TACLOBAN CITY- New Zealand Ambassador to the Philippines David Strachan turned-over on Wednesday (December 14) of a warehouse intended for the storage of relief goods funded by his government.
The P12 million worth facility, located along Magsaysay Boulevard, is part of the commitment of the New Zealand government to help the recovery effort of the country in the aftermath of super typhoon “Yolanda” that hit the region on November 8, 2013.
Strachan said that the three-storey facility would help the Philippine Red Cross(PRC), the recipient of the warehouse, to hasten in the delivery of relief goods in case a disaster strikes the region, considered one of the areas in the country prone to natural disasters like typhoon.
“This will strengthen the capacity of the Philippine Red Cross to provide fast of relief response (during a calamity),” the ambassador said in an interview after he led in inauguration of the facility which will also serve as a training center on disaster response by the PRC.
Strachan said that his government is “committed” to help the Philippines and other Asean countries “mitigate and adapt to climate change.”
“Our support to the Philippine Red Cross is an example of our commitment to disaster risk management and humanitarian relief in the Philippines,” he added.
The New Zealand government was among the countries to immediately respond after Tacloban, ground zero of the world’s strongest typhoon to hit inland.
It provided more than $5 million for relief operations with a Royal New Zealand Force C-130 loaded food and medical supplies to the city and also helped transport survivors to Manila.
Oscar Palabyab, secretary general of the PRC, said that they are happy that the New Zealand government extended assistance in building the warehouse.
He narrated that day after Tacloban was struck by Yolanda, their eight 10-wheeler trucks from Bicol were positioned outside the city due to lack of facility to store the relief goods.
But with the operation of their regional warehouse, they have now an area where they could preposition the relief items and could be easily delivered to an area hit by a disaster, Palabyab said.
Asked if his government will continue to provide assistance to the country despite of the human rights issues affecting the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, Strachan said that both countries are “good neighbors” which provide assistance in case of a disaster.
He recalled that when his country was struck with a deadly earthquake in 2010, the Philippines was one of the countries that sent a rescue team.
There are more than 60,000 Filipinos who lives in New Zealand.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- To better serve the Taclobanons, the city government under the administration of Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez held a grand barangayan dubbed as the “Caring, Giving & Reaching Out Program” recently at the Tacloban Convention Center(astrodome).
Thousands of Taclobanons availed the various services offered by the city government during the said activity.
“Its (providing) services closer to our constituents,” said Mayor Romualdez on the importance of the grand barangayan, a one stop shop service where clients can access in a days’ time.
Services offered include medical and dental like tooth extraction, blood pressure check-up, weighing (Operation Timbang) and nutritional feeding for problem in the city.
Livelihood training registration, utilizing CLEP (Cristina Learn and Earn Program) free haircut from the graduates was extended during the barangayan.
Personal documents like live birth certificates were also provided during the barangayan.
Seed distribution and technical assistance were also provided to farmers, while senior citizens were briefed of the Expanded Senior Citizen Act of 2010 (RA 9994).
Reading materials for children were also provided during the barangayan.
The City Population Office also conducted services like family planning counseling and Lipad advocacy.
Protective services were made by the Tacloban City Police Office and counseling for the transformation project were likewise extended during the barangayan.
Meanwhile, anti-rabies vaccination, deworming, dispensing of vitamins (for dogs & livestock animal) and dog impounding for astray animals were also available during the barangayan.
The City Cooperative Office, meantime, shared their expertise through information advocacy backing up small groups to indulge in cooperativism.
Employment opportunities were opened and enhancement of the skills regulatory system.
Taking good care of the city’s environment through solid waste management was also lectured during the barangayan as the City Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council gave tips on what to do and prepare during a disaster situation.
Legal assistance was likewise offered for free.
The barangayan started during the term of then Mayor Alfredo “Bejo” Romualdez and continued during the administration of Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
The program was retained by Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez.
(GAY GASPAY, TISAT)

GOVERNMENT CENTER, PALO, Leyte- The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Regional Office 8 OIC Director Edgar B. Tabacon clarifies issues and concerns of Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC) with the Community of Yolanda Survivors and Partners (CYSP).
