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Fire razed down houses in Ormoc

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ORMOC CITY- The Ormoc fire department cautioned the public from using substandard electrical tools following a blaze that turned two houses to ash in Jica, Lao, this city on February 3. The Ormoc Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) said that the initial investigation revealed that an electrical short circuit caused the fire citing the statement from Armando Cortes, owner of the house that was gutted down. The combustion emanated from a charging mobile phone that might have been overcharged. Nobody was home then. The fire spread to a nearby house owned by Carmelita Gastalia.

BFP said that when they responded, the houses that were built from light materials were already eaten up by the fire. The flames started at around 8:20 a.m. and BFP recorded the call at 8:33 a.m. No one was reported hurt but the victims failed to save any of their belongings. The initial damage cost was hoisted at P600,000 while waiting for the official declaration from the victims. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

Typhoon-resistant school built in Eastern Samar town

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HERNANI, Eastern Samar – Gone are the days when public school teacher Paulina Duran had to worry about tsunami and storm surge warning following the completion of a new school building in a new location.

Duran, head of the academics department of Pedro E. Candido Memorial High School, this town, said only strong typhoons will disrupt classes now that the new campus was established in a hill in Barangay Nagaja from a coastal village within the town proper. “Back in a day, we always suspend classes whenever there is tsunami alert and even signal number one typhoon for fear of rising seas,” Duran recalled.

For her, the new school buildings donated by private companies is a sign of hope after storm surges generated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” swept away the entire campus located at the town center. The killer typhoon also claimed the lives of three students. Last month, SM Foundation partners Global Hope International, TtoKamsa Mission Church, and Forever 21 turned over the two buildings with 20 classrooms to the school officials after nine months of construction.

The school named after the late town mayor has been moved to a one hectare property uphill donated by Candido family. Candido’s son Amado, a former town vice mayor and current school’s disbursing officer, made the development plan presented to donors With enrollees from 13 villages of Hernani and nearby villages of Llorente and General Macarthur towns, the school has more than 800 learners and 36 teachers.

Prior to the completion of new classrooms, classes were held in temporary learning spaces and old bunkhouses. The school also asked the Department of Education to build other facilities in the new campus.  (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

Groups, individuals recognized for “Yolanda” assistance to Leyte schools division

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PALO, Leyte-In recognition of their contribution to the government-led recovery efforts after Leyte was leveled by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in 2013, the Department of Education-Leyte Division conferred awards to various non-governmental organizations and private individuals during this year’s “Pasidungog” recently held at Palo Municipal Building, this town.

“The angry howling winds and waves of supertyphoon Yolanda devastated a large number of schools over Leyte which consequently created the deep valleys of Leyte division. A problem to solve, a challenge to take, an opportunity to learn from and draw closer to people, community, and God. It is with this ‘valley’ that we feel and experience that we are truly blessed having you–our stakeholder and donors, who came to help and share resources,” said Ronelo Al Firmo, Leyte division schools superintendent, in his message.

“This valley helped us realize and see ourselves that ‘we are not alone’. Indeed this is a valley of overflowing blessings—of community of friends, and of community of support,” he added, referring to the countless “human, financial, and moral material” given by different aid groups and stakeholders to the schools division.

About a hundred organizations through their representatives, along with Leyte first district Representative Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla, Vice Governor Carlo Loreto and 24 municipal mayors in the province, attended the ceremony. “You rescued us so we can stand again firmly, heading to the direction where we set our department to go, to achieve its goals, targets and objectives,” Firmo said.

Some of the international humanitarian groups and individuals who were recognized during the event include Tzu Chi Foundation, Korean Army, Swiss Humanitarian Aid, Salvation Army, International Medical Corps, Habitat for Humanity, Intersos, Rotary Club of Neanderthal-Germany, Singapore Red Cross, German Helfi, Lion’s Club-Malaysia, Koji Imaizumi and Kazutoki Unez, UNHCR, among others.For the national and local organizations, they were Tacloban Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Operation Blessing, Tan Yan Kee Foundation, PASAR, RTR Medical Foundation, among others.

According to Fermo, aid groups and individuals who were given special awards during the event were those who have donated P100, 000 and above.
“DepEd was one of the biggest hit among our government sectors. More than 2,000 classrooms were destroyed in Leyte, and it is not easy to  rehabilitate all of them. With the combined efforts of many international organizations, the national government agencies and local government units, we are now about 60 percent in our recovery efforts,” said Gov. Petilla in an interview with Leyte Samar Daily Express. “This ‘Pasidungog’ is a very big event. They should be recognized,” he added. Petilla, however, said that giving of awards is not the end of their efforts. “January is a good year. With a new budget, we can pour more funds for the construction and repair of school buildings,” he pointed out. (RONALD O.REYES)

DPWH info officer role’s strengthened

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To raise the standard of public service, nurture and nourish the culture of professionalism, integrity and competence, DPWH – Region VIII through the Regional Data Management Office headed by Antonieta R. Lim, public information officer II, conducted the echo conference for PIO designates on communication and advocacy planning workshop.

