TACLOBAN CITY – Nutrition stakeholders launched on July 1 the Nutrition Month 2014 urging everyone to become “nutritionally prepared” for disasters. National Nutrition Council (NNC) regional nutrition program coordinator Catalino Dotollo encouraged local government units and non-government organizations to initiate activities that would raise the capability of communities to prepare for calamities through best nutrition practices.

“Nutrition Month 2014 aims to promote interventions to address nutritional needs in emergencies and disasters including preparedness, response and recovery. This could be achieved through the creation of local nutrition clusters,” Dotollo said during the opening of Nutrition Month celebration at the Balyuan open grounds.
This 40th Nutrition Month, anchored on the theme: “Kalamidad Paghandaan: Gutom at Malnutrisyon Agapan!,” aims to mobilize responders, particularly the local nutrition clusters and stakeholders to address gaps in nutrition in emergencies response from national to barangay levels.

The celebration seeks to increase awareness among families and individuals on coping and resiliency strategies to prevent malnutrition and worsening of nutritional status in times of emergencies and disasters.

This year’s theme stresses the importance of increased awareness and higher level of preparedness which can be achieved through the prevention of hunger and worsening of malnutrition during calamities.

During the opening, Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla renewed the provincial government’s commitment to reduce malnutrition. “From 11 towns included in the top nutritionally-depressed areas in the country in 2012, the number was reduced to four municipalities last year. This is an indication that everyone is working on the preventive side,” Petilla said.

However, these gains will only be sustained if local nutrition committees are more prepared to respond to nutritional needs during crisis. Briony Stevens, nutrition coordinator of the United Nations Children’s Fund (Unicef) emphasized the need for families to store three days of food supply before a disaster, to satisfy food requirement of families while waiting for emergency food assistance.

“This celebration is a reminder to prepare of what we should do before a disaster. Nutrition is not just about food. This is also about health, sanitation, and hygiene,” Stevens said.

Malou Tabao, nutrition action officer of Tacloban City government, lauded various international humanitarian organizations for their support to arrest malnutrition in the aftermath of Yolanda.

“Their presence has raised the capability of the local nutrition workers on how to nutritional needs during emergencies,” Tabao added. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)

ORMOC CITY- A 74-year old woman was killed after she was hit by a 10-wheeler truck last week, this city, with the driver of the vehicle could escape from possible jail term. The victim, Benecia Ocan of Barangay Lilo-an, Ormoc, was crossing along corner Aviles and Rizal Streets when the 10-wheeler truck, driven by Ernesto Boholst,25 and a resident of Brgy.Mabato ,hit her.

The truck, with plate number GSU 836, was carrying color roofs and was bound for Tacloban at the time of the accident. Witness said that the victim was bumped and dragged by the 10-wheeler truck that caused her fatal injuries on the hip to the feet and hematoma to other parts of her body. She was declared dead hours later at the hospital due to blood loss.

The ORMOC rescue and the Bureau of Fire Protection rescue units came to save and rushed her to the hospital but her severe wounds worsen the condition. Boholst said he was on the “go” sign but did not notice the woman was crossing.

While traffic enforcer on duty Jenelyn Jaca said she was then signaling “go” for two corners including the path of the said truck so she failed to see the accident.
While the suspect was detained at the Police Station 1, no case was filed against him as it was learned that an amicable settlement could have been reached as the operator of the 10-wheeler truck extended financial assistance to the family of the victim who was to turn 75 years old next month. (ELVIE ROMAN ROA)

CALBAYOG CITY-“I’d like to proudly announce that of the 27 depots in the whole country, the Calbayog Procurement Depot is the most beautiful of all.” Thus said Procurement Service Executive Director Estanislao Granados during the inauguration of the new depot building of Calbayog on July 4. Granados said that Calbayog depot should now be the standard for all depots nationwide where the support of the city government through the able leadership of Mayor Ronaldo P. Aquino highly manifests in the building– with a tiles flooring, well-furnished, with droplights and signboards, among other features.

Granados, who is to retire from government service on July 21, however, assured that he would particularly ask his successor to include in his first agenda the Calbayog depot visit. He likewise promised to give a gift to Calbayog depot – an LED TV which he will get from his retirement pay, and of course, a continuing 100% support of PS to the Calbayog Depot.

