TACLOBAN CITY – The National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) pointed to massive post-Yolanda reconstruction activities as the major driver in the improvement of poverty rate of the region, based on the 2015 full year report of the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA).
The region’s poverty incidence among population improved to 38.7 percent in 2015 against the 45.2 percent in 2012.
Eastern Visayas is now ranked behind Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM) and Soccsksargen in the poor list.
Based on the PSA’s Family Income and Expenditure Survey, at least 126,190 persons in the region graduated from poverty between 2012 to 2015.
“From being the poorest in 2014, we are ranked 3rd in 2015. This is a very significant improvement considering the scope of the damage that we incurred during Yolanda,” said NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
Uy said that reconstruction activities after the 2013 supertyphoon have driven growth in the banking sector, tourism, and transportation services.
“The internal impetus coming from rehabilitation activities, as well as the revival of the business sector, induced economic growth in 2015,” he added.
NEDA noted an increase in cargo movement in both aviation and shipping industries, with the latter primarily fueled by the domestic demand for construction materials.
Land transport services and facilities resumed normal operations in 2015, hence, providing new job opportunities.
In 2015, banks had opened 14 new branches in the region, bringing the total number of banks in operation to 200.
“Multiplier effects of government spending for rehabilitation as well as increased savings and volume of remittances from international human organizations propelled the growth in deposit liabilities by 20.3 percent to P84.9 billion for the same period,” Uy explained.
Likewise tourist receipts rose by 31.8 percent to P9.3 billion as tourist arrivals registered 1.1 million, or equivalent to an addition of around 135,000 arrivals year-on-year. Hotel accommodations in major cities rose by 10 percent, with the highest increase in Tacloban City.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) is eyeing to open additional 20 to 30 “Negosyo Centers” this year in the region in its bid to ease of doing business and facilitate access to services for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs).
DTI Regional Director Cynthia Nierras said they will finalize within the month the location of new Negosyo Centers for this year.
“The target from the central office is 19 but we can do more than that. There are some mayors who signified their interest to open a Negosyo Center but it will depend on our budget since we have to support the operation of existing facilities,” Nierras said.
Since June 2015, the DTI led the opening of 20 centers in Leyte province; six in Samar; five in Eastern Samar; and four each in Biliran, Northern Samar, and Southern Leyte provinces.
The DTI launched the first Negosyo Center in the region in Carigara, Leyte on June 22, 2015. The latest is inside the campus of the Eastern Visayas State University (EVSU) in Tacloban City that opened on Oct. 28 of same year.
“This is not just a DTI project because a negosyo center has lifeline with different national government agencies. In real sense, it is bringing government services closer to MSMEs, especially in areas far from the regional center,” Nierras said.
Setting up of business centers is in compliance to Republic Act No. 10644 or the Go Negosyo Act. The law seeks to strengthen micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) to create more job opportunities in the country.
The centers are responsible for promoting “ease of doing business and facilitating access to services for MSMEs within its jurisdiction” such as business registration assistance, business advisory services, business information and advocacy, and monitoring and evaluation.
The MSME Development Council though the DTI is the coordinating and supervising body for all the agencies involved in the establishment and operation of the Negosyo Centers. It performs oversight functions and assigns personnel to fulfill the functions of the center.
As of end of 2016, there are already 447 business centers operating nationwide.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

TACLOBAN CITY – The Japanese government formally concluded it’s nearly $5 billion assistance for areas badly affected by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the region, over three years after the catastrophe occurred.
Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) headquarters’ sectional representative Atsutoshi Hirabayashi voiced optimism that all recovery projects will be sustained with all mechanisms in place by concerned government agencies and local government units.
“The presentations assure us that these projects will be sustainable through manpower capacity development, risk reduction management initiatives, and future development plans,” Hirabayashi said after the project closure meeting on Wednesday (Jan.18) at the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) regional office here.
After the post-Yolanda emergency assistance for victims, the Japanese aid agency identified 15 quick impact projects for recovery and rehabilitation.
Among these projects are oyster racks and marine bio-toxin equipment in Leyte; submersible fish cages for Guiuan, Easter Samar; multi-purpose livelihood building in Leyte; two-storey “piloti” type processing plant in Leyte; and classroom rehabilitation in several areas hit by Yolanda.
“JICA was instrumental in providing technical assistance to our LGUs and regional agencies in preparing more resilient plans and projects,” said NEDA Eastern Visayas Regional Director Bonifacio Uy.
The official noted that “having experienced a similar situation back in 2011 when Japan was struck by a tsunami, JICA worked together with Department of Public Works and Highways in the conceptual planning of the road heightening and tide embankment project.”
The 27.3-kilometer tide embankment project stretches from Barangay Diit in Tacloban City to Brgy. Cabuynan in Tanauan town, Leyte.
The four-meter high structure was pushed through by the Aquino administration after the 2013 storm surges wipe out neighborhoods in Leyte.
NEDA also lauded JICA for extended assistance to Tacloban City and nearby towns of Palo and Tanauan in the updating and integration of disaster risk reduction plans in their comprehensive land use plans.
JICA is a key development partner of the Philippines since 1960s. The Japanese aid agency has also been providing the Philippines on disaster risk reduction through capacity building, as well as provision of infrastructure and equipment to mitigate disasters.
(SARWELL Q. MENIANO)

