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With siblings spared from Yolanda Palo native initiated thanksgiving prayer

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PALO, Leyte- “This is my way of showing my gratitude that my siblings and other relatives survived from (supertyphoon) Yolanda” Thus said Nila Triste-Villacorte, a native of this town but is now a naturalized American citizen, when asked the purpose of a “living rosary” that she initiated on Saturday night at the Palo Cathedral, otherwise known as the Transfiguration of Our Lord. During the living rosary held inside the cathedral, which is to be visited by Pope Francis next year, Triste-Villacorte’s siblings, relatives and friends joined the activity wherein the five Joyful Mysteries were recited.

The entire cathedral, damaged during the onslaught of Yolanda 10 months ago, turned dark with illumination only coming from the participants candles with the two images of Mary.
“I was so thankful to the Lord that they all survived and nothing bad happened to them during the typhoon,” Triste-Villacorte, who works as a nurse in Chicago, Illinois, said. She arrived in the country on September 7 and arrived in Palo three days later with the holding of the living rosary among the first things she did. It was for thanksgiving mainly, Triste-Villacorte said.

She was joined by her siblings lawyers Federico, once the administrator of Tacloban city government, Fe Triste- Lumaniog and retired colonel, Felino. Triste-Villacorte’s classmates at the St. Mary’s Academy also joined the activity, among them were Meldy Moron Diamante,Maripaz Urbina. Marian and Youth Council of the parish also participated the occasion.

She said that God was good to her family that their old house located in Barangay Buri stood against the fury of Yolanda, considered the world’s strongest typhoon to make landfall.
“It was only our house that remained. All others, it was ground zero,” she said. Triste-Lumaniog said that the living rosary is their way of saying their thanksgiving and even a petition that no similar occurrence will ever happen again. “It was a complete disaster but thanks God, nobody was hurt,” she said. Federico said that it was indeed a miracle that their ancestral house only sustained partial damage, with its roof blown away. “I spent my Christmas and New Year celebration there, alone and in the dark,” he said, reminiscing with her two sisters their growing up years at their old house. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

Leyte Gov. Petilla named as new RDC chairman

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TACLOBAN CITY-President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino has named Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla who right away declared that he would give focus in addressing the poverty problem of the region. Petilla, whose family is a close political ally of Mr. Aquino, said that his appointment as RDC chair came at a time when Eastern Visayas is facing the challenge due to supertyphoon Yolanda.

“We need to stir the RDC to attack the specific problem in the region, basically its Yolanda as practically all provinces were hit, if not by Yolanda by Basyang in Southern Leyte and Glenda in Northern Samar ” Petilla said, referring to the typhoons that hit the mentioned provinces. Petilla, who is just serving his first term as governor, will convene and preside the RDC meeting next month. The Leyte governor said that he was surprised when he received a fax copy of his appointment as RDC chair, the highest policy-making body for the region.
Before Petilla’s appointment, NEDA (National Economic Development Authority) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy served as acting chair of the body. Petilla said that among his focused priority is how to address the lingering problem of poverty in the region saying that Eastern Visayas is among the country’s most depressed regions. The governor became the third from his family to sit as RDC chair, following his brother, former governor and now Energy Secretary Jericho Carlos Petilla and mother, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla.

Jericho served as RDC chair from 2010 to 2021 until he was named to his current Cabinet post while Remedios, who was also a former governor, was RDC chair in 2001 to 2004. Gov. Petilla maintained that his appointment was not based on his being an ally of the administration but because of his capacity. “No, I don’t think so. May be he believes on my capacity and that I can do something for the region and for Leyte,” Petilla said. Meanwhile, his appointment as RDC chair was welcome by Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto, a cousin, saying that he has the qualities of being a good chair of the regional body. “It is high time, as we move on to ASEAN 2015 it is important to make ready our infrastructure, human resource for the challenges of the future. His being a meticulous in details, his being a planner and organizer and his dedication to his work will make Petilla an effective RDC leader, I think this qualities are what we need at the helm of the regional chairmanship of RDC to be progressive and be prepared for any challenges,” Loreto said.(LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

EVRMC readied as confinement area for possible MERS-CoV patients in E. Visayas

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TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Health regional office has designated five rooms at the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center (EVRMC) for isolation of patients with suspected Ebola virus and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome – Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This was disclosed by DOH Regional Director Jose Llacuna who said that the region is prepared for “any eventuality” if in case they would be asked by their central office to monitor patients with the suspected highly contagious disease.

“We’re just the receiving end of information. We have to prepare to make follow up if whoever they want us to monitor,” Llacuna said. The isolation room maintained at the regional hospital has been used by the health department as isolation room during the height of 2003 epidemic of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS).

“This is exclusive for highly contagious disease. It is an isolated area ante-room with was room and protective personal equipment,” he added. The facility can accommodate patients from six provinces of Eastern Visayas recommended by the Health Emergency Management Staff (HEMS) of the DOH for monitoring. Close daily monitoring by DOH-HEMS of symptoms continues to take place among these OFWs. Regional health officials are on standby to facilitate the conduct and admission of possible suspected cases to the nearest DOH hospitals or medical centers.