OIC Director Tabacon asked Pascualito Ilagan, EVSU professor and Community of Yolanda Survivors & Partners (CYSP) spokesperson in a dialogue on Monday (December 12) within the premise of DPWH Multi-Purpose Hall to address the issues and concerns with affected “Yolanda” survivors who initiated the march-caravan and protested in front of the agency.
The dialogue was presided with OIC Director Tabacon.
Also present were Atty. Eulogio Laboga, DPWH legal consultant; CYSP spokesperson Ilagan; Danilo Carranza, CEC policy and advocacy lead person; DPWH Tide Embankment Working Group and 188 participants composed of Yolanda survivors, Urban Poor Association (UPA) members and Bakhawan Groups.
During the dialogue, among the concerns addressed were: no consultations done by the DPWH; massive transfer to relocation site is caused by the construction of tide embankment; the project is a loan from JICA; inland flooding were not answered; mangrove planting instead of tide embankment and DPWH are now constructing tide embankment alongside Tacloban areas.
OIC Director Tabacon reiterated that DPWH has not started yet the construction of tide embankment as he assured them that structures being constructed are not tide embankment.
The massive transfer of affected families to resettlement areas is due to the urgent instruction of President Duterte to answer the request of Yolanda survivors of their housing needs.
DPWH assisted the transfer of these victims to the relocation as well as the assistance to transfer of water tanks in response to the water shortage in these areas.
Tabacon further said that the project is not a loan from Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) but the national government through the General Appropriation Act (GAA) funds the project.
Moreover, he said that construction of tide embankment along Cataisan and Magallanes will not push through anymore because of the reclamation project from the city of Tacloban. The families along these areas need not to worry.
Director Tabacon clarified that tide embankment is designed with the installation of flood river gate or flap gate and/or extra size culverts as the case may be to facilitate easy flow of flood waters or run-off.
These side canals and relief pipes with flap gates are carefully designed to effectively drain flood waters.
The four-meter high structure is designed to shield coastal communities from storm surges similar to that of Yolanda. (rbtc/arl/DPWH-8/PR)

ORMOC CITY- Five passengers on board a van-for-hire were killed after it collided with another passenger van in Villaba town, Leyte about 3 pm on Wednesday (December 14).
The vehicular accident took place along a national highway located in Barangay A. Tumamak of said town.
Police reports said that the two vehicles were coming from opposite directions, one was bound for Palompon from Tacloban City while the other vehicle was en route to Ormoc City.
The two vehicles were owned by Ephraim Requitillo Jr.
Themistocles Hortellano Jr., the driver of the van heading to Ormoc (Gee Rhaim), said the other van(ER Jr. van) was cruising fast which caused it to skid because the road was wet due to the heavy rain.
He said he already saw the van, zigzagging prompting him to stop but his van was still hit which led the van to head towards a nearby slope.
Four of the passengers, including the other driver identified as Boy Salvador, who were brought to the Villaba District Hospital in Villaba town were declared dead on arrival.
They were identified as Lenny Moe, Russel Alih, an American with Indian origin, a certain Umpad and Orlando Raagas, 43, a makeup artist.
One of the five passengers brought to the Ormoc District Hospital died while being treated.
It was learned that the owner of the vehicles provided assistance to the families of the fatalities as well as those who sustained injuries.
(ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A jobless man from this city was arrested in a buy-bust operation and discovered to be in possession of methamphetamine (shabu) valued at P30,000.
Arrested by the city operatives, led by Chief Inspector Steve Castillote III during a buy-bust operation on Wednesday (December 14) was Elias Perpiñan.
Perpiñan, 53, was arrested during the buy-bust at his residence at Barangay 95, Caibaan district, this city.
Recovered from the suspect were 18 pieces of sachets containing shabu valued at P30,000.
The poseur buyer bought from the suspect one piece heat-sealed transparent sachet containing suspected shabu.
The confiscated pieces of drug evidence were turned-over to the Regional Crime Laboratory Office (RCLO8) for qualitative and quantitative analysis while the other pieces of non-drug evidence were turned-over to TCPO Evidence Custodian.
The suspect is now under the custody of the Tacloban City Police Office Custodial Facility while cases for violation of Sections 5 & 11, Article 2 of RA 9165 are being prepared for filing before the City Prosecutor’s Office.
The operation was conducted in coordination with the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-8 under the supervision of S/Supt. Rolando Bade, acting city director of Tacloban City Police Office. (PR)