TACLOBAN CITY- Mayor Cristina G. Romualdez bid farewell to her former colleagues of the 12th Sangguniang Panlungsod to take another role as the Chief Executive of Tacloban City during the inaugural session held July 13, 2016 at the session hall of the Legislative Building. Mayor Romualdez, the second lady mayor of Tacloban, told the council that during their 12th Sangguniang sessions, she had fond memories for the last three terms that they were together. With her now sitting as city mayor, as she faces another challenges, she asked them to support her for the interest and benefits of the Taclobanons. Mayor Romualdez asked the council to help her to help her advance all her programs and projects particularly on the aspect of Tacloban recovering fully after it was devastated by supertyphoon “Yolanda” on November 8, 2013.
After her short talk with the council, Mayor Romualdez was bestowed with a certificate of recognition from the Sangguniang members led by Vice Mayor Jerry Yaokasin for her outstanding commitment and tireless support to the city. When she was a council member, Mayor Romualdez served as the chairperson of the committees on finance and appropriation and tourism and cultural affairs. She was also credited for the passing of relevant ordinances and resolutions for the general welfare of the people she served. The current composition of the 13th Sanguniang Panlungsod as headed by Vice Mayor Yaokasin are Councilors Jerry Uy, Edward Frederick Chua, Edwin Chua, Willy Domingo, Eden Pineda, Evangeline Esperas, Rachelle Pineda, Jose Marie Bagulaya, Aimee Grafil, Raissa Villasin and Elvie Casal.(GAY GASPAY)
Mayor Cristina bids farewell former SP colleagues
PhilHealth extends free coverage policy for all ‘Yolanda’ survivors
TACLOBAN CITY – The Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) has extended the “all can avail policy” until December 31, 2016 for survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the region. The national government recently approved the extension noting that many disaster victims are still reeling from the impacts of the 2013 typhoon that caused much destruction across the region. “This means that all PhilHealth members and even non-members who are residents of Region 8 can avail of the health insurance benefits,” Walter Bacareza, Philhealth vice president for Eastern Visayas, said. Under the policy, the state-run health insurance firm applies exemption from the 45-day benefit limit and single period confinement, submission of claims within 120 days upon discharge (by the facility to PhilHealth), and extension of the accreditation validity or submission of application of healthcare providers. To avail of the benefits, all patients have to fill out a PhilHealth Member Registration Form (PMRF) and submit it to the hospital before discharge. The PhilHealth benefits will be deducted from the total hospital bill. In 2015, benefits payments of PhilHealth Eastern Visayas have reached P4.39 billion, representing a 48.7 percent increase compared to previous year. About 85 percent of patients in the region have availed the benefits from their office last year with most of them Yolanda survivors. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)
Leyte board members to resume “sesyon sa bayan”
TACLOBAN CITY -Members of the provincial board of Leyte will soon resume their “Sesyon sa Bayan”, an innovation of the provincial board to help residents of different towns in the province familiarize with their duties as local legislators. Sesyon sa Bayan was first implemented during the term of former Vice Governor Mimiette Bagulaya and was continued by her predecessor, current Vice Governor Carlo Loreto.
However, after the province was pummeled by supertyphoon “Yolanda” in November 8, 2013, it was temporarily suspended to give way to rehabilitation efforts. Sesyon sa Bayan is an activity of the provincial board conducted once a month where they visit a locality to check and talk with people on what their problems while they are doing their regular session.
“We are talking about it at the provincial board. However, the budget of the Sanggunian is still the same budget that we use to operate in 2004,” Loreto said. “That is why we have agreed that each member of the board will contribute by using our personal money to conduct Sesyon sa Bayan,” he added. The vice governor said that going to the towns is a good move as they will personally see and assess the actual condition and situation of the people and would not rely on information that they could get from the fields. “You can feel what they feel and see what they see in their towns while the people, for their part, will know that government exists and ready to listen to their plights,” he added. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
EV local products now in display at OTOP showcase in Makati City
TACLOBAN CITY – Food, gifts, fashion, furniture and housewares are among the region’s local treasures that are now on display at the DTI-One Town, One Product (OTOP) Makati Showroom. The Leyte Treats of Ethnic Foods & Crafts Association (LeyTEFCA) spearheads the product presentation which is to end on July 29.
On display are the region’s local delicacies, sweet treats, seafood products, handicrafts, native fashion, housewares, furnishing and other accessories all proudly made by local and small entrepreneurs from the different provinces. LeyTEFCA had a successful showcase at the Eastern Visayas Bahandi Trade Fair at the SM Mega Trade Mall last year featuring Leyte’s local delicacies, sweet treats and native crafts. This was immediately followed by a showcase at the Makati Showroom.
Among those featured at the Makati Showroom are food arrays such as pastillas de leche, pili pastillas, pili nuts, bukarillo, cornstarch & cinnamon cookies all from Carigara; roscas & butter cookies from Barugo, Leyte; banana, camote, carlang chips from Tanauan, Leyte and Sta Rita, Samar; calamansi concentrate from Guiuan, Eastern Samar; rosquillos, hopia de pili, curioso from Tacloban City & Calbiga, Samar; Sukang Waray coco sap vinegar from Tacloban City; bangus sardines from Jaro, Leyte; tamban sardines from Matalom, Leyte; tahong crackers & bottled adobong tahong from Jiabong, Samar; pili crunch, piniato from Allen, Northern Samar; vacuum fried jackfruit from Baybay City; mango jam and crispy lechon from Tacloban City; “tuba”, the local red wine from Palo, Leyte; the famed moron from Abuyog, Leyte and binagol from Dagami, Leyte; and wild honey from Maasin, Southern Leyte.
