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81,000 hectares farm lands tagged as El Niño prone

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TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Agriculture (DA) tagged more than 81,000 hectares of rainfed rice farms in the region as highly vulnerable to impacts of El Niño phenomenon that is expected to occur in the last quarter of this year. Elvira Torres, DA’s regional technical director for research and regulation, said they are closely watching these areas for possible prolong dry season that will be prevalent starting October, citing state weather bureau.

“Our priority is rainfed rice areas highly vulnerable to negative impacts of dry season. We are also working on building the capabilities of local government units to implement mitigation measures,” Torres said.
Since 2013, the DA has been promoting drought resistant variety of crops such as adlai and soybeans, rice varieties that requires less water and application of affordable water storage technology. Of the 81,096 hectares of areas without irrigation supply, 18,699 are in Leyte, 1,158 hectares in Southern Leyte, 18,019 hectares in Samar, 15,235 hectares in Eastern Samar, and 27,984 hectares in Northern Samar.

Rainfed areas are farms that rely mainly on rainfall for irrigation water. This kind of farming exists because of the absence of canals that would bring water from rivers to farms. For highly vulnerable areas, the farm department promotes diversified farming, use of climate resilient rice seeds, and effective water management approach. Tagged as the top 10 towns with biggest non-irrigated areas are Las Navas in Northern Samar (4,402 hectares), Dolores in Eastern Samar (4,300 hectares), Laoang in Northern Samar (4,073 hectares), Basey in Samar (3,507 hectares), Palapag in Northern Samar (3,466 hectares). Also included are Catubig, Northern Samar (3,313 hectares), and Catarman in Northern Samar (2,884 hectares), Calbayog City in Samar (2,001 hectares), Bobon in Northern Samar (1,992 hectares), and Sta. Rita in Samar (1,964 hectares).

Since 2013, the DA has been promoting drought resistant variety of crops such as adlai and soybeans, rice varieties that requires less water and application of affordable water storage technology. The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) foresees the onset of El Niño in June 2014, which may peak during the last quarter of 2014 and may last up to the first quarter of 2015. “El Niño could affect the normal rainfall pattern in the country generally resulting in reduced rainfall. Different parts of the country may experience varying rainfall impacts,” the DOST said in its El Niño watch. The DOST advisory disclosed that the country could still experience normal number of tropical cyclone this year. However, El Niño causes the behavior of tropical cyclones to become erratic, affecting its tracks and intensity.

The phenomenon is expected to shift tropical cyclone tracks northward and its intensity could become stronger, the DOST warned. The El Niño is the weather phenomenon brought on by the unusual warming of ocean surface temperatures in the central and eastern equatorial Pacific.

By Sarwell Q. Meniano

12,000 families in Tanauan to receive their P10, 000 cash assistance from the DSWD

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TANAUAN, Leyte- Over 12,000 families from this town are to receive financial assistance worth P10,000 from the Department of Social Welfare and Development(DSWD). The distribution of the financial assistance, involving families whose houses were destroyed during the onslaught of Yolanda, started last October 3. About 12,000 families from 47 villages of said town stand to receive the cash assistance, Mayor Pelagio Tecson Jr. said. The P10,000 cash assistance is on top of the P20,000 worth of cash voucher that the municipal government and the DSWD distributed last month for the families living in seven coastal barangays of the town. For this cash assistance to Tanauan, one of the hard-hit towns in Leyte due to Yolanda, the national government allocated P120 million. Mayor Tecson stressed that the cash assistance should only be used to rebuild houses and should the owners repaired their houses, use the money to improve them. “If your house needs to be painted, buy and paint your house. If you don’t have a terrace then put a terrace. You’re not allowed to use it for other purposes aside from house renovation and improvement,” Tecson said. Personnel from the DWSD will visit every barangay and monitor all recipients if they used the cash assistance according to the purpose, the town mayor said. “The government had trusted us when we present this proposal to them. Therefore we should not disappoint them,” Tecson added,” Tecson said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)

“Hilots” to be trained as health workers in Samar town

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BASEY, Samar – In an effort to avert infant deaths in home-based delivery, the municipal government would convert “hilots” or traditional midwives into health workers. Delivery through the hilots remain to be practice in this town, particularly on its remote villages which put the lives of new born babies in danger, exposing them to airborne diseases, said Darlene Wong, nurse assigned at the Municipal Health Office(MHO). She said that the municipal government, under Mayor Igmedio Junji Ponferrada, does not believe in imposing penalties to the hilots. Instead, they should be provided with alternative livelihood like being recognized as health workers, Wong said.

“Unlike other municipalities which imposes penalties among traditional midwives which is not good. We also think of their way of living so we planned for an alternative livelihood instead,” Wong said. Based on their record, there were 37 reported delivery conducted by the hilots from January to July this year, representing 6.49% of the town’s total number of deliveries of the said given period. Wong, however, could not say as to how many hilots there are in their town. Wong said that giving birth through the traditional way would expose the safety of the newly-born babies. “The set up in our home is not safe unlike in a hospital where the instruments are clean and safe. Traditional midwives do not have enough scientific knowledge in giving births compared to skilled professionals,” she added.

