TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Coconut Authority (PCA) will provide additional 500 chainsaws to storm-ravaged areas in the region as the agency expands coconut farm clearing to Samar provinces.
PCA Administrator Euclides Forbes said that 825 chainsaws have already been used. About half of the chainsaws are being operated by workers hired by PCA and the remaining half were turned over to various groups, to facilitate recovery efforts.
“We will buy more chainsaws by next month to replicate in Samar towns what we have done in the Leyte area. Our mandate is to start full rehabilitation in June, but we have started as early as February,” Forbes said.
The project has already hired 400 workers. Most of them are coconut farmers whose income significantly dropped after supertyphoon Yolanda totally damaged coconut trees.
The use of new chainsaws will be directly supervised by PCA with each worker earning P70 from sheared or uprooted coconut tree removed.
Massive clearing activities have been ongoing in Tacloban City and the towns of Palo, Tanauan, and Tolosa in Leyte.
As of last week 208,000 trees have already been removed from farms and converted into a lumber for rebuilding of destroyed houses.
The PCA reported that 33.82 million coconut trees in Eastern Visayas were affected by the storm last year. Of the total, 15.04 million were categorized as totally damaged, 9.06 million severely damaged, 4.98 million, slightly damaged, and 4.84 million moderately damaged.
Early phases of clearing activities are only confined in accessible coconut lands with grounds most suitable alternative to farming activities.
Department of Agriculture Regional Executive Director Bernadette San Juan said 88 hectares of farms in Leyte will be the pilot area for intercropping and livestock raising.
“Since these 88 hectares of coconut farms already cleared from debris, it is now prepared for intercropping and livestock production. Farmers need an income while waiting to fully restore their income to pre-Yolanda months, which will take about seven years after replanting,” San Juan said. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

ORMOC CITY- Subscribers of the Ormoc Telephone Company, Inc. (Ortelco) could enjoy a better and faster service.
This was assured by the company’s assistant manager, Inday Flores who said that right after the city sustained damages due to supertyphoon Yolanda, they immediately conducted their restoration operations and added more upgrading to serve better their clients.
Flores said that companies which sustained 80% damages during the typhoon got the chance of upgrading their services by incorporating the internet from its previous telephone services using fiber optic cable.
Currently, it has restored around 37% of its 2,283 subscribers in the city. Flores said that telephone connections in the city to include government offices and villages located at Camp Downes, Can-adieng going to Bantigues are now fully functional.
The Ortelco poured in considerable amount on the rehabilitation of their lines and connections after the typhoon, adding that some of their materials were even stolen.
Eighty percent of village lines are now using copper cable wires to ensure durability and clearer communication services, Flores said.
While restoration works continue, the telephone company accepts new applicants offering free installation cost with 75-meter service drop wire from the terminal box and another 25-meter inside jacketed wiring for free.
Only the telephone unit is to be paid by the new subscribers.
The Ortelco has been in operations in Ormoc City since 1952.
It adopted digital after sustaining damages in 1991 flashflood and now went into fiber optic cable and incorporating the internet following Yolanda. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

TACLOBAN CITY- The mangrove rehabilitation project being initiated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is now in full swing, beginning in this city.
This was revealed by Leonardo Sibbaluca, executive director of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-8).
The mangrove rehabilitation program of the DENR in the city is located in Barangay Anibong covering an area of 1.67 hectares. The rehabilitation started last April 26, 2014.
It was learned from Sibbaluca that the DENR has allocated P1 billion for this project which is to be implemented in all areas hit by Yolanda.
This is on top of the P6.2 billion allotted for the implementation of the National Greening Program nationwide this year, which also includes the rehabilitation of denuded mangrove and beach forests.
Sibbaluca said that the DENR, under the leadership of Secretary Ramon Paje, is now implementing a massive rehabilitation of the mangroves which were badly affected during the onslaught of Yolanda last November 8, 2013.
He said that the present mangrove rehabilitation project which uses more scientific techniques in mangrove and beach forest development to enhance the region’s defense against calamities will restore the mangrove stand in the affected regions in the country which includes Eastern Visayas together with affected areas in Region 6, 7 and 4B.
Sibbaluca pointed out that it has been observed and proven that the mangroves serves as buffer zones and protection in the super typhoon-affected regions as communities with mangrove and beach forest covers were protected from the adverse impact of the storm surges compared to those hardly hit areas which have bare coastlines.
He told reporters that for Eastern Visayas, his office has already conducted on the four major mangrove rehabilitation project components which are the site assessment and selection, nursery establishment, community and partnership engagement, and planting and out planting activities. (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