MANILA-The Philippines ushers in the New Year with programs to intensify its fight against child labor.
“Makiisa para sa 1 milyong batang Malaya” (One with the children to end child labour) today featured the launch of three major initiatives against child labor.
These initiatives include a first comprehensive project on child labor with set up of helpdesks, a new project on child labor in gold mining, and a new child labor module in the conditional cash transfer programme.
The National Child Labor Committee (NCLC), chaired by the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the Department of Education (DepEd), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the International Labour Organization (ILO) and BanToxics jointly launched the programs. The launch was held on 12 January 2017 in Quezon City.
According to the 2011 Survey on Children, there are 2.1 million Filipino children in child labor. Findings of the United States Department of Labor (USDOL) in 2015 revealed that the Philippines made significant advancement in efforts to eliminate the worst forms of child labor.
Despite progress, however, enforcement of child labor laws remains a challenge.
“Child labor is complex and deeply rooted in poverty. Children suffer and risk their health or even their lives to work for their family’s survival. Ending child labor requires strong commitment and collective effort,” said Khalid Hassan, Director of the ILO Country Office for the Philippines who also managed projects to address child labor in Africa and Asia.
The Strategic Helpdesks for Information, Education, Livelihood and other Developmental Interventions (SHIELD) is the first comprehensive project of DSWD on child labor.
It will strengthen efforts at the local level, which will include helpdesks and a local registry on child labor for referral and convergence of support services. SHIELD will focus on areas with high incidence of child labor as priority to create an impact and to make services more accessible to children and their families.
Interventions will be based on data from the Child Labor Local Registry.
The Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps), the conditional cash transfer programme of the DSWD will also launch and integrate a new module on child labor. The 4Ps has a reach of about 4 million households from the poorest of the poor, who are often forced to involve their children in work to augment the family income.
The 4Ps contributes to putting children in schools through its conditionality on education. Being in school, however, is not an assurance that children will not engage in child labor. The child labor module will be part of the Family Development Sessions to raise awareness on child labor and the role of the family to prevent or to end child labor, especially its worst forms. (PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- Operatives of this city arrested three men in separate buy-bust operations which resulted to the confiscation of nine sachets containing methamphetamine or shabu with a worth of more than P20,000.
Arrested during the 5 pm of January 17 operation was Rammy Cortano,28 at their village in Paseo de Legaspi, this city.
Seized from the jobless suspect were five pieces of sachets containing shabu and paraphernalias and two pieces P100 bills.
On January 18, Rammy Nelson Setosta,25 and Rico Cordova,39, were arrested at about 7:15 pm at their village of Barangay 12, GE Palanog.
Seized from the two suspects were shabu contained in four sachets and one P500 bill.
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 the Tacloban City Police Office (TCPO) evidence custodian.
The suspects are now under the custody of TCPO custodial facility while case for violation of Sections 5, 11 and 12, Article II of RA 9165 is 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 V. Bade, TCPO acting director. (PR)

ORMOC CITY- A ten-wheeler truck carrying around 20 sugarcane workers lost its brake and bumped to a coconut tree along a national road while on its way to a sugarcane farm in Barangay Cabulihan, this city.
The vehicle came from the nearby town of Kananga where the farm workers were picked up in the morning of January 14.
While traversing the national highway particularly at Brgy. Valencia, driver Antonio Pareja, 61, said he noticed the truck brake was not working.
He said he decided to direct out from the lane to head towards the grassy area to avoid colliding with other vehicles but noticed the steering wheel was also not functioning.
Pareja decided to just smash at a coconut tree putting the automobile to a halt.
About 13 passengers sustained minor bruises. They were brought to the hospital for further medical care after receiving first aid from the rescue unit which responded the accident.
Some of them complained of bone strain and shock.
One of the four passengers seated beside the driver got a wound at his head while the rest sustained minor injuries.
The vehicle was severely damaged that its anterior went heavily dented and various parts including drag link were detached.
The police cautioned Pareja to refrain from allowing passengers to sit at his left and for travelling at a higher speed.
The driver sustained minor bruise on his left hand. (ELVIE ROA)a