Other products are crafts and souvenirs items such as key chains, ref magnets from Palo, Leyte and Tacloban City; scented candles from Palo; home decors like mats, bags, place mats, made of tikog from Basey, Samar; bags and other items made from pandan leaves from Baybay City; coco shell products from Bato, Leyte and nito products from Biliran and Southern Leyte provinces. Pouches and wallets made of recycled material woven by women inmates of the Tacloban City Jail are also on display. Sarah Misagal, one of the prime movers for the LeyTEFCA, said they are happy to have been able to launch another Bahandi showcase this year, in order to help small and medium scale entrepreneurs in the region. She added that SME organizations in the region have been trying to bounce back and regain their livelihood after the previous years’ calamities and they have been giving their best in making great progress in recovering their livelihood. Last year, the Leyte traders alone earned a total of P1.2 million in cash and booked sales at the OTOP-Makati showcase.
(AHLETTE C. REYES)
Sec. Piñol: Poverty incidence in Samar provinces to decrease by 25% in two years
CATBALOGAN CITY-The government is targeting to lessen poverty incidence in Samar Island by at least 25% in two years. This was the bold pronouncement of Agriculture Secretary Emmanuel Piñol who was in this city on Wednesday (July 13) to meet with regional officials and representatives of various organizations in the agriculture and fishery sectors. Addressing the problem on poverty that remains prevalent in the three Samar provinces will be among the top priorities of the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte, Piñol said. The Agriculture Secretary is the first Cabinet member of the Duterte administration to visit Eastern Visayas.
Samar Island, comprising the provinces of Samar, Eastern Samar and Northern Samar, are among the 10 poorest provinces in the country based on the 2015 survey conducted by the Philippine Statistics Authority. Eastern Samar is the second poorest province in the country with 55.4% poverty incidence while and Northern Samar and Samar provinces have both with 43.5% poverty incidence.
All three provinces are depending on farming and fishing as their main source of livelihood. “What we will do now is to have a quick response to the problem which our people could feel within six months to one year,” Piñol said. The government intervention to the needs of Samar provinces will be handled by the Project Management Team headed by the technical staff from the Department of Agriculture (DA) with members from respective local government units to identify the problems, interventions and even the recipients of the program. “We need to identify the beneficiaries and pinpoint their exact location. In fact, if we need to database them. We will do it because we would like to make sure that the assistance that the government will provide goes to the right recipients,” Piñol stressed. “This is an immediate assistance that we need to finish within two years. The mandate given to me by our President is to focus on food production and poverty alleviation. What we are looking at now is how much food Samar can contribute to the country. My commitment is things will change for the people of Samar,” the agriculture Secretary added.
For the next two years, DA will focus on increasing on rice, corn and livestock productions, intercropping on coconut plantation, tree farming program that will give additional income to families tending farms and irrigation. “We are very eager and feel lucky that the national government is now focusing in Samar. Most likely, people will feel the improvement. I hope and I am positive that we can achieve that goal of reducing 25% of our poverty incidence,” Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan. “I hope that the people in the grassroots will cooperate in the programs of President Duterte. But I am positive that we here in Samar province will help to achieve this goal,” Tan added. Among the requests that the provincial government of Samar had forwarded to Sec. Piñol includes assistance for rice production that includes irrigation, seed distribution and reduction of equity of farmers.
Aside from Gov. Tan, present were Governors Jose Ong of Northern Samar and Leopoldo Dominico Petilla of Leyte. Also present were Representatives Edwin Ong (2nd dist., Northern Samar), Vicente Veloso (Leyte, 3rd distr.), Biliran Rep. Rogelio Espina and Victoria Isabel Noel of the An Waray party-list group. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
10 drug personalities dead in EV
TACLOBAN CITY – The crackdown against illegal drugs has already killed 10 drug personalities in the region in the past two weeks, the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported on Thursday (July 14). PNP acting regional director Chief Supt. Elmer Beltejar said four of these drug personalities were killed in a shootout while six others were gunned down by unidentified suspects. “Although those who were killed are all confirmed drug personalities based on our records, we have to ask our provincial and city directors to investigate the killing done by unidentified gunmen,” Beltejar said. Of the 10 drug pushers and users slain from July 1 to July 13, four were from Ormoc City, three from Samar province, and one each from Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, and Southern Leyte. Some of those killed were either members of the police or the Army.
Among them were Ariel Pitong Unay, an ex-Army who resisted arrest in Catarman, Northern Samar and Antonio Dador, a former police, who engaged in a shootout with former colleagues in Sogod, Southern Leyte. As of July 13, the Eastern Visayas police has already arrested 68 known drug pushers and users – 17 in Leyte; Southern Leyte, 9; Biliran, 5; Samar, 13; Eastern Samar, 4; Northern Samar, 2; Ormoc City, 4; and Tacloban City, 14. In the region more than 7,000 drug pushers and users have surrendered before the authorities, Beltejar said. “We have been calling drug personalities to surrender. If they won’t, we will subject them to police operations,” he added.
The PNP regional office is currently updating the list of high value targets in the region including former police officers, ex-Army and incumbent local government officials.
Initially, the police have identified 3,080 drug personalities in the region for coverage of Operation Tokhang (toktok-hangyo). Tokhang is a combination of Visayan word which means to approach and persuade. Under the said operation, police knocked on doors of known drug traders and dependents, asking them to stop the illicit practice.
(SARWELL Q.MENIANO)