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DPWH to construct roads in Leyte’s tourist destinations

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TACLOBAN CITY – Two of the identified ‘tourism roads’ in Leyte are to get allocation next year. Engineer Carlos Veloso, chief of Leyte’s Second District Engineering Office, disclosed the road concreting project which leads to a skim boarding site in Brgy. Sabang, Dulag will get P25 million in fund while the road from La Paz to Calabato hot spring in Lapaz town was given fund allocation of P50 million. The road project is a joint initiative of the Department of Tourism and the Department of Public Works and Highways. Veloso said that road infrastructure is vitally important to attract tourists beyond major gateways and the facilitation of self-drive tourism requires an investment in road construction and other improvements.

The Calabato hot spring in lies deep within the quiet town of La Paz which remains untouched and still undeveloped, reason why only few venture to explore the rough terrains going to the spring. A regular trek usually takes some 4-6 hours starting from the town proper which deters tourist from coming. Paving the road is seen to increase tourists and visitors to enjoy Calabato’s natural beauty in all its roughness. While Tanauan town prides itself as the birth place of skim boarding in the Philippines, skim boarding enthusiasts has also explored waves in the nearby town of Dulag. A good skim boarding site has been discovered in Brgy. Sabang. However, road leading to the area needs the development. Meanwhile, continuation of concreting the Burauen-Mahagnao Road in Burauen, Leyte will get P40 million in funds in 2015. The road leads to the Mahagnao Volcano and National Park, an established national park since 1937. The volcano is dormant and has a huge crater that turned into a lake. Barangay Mahagnao also hosts multiple hot spring, a sulfur mountain, and waterfalls.

The destination is about 16 kilometers away from the existing Burauen-Lapaz Road. Six kilometers have already been paved while eight kilometers gravel road remains. Also identified as tourism road project within the 2nd LED is the P48 million concreting of road from Barangay Paglaum to Sitio Canbahian Falls in Carigara. No funding yet for this project in 2015. (AHLETTE C. REYES)

Escalona elected as new prexy of Rotary Club of Tacloban

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TACLOBAN CITY– Lawyer Joseph “Boboy” Escalona was recently inducted as president of the Rotary Club of Tacloban (RC Tacloban) for the ensuring year, during its 67th anniversary celebration at Leyte Park Resort Hotel recently.

Escalona said that he is happy for the trust and confidence the Rotarians have given him to lead the RC Tacloban, the mother of five clubs in the city. He replaced businessman Joel Caminade as the president of the club. “The club has a huge task ahead of helping our fellow survivors in the community better their lives after supertyphoon Yolanda even as the club members are still rebuilding our lives too after the devastation,” Escalona said in an interview.

Escalona added that “the five avenues of service of the Rotary will be my guide throughout my term.” Incoming district governor Salvador “Buddy” Estudillo of District 3860 was the inducting officer who heaped praises to the new club president. Estudillo said that Escalona will be a good president to lead the club adding that he has the high esteem and support of the members. The projects the club will undertake this year will be water and sanitation, computer literacy, infant food, schools rehabilitation and livelihood, Escalona said.
Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominic Petilla was the keynote speaker.

The past months have been very busy for the Rotary Club of Tacloban after Yolanda struck the city of Tacloban and the rest of Eastern Visayas. The club has completed the construction of a one-unit school building with two classrooms and toilets at Marabaras National High School in partnership with the Rotary Club (RC) Nara East, Japan District 2650.

Another partnership with RC Naga City District 3820 is for distribution of 15 pedicabs under its livelihood program intended for residents of Peerless Village, one of the hardest hit villages in Tacloban. Villages in San Jose district or V&G village are also to receive the same assistance from the club. Also elected were vice president Jop Cornelio; secretary Noli Beltran; treasurer Junn Cayubit; sergeant-at-arms Adel Bautista. Named as directors were Jose Julio for community service; Ben Gaspay for international service; Lito Yap for club administration and Eugene Tan for vocational service. ((VICKY C. ARNAIZ)

Mass vaccination on children gets Gov. Petilla’s support

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TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla said that the ongoing mass immunization on measles and polio would help reduce the two diseases that mostly inflict children.

The nationwide immunization on measles and polio for 0 to 5 years old is initiated by the Department of Health which started last September 1. Gov. Petilla said that the DOH has a strong history of conducting mass immunization which results to significant reduction of diseases such as measles and rubella transmission. Saving young lives from death or disability is part of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) with includes as part of its goal help curb diseases that inflicts minor, the governor said. “By improving health, poverty is reduced as poor families are provided with vaccines which can be saved from the struggle to pay for the care of a sick child and could better afford to buy more nourishing food, or to provide their children with basic health care or an education,” Gov. Petilla said.

From 1983 to early 2013, the DOH has conducted measles immunization services nationwide that led to 94 percent reduction in the number of measles cases. However, measles outbreaks still occurred in many parts of the country in 2013 and early 2014. The DOH has allotted P 600 million for the vaccination campaign but this has been reduced to P 200 million as support from international partners in the form of donation that include Measles-Rubella (MR) vaccines, vaccines carrier and cold rooms.

