Zipagan-Banawis.
In a report released by ECC, the State Insurance Fund (SIF) is postedat P53.79B.The SIF is sourced from the contributions paid by government and private employers to fund the EC benefits for sickness, disability, medical, rehabilitation services and death benefits.
“Compared to the previous 7-percent increase or P3.34B from December 2014 to December 2015, asignificant 6-percent increase or P3.28B in a span of 6 months from December 2015 to June 2016 is recorded from the actuarial reports provided by the Employees’ Compensation Program’s administering agencies, the Social Security System (SSS) and the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS),” noted Executive DirectorBanawis.
“The actuarial study done early this year also shows that the EC beneficiaries of private establishments are assured of their benefits until year 2078 while those in the government service are guaranteed until year 2062,” she explains.
Employees of privatecompanies are assured of 62 years of protection from work related contingencies, on the other hand, public sector employees’ fund support can last up to 46 years.
Executive Director Banawis added that actuarialstudies are needed to ascertain SIF’s fund life and to determine the viability of the EC fund at the GSIS and the SSS to fund payments for claims and proposed increases in EC benefits.
From January-June 2016, the SSS granted P559,793,029 for the payment of 126,450 EC benefits claims in the private sector. The bulk of payments are for death pension benefit claims which summed up to P435.529 million.
Other benefit payments included disability benefits which reached P59.967 million, P52.392 million for sickness benefits, P6.786 million for medical services, P3.360 million for funeral benefits and P757, 250 for rehabilitation services.
On the other hand, GSIS granted a total of P98.629M EC benefits for 19,812 claims from the public sector. Benefit payments included sickness benefits which amounted to P3.301 million, P5.660 million for disability benefits, P77.706 million for death pension, P10.484 million for medical services, P1.439 million for funeral benefits and P38,009 for rehabilitation services.
Death and pension benefits comprised the highest share in the EC benefit payments made both by the SSS and GSIS from January to June 2016.
From 1975 to 2015, the ECP granted P36,124.207 billion worth of benefits.(PR)
DENR Secretary Lopez pushes for massive mangrove plantation
TACLOBAN CITY- More mangroves are to be planted along the coastlines as the Environment Secretary Gina Lopez is pushing for a massive mangrove plantation nationwide.
Planting mangroves in the coastlines will protect the coastal communities from the rising of sea water or storm surges during the occurrence of strong typhoons, Lopez said during an interview.
“During typhoons our best protection are mangroves,” she said.
The massive mangrove plantation establishment is to strengthen the degraded mangrove forests along coastlines and make coastal communities less vulnerable to future destructionsas typhoons have become more ferocious and destructive, contributed mainly due to climate change.
During the incumbency of former Environment Sec.Ramon Paje, the government has allotted P1 billion for the massive mangrove reforestation and beach forest rehabilitation nationwide on top the P6.2 billion budget allotted for the country’s National Greening Program that includes the rehabilitation of denuded beach forests and mangrove areas.
Leonardo Sibbaluca, executive regional director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-8)was earlier instructed by Sec. Lopez to evaluate and assess all areas and establish more mangrove plantations in places suited for mangrove growing in Eastern Visayas.
Records show that that DENR-8 launched the P380 million mangrove and beach forest rehabilitation project in the region last April 22, 2015, with a target of 13,500 hectares of mangrove and beach forest areas to be planted along Leyte Gulf areas.
The project covers the coastal areas from Tacloban City to the towns of Abuyog, Palo, Tanauan, Tolosa, Dulag, Mayorga, Javier, and Macarthur, all in Leyte; Basey and Marabut, both in Samar; and the municipalities of Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Salcedo, Guiuan, Hernani and Llorente, all of Eastern Samar.
(RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)
Mayor Espinosa to be laid to rest
By: JOEY A. GABIETA
ALBUERA, Leyte- The murdered mayor of this town, Rolando Espinosa Sr., who was linked to the illegal drug trade in the region, will be buried on Sunday(Dec.4), a month after he was gunned down at the Leyte subprovincial jail.
This was confirmed by the family members of the slain mayor whose son Kerwin, self-confessed drug lord, failed to pay his last respects to his father.
Kerwin is now detained at the detention facility of the Camp Crame, national headquarters of the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The elder Espinosa will be buried at the Catholic cemetery of the town at around 2 pm, preceding a requiem mass at the Saint James Parish Church.
The former mayor of the town (population: 46,322) was gunned down inside the Leyte subprovincial jail on November 5 in an alleged shootout by the members of the regional Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) who were to serve him a warrant for illegal possession of firearms.
His killing sparked an inquiry by the Senate’s committee on illegal drugs and public order chaired by Sen. Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Kerwin described the killing of his father as a “rub out.”
The family is calling for justice for the killing of their patriarch.
Lawyers of the Espinosas are calling for continued security for the family members considering that some of them have executed an affidavit detailing their father’s and Kerwin’s alleged illegal drug trade, to include high profile personalities who allegedly received drug money from them.
“They need also to be protected considering that some of them also executed an affidavit,” lawyer Johan John Ungab, one of the counsels of the Espinosas, said in a phone interview.
At present, eight policemen, doing shifting duties, were detailed during the wake of the former mayor at their residence in Barangay Binolho.
Ungab said that they have made a request earlier before the regional PNP headquarters for security.
Meantime, Ungab and his co-counsel Leilani Villarino said that they were surprised over reports that the sacked CIDG regional chief, Supt. Marvin Marcos, was reportedly reinstated to his post.
“It sends a bad signal (to prospective witnesses). There is a pending investigation and there are witnesses that need to be protected, “Ungab said.
Villarino, for her part, declined to comment, on who could have ordered for the reinstatement of Marcos back to his old post as CIDG-8 chief.
“I don’t like to speculate,” she said.
Earlier, PNP Director General Ronald “Bato” De La Rosa, admitted that a “kumpare” had asked him to reinstate Marcos as CIDG-8 chief. He declined to identify the person whom he said made the request.
Beltejar urges cops to respect and promote children’s rights
TACLOBAN CITY- The police should always protect the rights of the children and make them feel closer to them.
Thus said Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar, regional police director, during his speech at the culmination of the Philippine National Police’s observance of children’s month on Wednesday (November 30).
As part of the organization’s observance of the children’s month, a search of “Batang Probinsiyano”, a take-off from a popular television series, was held which was won by Wielvynn John Brato.
The seven-year old boy, who also received the People’s Choice Award, was the candidate of the Samar Police Provincial Office, besting 10 other young candidates.
This year’s theme of the children’s month celebration was “Isulong: Kalidad ng Edukasyon Para sa Lahat ng Bata.”
“The activity is one of the thrusts of the PNP to make children closer to the PNP. Supporting children for a great cause is a fulfillment not only of the mere fact that they were able to give joy to the people, they were given a good lesson, ensuring their role for the future generation,” the police regional director said.
Among those who served as judges of the “Batang Probinsiyano” search was the regional director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development Restituto Macuto.
Carlos Miguel Advincula, representing the Leyte Provincial Police Office, placed second while the representative of the Biliran Provincial Police Office, Ron Cezar, landed third. He also received the special award as best in GOA uniform.
Meantime, the representative of the Regional Public Safety Battalion, Francis Zhek Anthony Tomas, was named as best in athletic uniform and the best in talent award was bestowed to Kyle Don Veliganio of the Ormoc City Police Station.
(LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)