On November 8, Jason Paulo Ty Tentativa was at PhilHealth Manila, the day his application for a job was accepted. At the PhilHealth office, he chanced upon an updated news report aired at station GMA-7 on the massive devastation super typhoon Yolanda brought to Tacloban and nearby towns. The young professional who just passed the nursing board felt shivers running down his spine, thinking of his mom and dad who live at V & G Subdivision.
The large number of fatalities in San Jose Tacloban and some parts of Palo got him engulfed in fear.
Ano daw la adi hira Mama; hira Papa? was the question that ruled his mind.
The following day Jason, upon knowing that flights to Tacloban were cancelled gambled a chance to join others at the Villamor Airbase, bound for Cebu. From Cebu he took a boat to Hilongos, Leyte. He boarded a Hilux to Tacloban and on Nov. 11, 3 days after the typhoon, he was home.
Coming home and entering Abuyog and passing through Macarthur, Mayorga, Dulag, Tolosa, Tanauan down to Palo, before his eyes was unbelievably bared massive destructions of dwellings even of the rich, felled coconut trees and even those standing were either cut down while other still bearing their leaves albeit disheveled showed signs of inutility. He learned further that deaths were all over town especially in Tacloban.
At home, while happy seeing his parents smiling – as lucky survivors, his inner self was bothered by the Yolanda tragedy to the victims who are homeless and hungry, shirtless who displayed blank stares of worry where they will go; what they will do and who they will go to for succor.
Jason has read these signs so he organized a team among friends, raised funds and the first donor was his father, Dan, who is a Sangguniang Bayan member of Isabel. Other donors gave. He went back to Cebu with the same purpose; sought help from his APO fraternity. With the money he bought relief goods and came back to Tacloban sought once more the help of barkada to pack the goods consisting of rice, sardines, corned beef, tooth brush, tooth paste, soap and shampoo.
They distributed these goods to San Jose, Nula-tula, Salvacion, Palanog,other parts of Tacloban and Basey, Samar.
The JAH group also distributed nails, tarpaulins even donated to some destitute families, hammers and saws.
Jason says that JAH stands for GOD or to him personally it stands for JESUS Always HELPS!!
JAH’s Army
Yolanda victims seeks ouster of Dinky
TACLOBAN CITY- A group composed of Yolanda victims have asked President Aquino to sack Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman over the alleged P580 million rotting rice fiasco.
Firing Soliman from her post is justifiable considering that the sacks of rice found at the Subic Freeport that was supposed to be distributed to Yolanda victims were already declared as unfit for human consumption, said Efleda Bautista, vice president of the People Surge.
According to Bautista, the sacks of rice valued at P580 million was supposed to be distributed to the victims of typhoon Pablo but for some reason did not reach to the victims.
“The fact that P580 million worth of rice meant for Typhoon Pablo victims in December 2012 rotted in the Subic Freeport cries out a case of criminal negligence,” Bautista, in a press statement, said.
According to Bautista, the sacks of rice were to be distributed for the victims of Yolanda but were declared as no longer fit for human consumption.
“Two groups of typhoon survivors were victimized over this wasted rice, donated by the customs bureau from confiscated illegal shipments in 2012 because of the irresponsibility of the DSWD to which it was entrusted,” she added.
Bautista questioned why the DSWD had not been thoroughly investigated, particularly Sec. Soliman.
“Sec. Dinky Soliman should resign or be removed from office after being shown to be unfit by this incident as well as the dismal performance of her department in general in the two major calamities of Pablo and Yolanda,” she said.
According to Bautista, firing Soliman “would be too easy for the Aquino government without addressing the lack of relief and rehabilitation efforts.”
Thousands of storm victims trooped to Malacanang last February to submit their petition for Aquino to speed up delivery of relief goods, rehabilitation and a demand for P40,000 financial assistance which the President ignored. (RONALD REYES)
BFAR gives bancas, fishing gears to Yolanda-hit fishermen in Eastern Samar
GUIUAN, Eastern Samar- Two hundred motor engines and another three hundred fishing boats were distributed recently by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources to fishermen coming from different towns of this province.
About 143 cash for work fishermen-beneficiaries were also given financial assistance amounting to P1, 500 each.
The distribution of the fishing facilities is under the Ahon!Sampung Libong Bangka para sa Dalawampung Libong Pamilya is a project of BFAR which aim to provide 10,000 fishing boats or bancas in three months to help rebuild the livelihood of some 20,000 fishermen hit by Yolanda.
In Eastern Visayas, BFAR-8 reported that out of the projected 19,000 fishermen hit by Yolanda, 5,000 of them would be given assistance.
The BFAR-8 reported that 1,864 fishing boats were either repaired or replaced for fishermen from the 11 municipalities of Eastern Samar.
For Guiuan,880 units were distributed; 284 in Salcedo;135 in Quinapondan;130 for Lawaan;114 for Giporlos;106 for Llorente;89 for Gen. Mcarthur;79 for Hernani and other fishermen from other municipalities of the province.
Also, at least 119 boat engines have been replaced and functional fishing boats were tallied at 482 for fishermen of this town, considered to have the highest number of fishermen affected by the massive typhoon.
