TACLOBAN CITY- The SM Foundation continues to extend assistance to areas hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ that pummeled Leyte close to four years now.
Last Thursday(August 31), the SM Foundation formally turned over new two-story four classroom building to Cogon Central School (CCS) in Ormoc City.
It was learned that the donated building is the first new building erected within the CCS compound in 20 years.
The CCS is among the biggest public elementary schools in Ormoc with around 900 students. The city, among areas hard-hit by Yolanda, is still reeling from the aftermath of the 6.5 magnitude earthquake that hit the area last July 6.
Rojie Talle, 12 and a Grade six student, said that she is very grateful to the SM Foundation for their donation to their school.
“We are elated that after a long time of fervent prayer and waiting, finally the SM Foundation (has) given us a new school building. Words cannot express how excited we are to move in to our new classroom,” she said.
The facility was accepted by school officials led by its principal, Marita Albienda, and city councilor Nolito Quilang, representing Mayor Richard Gomez.
The SM Foundation was led by Carmen Linda Atayde, executive director for education.
Three Grade 6 sections will occupy the rooms with the remaining one classroom to be utilized for students who will be enrolled under the alternative learning system (ALS), said Juris Soliman of the SM Foundation.
The UBS, a Switzerland- based bank, partnered with the SM Foundation on the construction of this school building.
School principal Marita Albienda also expressed her gratitude to the school building donors.
“It is with great pride and honor that our school was chosen by the SM Foundation from among the various schools in Ormoc City division,” she said.
The school building is equipped with armchairs, teacher’s tables, wall fans, blackboards, and toilets.
It is also said to be the first PWD (person with disabilities)-friendly school in the city as it was built with ramps and toilets for PWDs. (JOEY A. GABIETA)
SM Foundation donates school building to Ormoc public school
DA is ready in case bird flu hits EV
TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Agriculture (DA) assured the public that they are prepared in case the avian influenza (AI) hits the region.
Dr. Gabriel Banga, DA-8 veterinarian, said that although Region 8 is still free from the virus, the department has come up with precautionary measures just in case the virus could enter the region.
“It’s not like we have been waiting for it to happen but we have been preparing that if this happens, we are already prepared on what to do,” Banga said.
The Avian Influenza Task Force has already been reactivated by the department, which is composed of the rapid action team, quarantine, surveillance, and the information dissemination team.
The same task force will also be enforced in all local government units across the region.
The department has been strict on implementing its preventive measures particularly the apprehension of wild and domestic birds and poultry products transported to the region which came from the 7-kilometer quarantine radius in San Luis, Pampanga, and the towns of Jaen and San Isidro in Nueva Ecija.
Surveillance on poultry farms in Samar, Leyte, and Biliran will also be conducted starting on Thursday, August 31, 2017, Banga said during a press briefing last Tuesday (August 29).
The department earlier revealed that the bird flu that has hit parts of Luzon is H5N6, a strain that is transmittable to humans. Although officials have assured that the virus is slow to spread to humans, Dr. Zaldy Villanobos of the DA warned that the virus can still be transferred to other animals through the infected human.
Villalobos also told that the virus may still mutate from a low pathogenic strain to a highly pathogenic one under certain conditions.
Despite this, the Regional Office of the DA has assured the public that poultry products from the region are safe from the avian influenza.
(MARWAH JAILANI, LNU Student Intern)
PWDs receive livelihood equipment, materials from city gov’t
TACLOBAN CITY- About 66 persons with disabilities (PWDs) and their families received livelihood ‘starter kits’ from the city government through Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez on Tuesday(August 29) at the Tacloban City Training Center, as part of the local government’s ongoing livelihood program for the vulnerable sectors of the city.
Identified by the City Social Welfare and Development Office and the Persons with Disabilities Affairs Office (PDAO), the target beneficiaries have earlier attended a free training on food processing for 2 to 3 days and one week on mat and rug making facilitated by the Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program and a partner training center.
The distributions of beneficiaries per livelihood training were as follows: meat processing-33; banana and sweet potato chips making -25; and mat and rug weaving -22.
The beneficiaries who all came from the northern barangays received sewing machines and impulse sealers from the chief executive to help them start a sustainable source of income in the north resettlement sites.
Prior to the distribution, beneficiaries who have undergone training on food processing also received raw materials and cooking utensils from the city government.
Mayor Romualdez said that the provision of livelihood assistance to the vulnerable sector, especially those coming from the northern barangays is a priority project of her administration.
She added that the initiative is aimed at providing the marginalized sector access to sustainable livelihood opportunities so they can start anew in the resettlement sites.
The project was funded by a grant secured by the livelihood cluster of the city government from the Department of Trade and Industry’s Bottom Up Budgeting Program amounting to P2 million.
The cluster composed of the CSWDO, the Cristina’s Learn and Earn Program and City Cooperative Livelihood Development and Livelihood Assistance Office (CCDLAO) and other city departments was created to provide livelihood opportunities for the vulnerable sectors.
Also present during the awarding of livelihood assistance were CCDLAO Chief Ruena Mate and City Social Welfare Officer Remedios Buna.
Meanwhile, CSWDO Chief Buna announced that the city government will soon be implementing a group capital assistance project for PWDs and vulnerable women. – HENRY JAMES G. ROCA/CIO, Photos by Tim Canes/CMO)
Group to rescue Tacloban elementary students from severe malnourishment
(photo courtesy)
TACLOBAN CITY- The Manila Amity Lions Club together with Tacloban City Lions Club International District 301-B2 signed a memorandum of agreement last August 25 with the school administration of Sta. Elena Elementary School (SEES) with their Parents and Teacher Association for the Lions Club International Foundation (LCIF) of a feeding program for undernourished students of the said school in Barangay Sta. Elena, this city.