JAVIER, Leyte- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) through its chairman Richard Gordon pledged to donate houses and shelter kits for those who either lost their homes or sustained damages due to supertyphoon Yolanda.
Gordon, who was in this town last April 29 for the turn-over of 1,000 chairs to the Javier National High School, said that 1,000 houses would be constructed by the PRC in this town.
About 1,500 shelter kits consisting of corrugated sheets and plywoods would be donated to families who sustained damages of their houses due to Yolanda, Gordon said.
The PRC is to donate a total of 150,000 houses to all areas hit by Yolanda divided into 50,000 core housing worth P120,000 and a total of P100,000 is to be given as shelter support to those whose houses were partially destroyed.
Gordon said that with the calamities that struck our country, 5 million homes were affected and 15% or 150,000 of them are being addressed by the PRC.
Gordon said that while they are projecting that the housing project would last in three years, they would do what they can to hasten it to help victims rebuild their lives.
For his part, Javier Mayor Leonardo “Sandy” Javier was glad with the pledged donation made by the PRC saying that this would help address the shelter problem their town encountered as a result of the onslaught of Yolanda. (LIZBETH ANN ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY- Fishermen from Barangay 70 of this city were the biggest winners of the Banca Race 2014 held last April 27 organized by Help Direct Initiative(HDI) and Universal Sports Promotions in collaboration with the city government of Tacloban thru its Fishery Law Enforcement Team, led by Noel Ligtas.
“This is a victory for the fisher folks of Tacloban City. Together with our dedicated team, we are proud to be given the opportunity of producing and organizing this important event with the end view to destress survivors of the typhoon. They joined, they paddled and they smiled” Jane Salomon, founder of the HDI.
HDI is a social enterprise and public relations firm that aims to provide an alternative, effective platform to implement initiatives and directly advocate social change and provide solutions, through economic and social initiatives, and environment and cultural interventions, consistent with community benefit and public interest.
Jeffrey Amarilla and Francis Esperas garnered the top prize of P 10,000 and other consolation prizes. Brothers Nikki Comendador and Rey Comendador came in second with P7,000 prize and cousins Lawrence Amarilla and Limar Amarilla came in third with P5,000.
All are residents of Barangay 70, a coastal village in Anibong Area where ships washed inland during the supertyphoon Yolanda.
“We are so happy to win this banca race. Prayers, teamwork and focus helped us a lot. Actually, we were so exhausted already after the 500 meters and on the way back but we were so motivated to get the 10,000 pesos prize, which is a big amount of money to us already” Amarilla and Esperas said.
Wearing bright yellow t-shirt uniform, the top 3 winners bet the fisher folks wearing red shirts from Brgy 88, the other contingents who were able to join the semi finals.
Contestants from Brgy 71 wearing white t-shirts gave a good fight too, while Brgy. 66-A came with their orange team. Not to be outshined were the green team from Brgy. 68 and light blue team from Brgy. 67.
Six women from Brgys. 70 and 67 surprised the crowd as they competed against the muscled men.
Residents from nearby barangays cheered in front of their houses along the shores, while guests led by Councilor Vangie Esperas, Federico Anido who represented Mayor Alfred Romualdez, Engr. Danilo Morano from MARINA, P01 Alexander Rabuyo from Philippine Coast Guard, George and Tila Vacal from Vino De Coco, Hannie Avila of ABS-CBN, members of the JICA project team in Samar and Leyte and other foreigners and members of International Humanitarian Organizations, watched in amusement.
The competition, joined by 138 fishermen, was the first of its kind since Tacloban was pummeled by supertyphoon Yolanda.
Jollibee mascot also graced the event and danced to the delight of the excited crowd.
“This is just the beginning. We are happy with the result and together with our sponsors supporters and followers, we are positive and looking forward to Banca Race 2015”, Salomon concluded. (PR)