Resource speakers came from the Stakeholder Relations Service — Randy del Rosario, information officer IV and Andro Santiago, community affairs officer IV together with Jerry Esplanada of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.The DPWH regional office saw an urgent need to renew and revitalize the information and public relations arms, in the regional and district level, modernize its information and communication systems and equipment and more importantly update and hone the knowledge and skills of the PIOs on the latest information and communication methods, techniques and trends.

Communication Management as discussed by Randy del Rosario, OIC-chief public information division, presented the evolvement of PIOs role from simply transmitting information in an objective and neutral fashion to its intended audience to helping define objectives and philosophies while helping the organization adapt to the demands of its constituents and environment.

Another additional role PIOs have to undertake is manning the Citizens’ Feedback Management Center (CFMC) through the establishment of Public Assistance/Complaints Desk pursuant to RA 9485 (Anti-Red Tape Act of 2007) which was extensively shown to the group for information and reports for reference. Esplanada offered exercises and workshop on newswriting and writing tips. The 2-day advocacy planning workshop enhanced the communication skills and knowledge of the Public Information Officers in carrying out their tasks of communicating the department’s programs, projects and achievements to the public. (MA. NENITA Y. GOMEZ, PIO-designate)

New York-based humanitarian groups conducted medical mission

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TACLOBAN CITY- Over 1,000 survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda” from Borongan City and nearby towns benefited from a two-day medical mission conducted by New York-based groups of Filipino-Americans. The medical mission initiated by the Friends Indeed and Philippine Hearts and Hopes Association was held at the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital in Borongan where several medical equipment and medical supplies were donated by them after their medical mission held from February 2 to 3. The more than 1,000 beneficiaries from Borongan and nearby towns, which were also recently hit by typhoon “Ruby” last December, were four doctors from the humanitarian groups and by their local counterparts.

Miss Teen Philippines- USA 2014 Samantha Abaya-Campos, 17, whose parents are from Luzon but now based in New York, said that she was overwhelmed and touched by the resiliency of the people to return to their normal lives after the devastation they endured during the onslaught of Yolanda and later by Ruby.

The New York-based beauty queen attended the medical mission as part of her “prize” in winning the beauty title which is now on its 10th year. “I just tell them not to give up and never lose hope,” she said, referring to the typhoon survivors who availed of the medical mission, first ever conducted by the two humanitarian groups. Aside from providing medical services, the Friends Indeed and the Philippine Hearts and Hopes Association also gave foods, toys and used clothing to the beneficiaries.

They also went to Sulat town where they gave food packs and P300 cash to 40 families living in one of the remote villages of the town. The group was able to conduct their medical mission through the assistance of Board Member Karen Alvarez. Doctor Rebecca Rivera, head of the mission, said that they were just happy to conduct their mission in Eastern Samar. “It is always gratifying to help people (who have less in life),” she said.

The group’s president Lito Pena also said that it was their second visit to Eastern Samar after it was severely hit by Yolanda. “It was almost perfect because of the (huge) turn out of the people. Last year, when we were here, we were crying. But more than a year, there is now a big difference; live goes on (for them),” Pena said. (JOEY A. GABIETA)

Breach of rules

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cartoon

Forty-four members of the Philippine National Police – Special Action Force perished in an eleven-hour cross fire with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. As expected, top honchos of the PNP much less officials in Malacañang Palace denied having anything to do with the police entry into what is reported as camp of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. Wash hands is how this gesture of the bigwigs can aptly be called, but the people who could simply surmise what must have actually happened cannot help but pass the blame on those in the higher echelon of the PNP.

Too many theories surmounted, too many angles of these stories to consider, but none as yet could prove the real happening. The eyewitness account is so far the best evidence to attest the veracity of these assertions. Circumstancial evidences can buttress these accounts to make them even more convincing and infallible. Definitely, the truth will come out, unless supressed by an invincible force or influence.

Was there really a breach of rules that resulted in the long battle? Was there a breach of protocol alleging a lack of coordination or treachery in either side? Was there a breach of the unwritten agreement to reapect each other’s territory and that any surprise attack will be dealth with no mercy? Whatever the answer is one thing is definite – breach of peace.

Maguindanao is still reverberating the popularity as site of a massacre that wasted the lives and dreams of 59 innocent souls, largely newsmen. The gory and strongly detedtable killing that happenef in Shariff Aguak this province in November 2009 remains fresh in people’s mind. Now this incident in Masasapano town, this province, that shocked humanity anew. The PNP-SAF men, almost a battallion, were pushed into what analysts call a killing zone – right in the crossfire between the MILF and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters. The victims ended like sacrificial.lambs just to push some kind of cause that hopefullynis now laced with ulterior motives.

Their death should not be laid to waste. All those who erred should have their heads axed and roll, not physically though. The truth must come out and those responsible for this unimaginable bloody incident should be made to answer for their follies.

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