To recall, the procurement service depot in Calbayog was opened on June 24, 2010 at the Calbayog Sports Center. It started as an obscure little store trying to compete with the established business enterprises in the city. Now, it grow big and competitive enough that many of the city government purchases for supplies are now made in this procurement depot, and even attracted a strong clientele from neighboring municipalities that made Calbayog depot the present top grosser in the whole region.
Department of Budget and Management Regional Director Imelda Laceras, concurrently the Procurement Service Supervisor for Region 8 was also in attendance during the Calbayog depot inauguration and likewise proudly announced that the total sales of Calbayog depot during the last two and a half years had reached to P16.8 million.
From said amount, a check amounting to P277,000 was handed over to Mayor Aquino by Granados and Laceras during the inauguration as city’s share in the PS operation.

The operation of depots is mandated under the Government Procurement Reform Act or RA 9184 and the Administrative Order #11 issued in 2011 by President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino. These encourage LGUs to partner up with the Procurement Service and the DBM with the LGU provides the staff and area as its counterpart with the PS provides the goods and consignments and operating funds for running the depot. The DBM coordinates and supervises.

At the end every year, net profits are also divided three-way – to the LGU, to the DBM Regional Office and to the PS Central Office.
Prices of all goods and materials sold at the depots are at low prices. (AIMEE CATALAN/PR)

TACLOBAN CITY- City Councilor Emmanuel Domingo revealed that they are conducting an investigation over reports of a “fraudulent scheme” involving a housing project in the northern part of the city.

The investigation came in the wake of complaints received by him from individuals who were able to buy lots in Barangay Bagacay, one of the areas identified by the city government as a relocation site for victims of super typhoon Yolanda who totally lost their houses.

The complainants alleged that they are being asked to pay to the company that oversees the development of the housing site without being given receipts and proofs of necessary documents, Domingo, who chairs the committee on engineering, said.

The housing project, involving 400 units, is supposed to be under the CMP or community mortgage program of the national government. It was learned that the Brigham group, which manages the housing project in Bagacay, asks P1, 600 each for a 40 square meter lot. According to Councilor Domingo, many of those who were able to secure lots at the said housing project would like to be clarified if the Brigham group has the necessary documents like reclassification of the land from being agricultural to residential and a development permit from the city government.

In view of this complaint, the city council’s committees on engineering, urban poor and laws are jointly conducting an investigation on this matter. During their initial committee hearing, the officials of the Brigham group were given a checklist containing the needed requirements for them to comply, Domingo said. The councilor said that the Brigham group could not legally sell any lots in the area unless they were issued a development permit. Meanwhile, Siony Sia, one of the officials of the Brigham group said that they are a legal entity.

She explained that the money paid by the lot owners are deposited at the Philippine National Bank as mandated by Social Housing Finance Corporation. Sia said that they have a validated bank receipts as their proof. She also said that they have the documents which they submitted before City Planning and Development Office which could easily be checked. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Mussel-rich bays in Samar province have been declared by the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) as red tide positive on July 5, effectively enforcing a shellfish ban. In its latest bulletin, BFAR found red tide toxins in Maqueda Bay and its inner portion, Villareal Bay in Samar, known as one of the top green mussel producers in the country.

Laboratory tests found 64 micrograms of toxins in every 100 grams of shellfish meat, beyond the regulatory limit of 60 micrograms. “All types of shellfish and Acetes sp. or alamang gathered from these areas are not safe for human consumption. Thus, the public is advised to refrain from eating, harvesting, marketing, and buying shellfishes and Acetes sp. from Irong-Irong Bay, Maqueda Bay, and Villareal Bay until such time that the shellfish toxicity level has gone down below the regulatory level,” said Juan Albaladejo, BFAR regional director. Fish, squid, shrimps, and crabs are safe for human consumption provided that they are fresh and washed thoroughly, and internal organs such as gills and intestines are removed before cooking, according to BFAR.

The shellfish ban was raised after nearby Irong- Irong Bay in Catbalogan City was found positive of red tide toxins, prompting the fisheries bureau to conduct twice weekly tests in Samar bays.

The phenomenon will affect the livelihood of 651 households in Samar to include traders, processors, bamboo splitters, and transport operators.
Based on previous government monitoring report, the two bays produced 10,616 metric tons of mussels with a total market value of P43.24 million through shipment to Metro Manila, Davao City, Bicol, and Cebu City.

In 2009, Samar contributed 17% to the total green mussel production in the country. It was the third top producer next to Capiz and Cavite provinces, according to the Department of Agriculture.

Maqueda Bay covers the coastal waters of the towns of Jiabong, Daram, Pinabacdao, Talalora, San Sebastian, Villareal, and Calbiga. Major bays in Eastern Visayas that are still free from red tide toxins are Cancabato Bay, San Pedro Bay in Carigara Bay, Ormoc Bay, Sogod Bay, Cambatutay Bay, and Matarinao Bay. (SARWELL Q.MENIANO)