The DOH advised suspected cases to be taken immediately to the nearest health facility for medical attention. Severe cases require intensive supportive care. At present, there is no specific treatment or vaccine yet available. Ebola is a severe, infectious, often fatal disease in humans and primates (monkeys, gorillas, and chimpanzees) caused by infection from the Ebola virus. Corona viruses are a large family of viruses that cause a range of illnesses in humans, from the common cold to the SARS. Viruses in this family also cause a number of animal diseases. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

Despite closure order, Palompon hospital remains operational

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Senior citizens of Palompon received their 3rd quarter of 2013 pay out social pension amounting to 4,500.00 spearheaded by the municipal social welfare and development of said municipality. LITO A. BAGUNAS

PALOMPON, Leyte- Despite its sorry state, the Manuel V. Veloso District Hospital continues to serve the medical needs of the town and even those coming from nearby municipalities.This was disclosed by town Vice Mayor Myra Georgina Arevalo who was quick to say that they are “forced” to continue to operate the hospital despite of the damages it sustained due to supertyphoon Yolanda. Arevalo herself said that the Department of Health had earlier issued an order for the suspension of the operations of the said facility which is under the supervision of the provincial government.

However, the hospital management decided to continue to operate for them to serve the medical needs of the people, the vice mayor said. “We cannot turn down our patients after the typhoon. They have nowhere to go to especially that the road to Ormoc City was damaged,” Arevalo said, citing the reason why despite of the order from the DOH, they opted to continue the operations of the hospital. Ormoc is about 45 minutes drive away from Palompon. Ten months after the hospital suffered damage due to Yolanda, they have yet to repair said facility, the town mayor said. However, it was learned that the provincial government has allotted P100 million for either to repair the facility or build a new one. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

Eyed as alternate to DZR Airport P800 million set aside for expansion of Calbayog Airport

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CALBAYOG CITY- The national government has allocated about P800 million for the expansion of the Calbayog Airport, considered to be a possible alternate airport to the Daniel Z. Romualdez (DZR) Airport in Tacloban City. Of this amount, P120 million was already released to fund the expansion, said Rep. Mel Senen Sarmiento of Samar first congressional district. The Calbayog Airport is classified as class 2 principal airport wherein only light planes could land of its 1,650 meter runway. It has a thrice a week flight serving the Calbayog-Manila route.

The expansion and improvement of the Calbayog Airport is part of the plan to make the airport as the alternate airport to DZR Airport in Tacloban, explained by Sarmiento.
According to Sarmiento, a close political ally of President Benigno Aquino, aside from P120 million released last August, the remaining P680 million will be available in 2015.
The Calbayog Airport, according to the Samar solon, is ideal to be made as an alternate airport due to its location that is not facing the eastern section of the country which is prone to natural calamities like tsunami and storm surges like what happened to DZR Airport during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda last year. “Calbayog Airport is located in the western part of Samar, while Guiuan Airport, DZR Airport and Catarman Airport are all located in the eastern part which is facing the Philippine trench and is prone to hazards like tsunami and storm surge,” said Sarmiento.

As part of the improvement of the Calbayog Airport, its runway will be lengthened to 2.1 kilometers for it to accommodate bigger planes like Airbus or Boeing type of aircrafts.
Also, its width will be increased to 15 meters and additional 4 meters of asphalt to meet the thickness requirements under the International Aviation Organization standard and will be equipped with navigational facilities to enable to have a night flights, Sarmiento said. The Samar solon said with the Calbayog Airport having the same capacity with that of the Tacloban Airport, considered the premier airport of the region, could result to easy transport of people and even goods. The Tacloban Airport is undergoing major repair with a portion of its more than 2,100 meters runway being repair. The repair work could take about six months but with the arrival of Pope Francis next year, the officials of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines will double work to ensure its fast repair. With the repair ongoing, only turbo propeller type of aircrafts is allowed to land at the Tacloban Airport. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

Tacloban officials said Coca Cola reopening a proof of their confidence of city’s economy

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TACLOBAN CITY –The reopening of the Coca Cola plant in this city was roundly welcome by local officials saying this only shows that they still have confidence on Tacloban, still reeling from the aftermath of supertyphoon Yolanda.

City Vice Mayor Jerry “Sambo” Yaokasin said that while the Coca Cola plant sustained major damages during the onslaught of Yolanda ten months ago, the Coca Cola FEMSA chose to reopen again their operations. He said that personally, he was glad that the management decided to operate again as their plant, located along Fatima Area, is considered a part of Tacloban’s history and culture. And hours after the massive typhoon that destroyed the plant, the workers did their share in helping other victims of Yolanda, the vice mayor said.
“Coca-Cola was offering water outside but at the back, people are getting stuff from you. You are giving until you have nothing to give,” Yaokasin said. Speaking in behalf of Mayor Alfred Romualdez, his spokesperson Bernardita “Bering” Valenzuela echoed the sentiments of the vice mayor saying that with the Coca Cola back in business, not only its workers will benefit but the city government of Tacloban.

According to Valenzuela, Coca Cola Tacloban is one of the top ten taxpayers of the city government which in effect, help it to sustain its programs for its people. She added that the reopening of the Coca Cola is strong testament that they still believe in Tacloban as an area to do business. “Your re-opening is a message to other establishments, that Tacloban and Region 8 is still a region to invest,” Valenzuela. The reopening of the Coca-Cola Tacloban plant was graced by its chief executive officer Juan Ramon Felix, CEO; Juan Dominguez, human resources and corporate affairs director; Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla; Vice Gov. Carlo Loreto and other city officials. (JONA MAE ESTIL, LNU Intern)

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