Wong said that their office has been conducting counseling activities as part of their campaign to encourage expectant mothers of safe delivery. “Because of the help coming from non-government organizations, the conduct of our campaign has become successful. Though there are still stubborn mothers who reason out that there is no difference of delivery babies in hospital and in the home,” she said. The municipal health office said that they are committed in their goal for community health development, which includes decreasing mortality rate of new born babies, increasing maternal facility, and continuing the campaign against traditional birthing. (Jul V. Grabillo, LNU Intern)

PRC to build 5,000 houses in Tacloban, Gordon said

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TACLOBAN CITY-The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) is targeting to build 5,000 core shelters in this city as their help to the restoration Tacloban, ground zero of supertyphoon Yolanda that hit close to a year now.
“The design will be semi-concrete, carved-roofing with latrines that can withstand a 200 kilometer per hour winds,” said PRC Chairman Richard Gordon in an interview. The target date of completion for the planned housing project for Tacloban will depend on how fast the beneficiaries will finish their houses. According to Gordon, who was in the city last October 3, the beneficiaries themselves will build the house. The beneficiaries were selected through their job fair assistants and volunteer and whose houses were totally washed out during the onslaught of Yolanda.

“We have the basis of vulnerability like the widows who have children and no employment, they will be the priority,” Gordon added. The PRC official said that each unit of the house that they would construct cost P100,000 wherein six members of a family could occupy with a floor area of 26 square meters. The shelter projects of the PRC in Tacloban are located in nine barangays, mostly in the northern parts of the city. The construction of these houses are to start next month. (DONNA ABIGAIL L.BULA, LNU Intern)

DSWD spearheaded Pantawid Pamilya celebration

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TACLOBAN CITY- Laughter filled the crowded People’s Center as more than 5,500 participants mostly Pantawid Pamilya beneficiaries, wives, husbands, and children from all over the region, gathered to celebrate the Pantawid Pamilya National Family Day and Convergence Caravan last September 28, 2014. Present in the event were Department of Social Welfare and Development Assistant Secretary for Protective Programs Vilma Cabrera, Regional Director Nestor Ramos and other officials, program staff from Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program, (KC-NCDDP), (SLP) and Convergence Strategy Program.

The said event was intended to create awareness about the importance of the family as the basic unit of the society and to launch the music video of the Kaya Ko ang Pagbabago campaign of the department.
Featured during the celebration were the family of 2014 Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya, Jaime Concon (from Macarthur, Leyte), and the families of provincial awardees Nenita Basal (Catbalogan, Samar), Arlene Nartia (Naval, Biliran), Minda Ypulong (San Roque, Northern Samar), and Tita Berondo (San Juan, Southern Leyte); as well the 2014 exemplary children, namely, Ryan Christian Caudilla (Sta. Rita, Samar), Lyka Janina E. Brigole (Naval, Biliran), Jhon G. Ayop (Malitbog, Southern Leyte), Noel Justine Lapada (Borongan, Eastern Samar), Felixberto Miranda (Macarthur, Leyte), and Lailanie Masdo (San Vicente, Northern Samar) graced the event.

The partner beneficiaries carried with them colorful flaglets and balloons which they wave so often when responding to the hosts and the guests on stage, especially during the “Talakayang Pantawid Pamilya”.
“Kaya ko ang pagbabago dahil mahal ko ang aking Pamilya at nakikiisa kami sa gawain at mithiin ng ating pamahalaan, ng DSWD, at ng Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program,” expressed by Jaime Concon, Regional Huwarang Pantawid Pamilya winner.

Ryan Christian Caudilla, 2014 exemplary child, said that he strongly believes that education will help him and his family improves their lives. “I love my parents and siblings. I will do my best to finish my studies to give my family a better future,” he said.” Stakeholders also joined the celebration to show their support to the program. Among them were Department of Health Regional Director Dr. Jose Llacuna Jr., Department of Education chief of Technical Assistance Division, Cesar Verunque, representatives from the Philippine Health Insurance Corp.; Department of the Interior and Local Government; Department of Trade and Industry; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority), among others. (VICKY ARNAIZ)

McDonalds now back in Tacloban

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MACDONALD

TACLOBAN CITY- Finally, after almost a year, McDonalds is back in Tacloban!

Beginning on October 16, hard-core loyalists and even just ordinary customers can once again enjoy the various meals and even new menus offered by McDonalds Tacloban. The building of McDonalds Tacloban was damaged due to the storm surges generated by supertyphoon Yolanda on November 8,2013. This resulted a damage loss of P40 million. But despite of this, Caroline Andrade of the McCarol Ventures which is the franchisee of the one of the world’s well-loved and popular food chains, still chose to reopen McDonalds here in the city. “I have even heard that McDonalds will no longer open in Tacloban. But it’s not true of course. There is no reason why we will not open again. I am pretty confident we still have the market,” Andrade said. McDonalds Tacloban started its operations in the city on 2002.

She said that it took a while before they could start the repair of their building, located just at the back of the Tacloban port, due to difficulty in transporting materials and supplies. Repair of the McDonalds Tacloban begun last July. Andrade is proud to say that the current design of the building of McDonald Tacloban makes it as one of the best right now in the city. During the reopening, popular television and movie heartthrobs Xian Lim and Matteo Guidicelli will entertain the expected thousands customers for a possible “selfie” shots and autograph signing. And on serious note, no less than the chief operating officer of McDonalds Kenneth Yang and vice president for operation Melon Salazar will lead for the turn over of the “Bahay Bulilit,” a project of the McDonalds as part of it corporate social responsibility to the management of the San Jose Central School.

The “Bahay Bulilit” is actually a classroom intended for those enrolled at the day care center Andrade said that “libreng sakay” or free ride will be offered to their customers coming from outside the city proper on the night of the opening to ensure that they could still go home safe. McDonalds will be opened at 7 a.m. up to midnight. It’s close to 100 crew and staff will be ready to welcome their customers back after an absence of almost a year of McDonalds in Tacloban. More than half of the current crew and staff worked at the McDonalds, pre-Yolanda, Andrade said. (JAG)

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