TACLOBAN CITY– “We are lucky to have a President who says what he means and means what he says… a President who will not let politics stand in the way to help his constituents,” so said Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez, during the turnover over ceremony of Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) Projects on Thursday morning, December 15.
Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) Secretary Ismael Sueno and Mayor Romualdez led in the inauguration of the newly- built Tacloban City Court Building and ceremonial turnover of completed RAY projects in the City.
The P28 million building will house the two branches of the City Court and the City Civil Registrar’s Office.
In his message during the ceremony, Secretary Sueno expressed his amazement over the fast recovery of Tacloban three years after supertyphoon “Yolanda” and his admiration for the resilience of Taclobanons.
He also committed that the DILG is willing to help in anyway the local government and assured its fast implementation.
“The President loves the people of Tacloban and wants to expedite all government transactions… he abhors red tape and is passionate about his campaign to eradicate drugs and corruption in government,” added Sueno.
Three years ago, then Mayor Duterte was the first government official to send aid to the City after it was battered by typhoon Yolanda, bringing in needed medical and food supplies, among others.
Meanwhile, Mayor Romualdez expressed her gratitude to the national government for the projects and lauded the DILG for its mandate to strengthen the capability of local government unit.
“Taclobanons are fortunate to have been beneficiaries of infrastructure and livelihood assistance from the DILG… [and the project] is a testament of our desire to build back better and resilient,” the city mayor said.
Also present during the inauguration was DILG Regional Director Marivel Sacendillo, City Director Darwin Bibar and representatives of other government agencies.
RAY funded projects in Tacloban totalled more than P230 million and included the rehabilitation and construction of important public structures like public market, astrodome and other barangay infrastructures.
RAY Phases I and II projects have already been completed in the city. (HENRY JAMES G.ROCA/PHOTOS: MARIO PAPURAN/CIO)

3 years after “Yolanda”

TACLOBAN CITY- More investors are expected to come and do business in the city, three years after it was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda.”
Among the newest big-ticket investment in the city was the opening of a new wing of the Robinsons Place-Tacloban on December 8.
The new extension of the Robinsons Place-Tacloban has 80 available spaces wherein 85 percent are already occupied by the tenants.
Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez and Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez and Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla led in the opening of the new wing, dubbed as “The Atrium.”
The city mayor said that the coming in of new investors to Tacloban is an indication that the city is now in the roads towards full economic recovery providing additional employment to the people from the city and those coming from other areas of the region.
Aside from the “expanded” Robinsons Place-Tacloban, expected to open are its 380-rooms Imperial Hotel and another shopping located at the Abucay bus terminal.
When Tacloban was hit by Yolanda on November 8, 2013, almost all of its business establishments, among others, were destroyed and were heavily looted.
Among the latest establishments to open business in Tacloban were branches of Puregold, Savers Depot with several hotels making their renovations and expansion in an anticipation of tourist’s influx.
Also, a regional warehouse intended for relief goods during a disaster situation was inaugurated in Tacloban funded by the New Zealand government and turned over to the Philippine Red Cross. (GAY B. GASPAY,TISAT/KANHURAW MEDIA TEAM

TACLOBAN CITY- Officials and employees of the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) in the region conducted a tree-planting activity in Brgy. Utap, Tacloban City, as part of the department’s 83rd founding anniversary celebration.
DOLE Regional Director Elias A. Cayanong said they planted a least 1,000 saplings of fruit bearing trees aimed to contribute to the massive forest rehabilitation program of the government.
“We intend to do this every year as DOLE’s contribution to climate change mitigation strategy especially that Tacloban City is most vulnerable to climate change as evidenced by the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda”, Cayanong explained.
During the tree planting, DOLE RO8 employees planted saplings of pili, mango, jackfruit, and guyabano. (PR)

Senator Loren Legarda said that all students who will enroll in any state university and college (SUC) in the country, including the University of the Philippines (UP), will no longer pay for tuition fee starting next school year as it will now be funded under the 2017 national budget.
Legarda, chair of the Senate committee on finance, said that this is the purpose of the additional P8 billion allocation under the Commission on Higher Education (CHED).
“One of the long-standing concerns of poor families is bringing their children to college because after finishing high school in public schools, most of them have no means to pay for tuition fee in SUCs. The 2017 national budget addresses this concern,” she said.
The senator explained that while the budget only covers tuition fee, indigent students may still avail of grants and aid for miscellaneous fees under various programs.
College students belonging to family-beneficiaries of the Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) are covered by the Expanded Students’ Grants in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation (ESGP-PA).
Those who are not part of the 4Ps can avail of financial assistance for educational purposes under the Student Financial Assistance Programs (StuFAPs) both under CHED and SUCs. Under the proposed 2017 General Appropriations Act (GAA), there is P5.753 billion funding for StuFAP.
“Alleviating our people from poverty entails providing support for education until college so that they have more job opportunities and they are employed as professionals. Now that Congress has provided the funding, we urge the CHED and SUCs to ensure that these funds will go to the intended beneficiaries,” Legarda concluded.
The proposed 2017 GAA worth P3.350 trillion has been approved by both the Senate and House of Representatives and is expected to be signed by the President before Christmas. (PR)

GAMAY, Northern Samar-One of the most wanted persons from the nearby town of Palapag was arrested on December 15.
Arrested by the combined elements of the Gamay and Palapag police stations was Emil Magayes, 49, who is considered as number four in the most wanted list of the Palapag police station.
Magayes, accused for murder, was arrested by the police authorities at his house located in Barangay Cabatuan, Palapag town at about 3:54 in the morning.
Magayes has an outstanding warrant for murder issued on 2008 but went into hiding.
But an information that he returned to their home resulted for him to be arrested by the combined elements of the Gamay and Palapag police stations.
The operation was headed by Senior Inspector Noel Unay, police chief of Gamay and PO3 Ronnie Bacunawa of the Palapag police station.
The suspect is now under the custody of Palapag municipal police station for booking and documentation prior turn-over to court.
Police S/Supt. Ceasar Zafiro Tannagan, acting police provincial director, commended his men for the arrest of the murder suspect. (PR)

BORONGAN CITY- The proposal at the House of Representatives that would mandate the government to come up with a program for young farmers is being supported by the solon in the lone district of Eastern Samar.
Rep. Ben Evardone has informed that he already mandated the management of the Eastern Samar State University (ESSU) earlier to design a program that would encourage the youth to continue to study agriculture in order for them to replace — if not follow in the footsteps of the few aging farmers and to help secure the food security of the country.
The bill, passed by Rep. Alfred Vargas, is now being deliberated at the Lower House.
The bill also aims to encourage incoming college students to choose and finish a course in agriculture through the socialized tuition scheme for those who will enroll in agriculture as well as in fisheries.
Rep. Evardone said that the proposed bill will help encourage to go into agriculture as the new generation appears of not being encouraged to take up courses in agriculture due to its difficulty and that a farmer’s income is not enough.
Aside from this, the average level of education of a farmer is mostly elementary reason they are not that open to use modern farming technologies that would heThe said bill mandates the members of National Agriculture and Fisheries System to implement the Young Farmers Program (YFP).
Local government units (LGUs) are also mandated to support the said program through an additional counterpart funding assistance.
Meantime, Evardone announced the realization of one of his programs in education that he is pushing through — the free college education for state universities and colleges (SUCs) students starting on school year 2017-2018.
According to him, included in the 2016 National Budget approved by the bicameral conference committee on December 14, 2016 is theP 8 billion fund for the implementation of the said program.(PIA-EASTERN SAMAR)