The LCIF Grant provided the P75,000 funding for this feeding program that will start this month and is to end by March of next year.
Based on the program, 26 students of the SEES, particularly from Kinder up to Grade 4 and identified among the severely malnourished children, are to be given nutritious meals consisting of hot chicken porridge with eggs.
Ruth Chua, past president of Manila Amity Lions Club, said that at the end of almost seven months program, these severely malnourished children will have an improved and better physical condition.
“We check the nutritional status of Sta. Elena Elementary School and we find out that there are 26 wasted and severely wasted students,” Chua said.
“After arranging the menu and cost of the program, I talked with the past president of Tacloban City Lions Club if the club is willing to work with me. And then I applied for a grant to Lions Club International telling them I want to help the 26 malnourished kids. Luckily, my request was approved,” Chua added.
After seven months, Chua said that they will check if there are weight gains among the kids; improve class performance and less absence in school because they are less sickly.
“That is a way to sell your program. You must have parameters to measure your success,” Chua said.
“I have a menu cycle and each meal must have a source of carbohydrates (rice or pasta/noodles), protein (fish/ chicken/ pork/ egg/ malunggay) and vitamins and minerals (vegetables/fruits), decent/ nutrition meals,” she added.
In connection to this, the Tacloban City Lions Club will conduct a visit twice a month during feeding session wherein a picture documentation of feedings will be submitted to Manila Amity Lions Club.
The LCIF empowers clubs to implement programs that address great needs of communities with the understanding that preparing the youth is preparing for the future. The LCIF supports services that help provide better health and better education for them.
On the other hand, the Manila Amity Lions Club together with Tacloban City Lions Club International District 301-B2 is very thankful for the grant given by LCIF for a joint feeding program that will benefit 26 students of SEES.
(RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)
Army official urge public not to believe report on presence of a death squad in Leyte
BAYBAY CITY- A top military official cautioned the public not to believe on report of a presence of a liquidation squad purportedly operating in Leyte.
Brigadier General Francisco Mendoza, commander of the 802nd Infantry Brigade, issued this call after he received an information that a businessman from Ormoc City received a phone call telling him that he would be killed.
“These are all scams. I urge those who received this kind of calls to ignore them and if they feel that they are threatened, they must call security agencies like the Philippine National Police and the Philippine Army to report the incident (and) for sure they will be able to help you,” Mendoza said.
Mendoza added that even the members of the New People’s Army in Leyte have “no capability to impose active threat” to businessmen.
“We would like to maintain it that way so that our economy will not suffer,” the Army official stressed.
“With development comes peace and with the project comes peace. We cannot achieve peace and development if there are extortionists bringing disorder to our business community,” Mendoza added.
He also added that the public should also be cautious in spreading text messages or information in social media pertaining to the presence of armed groups if these are not validated by the law enforcement authorities.
Mendoza particularly refers an incident wherein they received information that the people in the third district in Leyte expressed their alarm due to the alleged presence of armed group said to be members of the New People’s Army.
“These are just false information that was created to sow terror or create panic in the minds of the people for reasons that they can only explain,” Mendoza concluded.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
Group launches program to educate people to help save sea water quality in Tacloban City
TACLOBAN CITY-The Junior Chamber International-Candahug Liberation (JCI-Candahug Liberation) together with the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) launched their life below water program in Barangay 90 Payapay, San Jose of this city.
In an interview with Leyte Samar Daily Express, Prosecutor Lemuel Modesto, JCI-Candahug Liberation president, said the program aims to educate the public on the current condition of our seas in the region.
Modesto lamented that there are individuals who do not know and do not care on the condition of our seas even though it is already in danger of being polluted.
Under this program, which was launched last Monday (August 28), the JCI-Candahug together with BFAR will teach the people about activities which are allowed and not allowed to be conducted in sea including programs or projects which can help protect our sea waters including its resources.
“The public must know about the condition of our sea water because at this point in time it is very alarming,” Modesto said.
“The population and demand on food in our country are increasing but most of the people do not know that the foods we can get from the sea are decreasing,” Modesto added.
Aside from the increasing population and demand for food, Modesto said many fishermen will suffer once the food we get from the sea will continue to deplete.
“Our sea waters in Region eight are included in the top ten sea waters in the country which are in danger already such as the Carigara Bay, Kankabato Bay, Leyte Gulf and some sea waters in Samar,” Modesto added.
Among the human activities mentioned by Modesto which destroys our sea water are the conduct of illegal fishing and throwing of garbage.
“If we have clean sea water, the food that we get in the sea will increase and it will help us to have a sufficient supply of food in the country and a safer water to drink,” Modesto said.
Modesto emphasized that the sea water will be much more in danger if the people will continue to throw their garbage anywhere especially human waste and other chemicals.
“If we have a clean environment, in effect, we have clean food, water and (safe) place to live,” he said.
During the launching of the program, the JCI-Candahug Liberation posted tarpaulins and distributed fliers to remind the public about those activities which are allowed and not allowed to be conducted in seas.
The life below water program was among the 17 United Nation Sustainable Programs which the JCI-Candahug Liberation must achieve.
(RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)