Studies show that immunization averts an estimated 2.5 million deaths a year among under 5 years old. The mass immunization campaign dubbed as Measles Rubella Oral Polio Vaccine Mass Immunization or MR OPV MI will address three preventable viral illnesses such as measles, German measles and polio which are all vaccine preventable.
DOH record showed that there are about 11 million children nationwide to be vaccinated while 13 million children will be given oral drops against polio. (AHLETTE REYES)

PWDs availed life skills training from NCFPWD

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TACLOBAN CITY- A two-day life skills training for physically challenged individuals were conducted by the National Federation Cooperative for Persons with Disabilities (NFCPWD) last September 8 and 9 in this city. The training, participated by more than 20 PWDs, involved various activities such as workshops on how to cope up with challenges after the devastation of the super typhoon, stress debriefing and counseling, and open forum where they voiced out their concerns and needs in their present state. The participants were also taught of different strategies for adaptive and positive behavior that will enable them to deal with the challenges of their lives. “This life skills training is a way of NFCPWD to help our members emotionally and at the same time, to respond to their essentials especially now that they have gone through a traumatic experience,” said Rose Carilla, human resource development officer of NCFPWD.

PWDs belonged to the group of victims who greatly struggled and suffered from the merciless supertyphoon that was Yolanda that struck the city. “They need us the most, that is why we give them priority and focus,” Carilla added. NCFPWD is a nationwide cooperative based in Cainta, Rizal that aims to strengthen livelihood and social integration of persons with disabilities. It is also funded by the Canadian Cooperative Association which establishes cooperatives, credit unions and community based organizations worldwide. (SHAIRA VALENZONA, LNU Intern)

DTI released funds to small business enterprenuers hit by Yolanda

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TACLOBAN CITY- The regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) has approved more than 300 applications for soft loans from small business companies whose operations were affected by supertyphoon Yolanda.

However, out of this number of applications, only over 100 were given the needed funds, said DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras. As of August 31, Nierras said that the Small Business Corporation(SBC), which is DTI’s partner bank, received 378 applications under their soft loan assistance in which 325 are from Leyte; 30, Eastern Samar and 23 from Samar with an indicative amount P516 million.

And out of the 378 applications, the SBC approved already 185 applications amounting to P202.9 million wherein P80 million was already released for 115 applications. “The approval and release of soft loans is not in the hands of our department for we are just assisting the SBC,” Nierras said. The release for the soft loan is by tranche in which they prioritize the rehabilitation of the building, buying of equipment, machines and last is the working capital. The requirements and procurement procedure of the soft loans of SBC have been simplified in order to fast-track the releasing of assistance. The grace period was shortened to nine months from one year, Nierras said.

When it comes to interest rates of the soft loan of SBC, it increases from six percent to eight percent for they are already using as separate funding.  Nierras said that they are waiting for the funds that will be downloaded to them by the national government and in turn, distribute to the remaining 263 applicants seeking fresh capitals. “We are focus more in bringing back the livelihood of the people as it was before Yolanda,” Nierras said. Meanwhile, the DTI encourages those business establishments affected by the typhoon which have not obtained yet soft loans to visit their office. The SBC still continue to receive applications for soft loan assistance in which they have an available fund amounting to P700 million. (RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)

Pest stalking region’s abaca being addressed by PhilFIDA

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TACLOBAN CITY— With the region’s abaca industry being stalked with a viral disease, the regional office of the Philippine Fiber Industry Development Authority (PhilFIDA) is conducting a training to address the problem.

The training aims to bring down the disease incidence below 5% since it is at this level that abaca farmers can still manage the worsening situation caused by the massive virus infection, said Engr. Wilardo Sinahon, PhilFIDA-8 head. According to Sinahon, the main strategy of the abaca disease management training is to teach farmers on how to kill the vectors and to stop the virus from spreading. A technology was created by the PhilFIDA that could kill the vectors that causes bunchy top, the disease that has been stalking the region’s abaca industry since 2005. Insecticides and herbicides were used to kill the insects and the infected abaca plants. Chemicals and other supplies such as protective gears, rain coats, boots, goggles, and mask were also provided.

Aside from the technical supervision from the PhilFIDA, technicians and contractual workers were hired to guide farmers in spraying and injecting the infected abaca plants.
The participating farmers likewise received P1,500 per hectare incentive, as part of assistance. The virus that affected abaca production in the region, notably in Southern Leyte and Leyte provinces, is considered as a major disease because the infected abaca plants become unproductive. Thus, reducing the income of the abaca farmers. After the program was implemented in Southern Leyte, there were already visible abaca plants in the said province. In Barangay Pinamunuan, Mahaplag, Leyte, five stripping machines were operationalized and their production of fiber went back on track after PhilFIDA implemented the program in the barangay.

“These reports are proof that the abaca disease management program has a good effect,” Sinahon said. Northern Samar, the region’s top abaca producer, has reported of virus-infected areas like in Las Navas. (JESLY MARIVIE GASPAY, LNU Intern)

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