And under the cash-for-work program of BFAR, 156 fishermen availed such program receiving P1, 500 each of them. Also, fishing gears were distributed to 60 fishermen while seaweed culture inputs were provided to 369 beneficiaries.
DA-8 Regional Director Bernadette San Juan and BFAR-8 Regional Director Juan Albaladejo were on hand to distribute the fishing boats, engines and cash assistance together with other agricultural inputs given to the agriculture sector.
Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala was present to announce the projects and rehabilitation being conducted by the Department of Agriculture for farmers and fishermen and the whole agriculture sector affected by Typhoon Yolanda. (AHLETTE C. REYES)
80 families taking shelter at fish port complex to be moved out to bunk houses, Sec. Alcala said
TACLOBAN CITY- Families now temporarily living at the destroyed fish port building of the city would be given priority for transfer at the bunkhouses.
This was vowed by Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala during his February 28 visit to Tacloban, adding that he would talk with Public Works and Highways Sec. Rogelio Singson on this matter.
Alcala said that the 80 families now living at the said facility should be moved out to the bunk houses so that they could easily plan its immediate repair of the damages it sustained during the supertyphoon Yolanda more than three months ago.
The Tacloban fish port complex, located at Barangay 37, was constructed at P44.3 million and was considered as a finished project four days before Yolanda pummeled the city on November 8, 2013.
It was learned from Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources National Director Asis Perez that the said facility was to be turned over to the city government by the Philippine Fishery Development Authority (PFDA) with dredging and scouring works remain unfinished at that time.
But the dredging machine, owned by the Department of Public Works and Highways, was washed away to the San Jose district during the typhoon.
“Hopefully we can resettle the families affected by Yolanda so that in the next three to four months, we can do the necessary repairs and use the fish port eventually” said Perez.
At present, the old fish port at the Old Road-Magallanes area is being utilized, he added. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)
SM Foundation extend assistance to its scholars in Eastern Visayas
TACLOBAN CITY- The SM Foundation extended assistance to all of its scholars in the region who were all victims of the supertyphoon Yolanda.
However, out of the 20 scholars of the foundation, one of them perished due to the typhoon, said Carmen Linda Atayde, executive director for education of the SM Foundation.
But Atayde hastened to add that the scholarship would be transferred to the victim’s brother.
She said her team visited the houses of their scholars across the region not only to hear their sad experiences due to Yolanda but especially to check on their conditions and extend assistance to them as well.
“They have plenty of (harrowing) stories imparted to us that made us all cry,” Atayde told Leyte Samar Daily Express.
The SM Foundation official said that they provided P10, 000 of assistance to all their 20 scholars in the region who were the first group to avail the scholarship program of said foundation in Eastern Visayas.
“We know that our scholars need help because they are also victims of the supertyphoon Yolanda,” Atayde said.
“(And) we are not disappointed with our scholars in the region because some of them are even dean’s lister while others have good grades,” she added. (RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)
Let the trial begin!
The P10-B pork barrel scam and other alleged stolen public funds has become monotonous on print and other info channels that confront us in our daily living. Whenever these two legislators (Jinggoy and Bong) come out to “defend” themselves they do not realize that the more they explain their side the more that they reveal their guilt – to me, at least. It’s simply because their defenses are not convincing and at times even illogical.
-oOo-
These expose have been with us for a couple of months already. The BenHur Luy et al whistle blowing alone was convincing enough. This scam has been cemented and strengthened with the revelations of Ruby Tuason who bravely disclosed that she personally delivered the money, millions at that to these two movie stars now senators. Recently former Technology Resource head Dennis Cunanan also revealed kickbacks received by both of these two grandstanding thick-faced legislators has further strengthened the case.
-oOo-
The problem now is when will the trial begin? This has to begin for the following obvious reasons:
1) These are millions of pesos of hand-earned taxpayer’s money that are in the personal account of corrupt suspects. Worse is, it is of common knowledge to the people that these legislators are already handsomely paid of salaries far beyond and unreasonably much over their individual performance in lawmaking. Besides they enjoy fantabulous allowances and other perks some of which are beyond our knowledge. This scam that runs to millions MUST be returned to government coffers. If Ruby Tuazon has boldly confessed of having earned millions (P14 m?) just being a bagman of Janet Lim Napoles, the suspected prima donna of this corruption syndicate and is willing to return that money to government, legislators who are addressed “honorable” should be bothered by their conscience if they refuse to return these ill-gotten government funds they probably now possess.
2. These legislators especially the Big Three (Estrada, Revilla, Enrile) have boldly declared that they have not taken a cent (though no one believes); so with more reason to let the trial begin as soon as possible, and let the hearings be an open court, to be covered by media, to restore their credibility; (though at the moment is zero to us).
Otherwise, if found guilty lock them up in jail!
-oOo-
We wonder how easy it was to convict and oust Erap; how easy it was how our government put GMA behind bars, albeit via hospital arrest. Why does it take this long just to begin the hearings for these 3 senator- main suspects and many others? They allegedly commit a similar crime!
-oOo-
Will this country experience once more of that over almost 3- decade hearings of the Marcos plunder; 3 decades (30 years?) to recover just a part of his ill-gotten wealth and still trying and investigating. Tama Na! Sobra Na! Dalian!