TACLOBAN CITY- About 66 public facilities damaged during the onslaught of supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Leyte were repaired by the members of the Korean Joint Support Group, also known as the “Araw Forces.”
The Korean contingent, who are to leave this month after a year of humanitarian works in areas hit by Yolanda, spent over P30 million for this undertaking. The structures that were repaired by the Araw Forces included 37 public schools, eight hospitals and welfare facilities, 17 government offices, and houses of four Korean War veterans. The group also rebuilt 14 public schools in Palo; 12 in Tanauan; 10 in Tolosa, and a central school in Dagami, all in Leyte.

In Palo alone, public infrastructures completed were the Leyte Provincial Hospital, Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Home for Girls, and Department of Education (DepEd) regional office.
In nearby towns of Tanauan and Tolosa, reconstructed by the Korean armies were police stations, fire stations, courthouses and barangay halls. The Korean armed forces group, which arrived late December 2013, immediately heeded the Philippine government’s request for aid recognizing the participation of 7,500 Filipino soldiers during the Korean War in the 1950s.

Likewise, the Araw contingent has tied up with the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) for the establishment of Araw Vocational School, with course offering on heavy equipment operation. Shortly after the team’s arrival, they also assisted in the clearance of typhoon debris and organized “Operation Carabao” where they performed electric pole removal and vehicle salvage, and repair of sewerages. The group also conducted on-site medical missions in barangays and in their camp base at Government Center, Palo, and as of last week of November, they have already served 40,000 patients from various parts of Leyte.

Part of their main objectives in coming to the country was to support the Korean War veterans as well. They reconstructed houses and provided assistance to the families of the Filipino soldiers who sacrificed during Korean War. “I feel happy that the city as a whole is slowly recovering its function. I am thankful to the Filipino citizens for not treating us with reluctance and I hope the friendship between Philippines and Korea continues so that if either of us is in difficulty, the other one can reach out,” said Captain Kwon Youngwoo, public affairs officer of Araw. The Korean armed forces have been instrumental in the establishment of an agricultural institute, the Araw Scholar’s House, and the Araw Memorial Park. They are scheduled to return to Korea on December 17 this year. (SHAIRA S. VELENZONA,LNU Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY – Members of youth organizations from the region gathered this week to map out plans to help their sector recover from the aftermath of supertyphoon “Yolanda.” The three-day gathering which ended on December 6 was spearheaded by the Sinirangan Bisayas Youth Organization (SBYO), an affiliate of the An Waray party-list group. The gathering, now on its 8th year, carried the theme “Resilient Leadership: Strengthening Connections; Rise Above the challenge.” The leadership conference aimed to engage the youth, enhance their skills and talents and to galvanize them into action as active members of the society, Charles Vincent Manarang, conference director said. “Since we all experienced the same ordeal, we are also aware that if the youth will not do anything, who else would help us?” Manarang said. (CARYL VIVIEN S.TOMANDA, LNU Intern)

TACLOBAN CITY- An open letter addressed to President Aquino was issued and signed by representatives of various sectors, including the local Church leaders, of Capoocan town in Leyte calling for his possible assistance on their desire for the anti-graft court to act on a criminal case filed against Mayor Federico Carolino, Sr. On their two-page open letter, the signatories said that the delay on the resolution of the graft case against Carolino would be a contradiction of Mr. Aquino’s policy of “matuwid na daan” or straight path which abhors any acts that pertains to corruption or graft among government leaders or workers.

Carolino is facing graft charges before the Office of the Ombudsman for an alleged irregularity in the procurement of two units of dump trucks worth P5.3 million in 2008. The town mayor allegedly did not follow the procurement process when he ordered for the procurement of the heavy equipment. The graft case against Carolino was filed on September 26, 2011 by one Emeterio Tanala before the Office of the Ombudsman. “Several years have passed the people of Capoocan just keep silent on their ardent desire to live in a place with virtues of righteousness…governed by a leader who believes and practices the doctrine of matuwid na daan,” the open letter, signed by 39 people representing various sectors said.

“We have come to the open, assured and convinced that we should do our best for the best future of the Capoocanons,” it adds. Among those who signed the open letter addressed to the President were local Church leaders like parish priest Father Ronnie Mora; barangay officials; members of the academe and leaders of fisherfolk association. The group said that under Rule III, section 6 of Administrative Order Number 7, otherwise known as Rules of Procedure of the Ombudsman, a decision must be rendered not later than 30 days after the case is declared submitted for resolution. Carolino could not reach for his comment as of press time.
(JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A nongovernment organization convened 500 survivors of supertyphoon Yolanda into homeowners associations to ensure that they will be empowered in building houses that are typhoon-resilient. Princess Asuncion-Esponilla, information officer of the Urban Poor Associates (UPA), which initiated the gathering, said 14 homeowners associations from Tacloban, considered the ground zero of Yolanda, attended the gathering held at the gymnasium of the Leyte Normal University. The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) was also part of said activity. Esponilla said that the gathering of the homeowners associations was part of their vision of building resilient and empowered communities in Tacloban which bore the brunt of Yolanda. Formation of association will strengthen and unite Yolanda survivors to ensure that all their concerns will be addressed — land, permanent and temporary houses, jobs, health, administrations of the work, and participation in major decision making, she added. She said that the Homeowners’ Associations in Yolanda-affected areas were formally recognized by the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB). (RESTITUTO A. CAYUBIT)

TACLOBAN CITY-Businessmen in Tacloban have yet to receive financial assistance promised to them by the national government, a year after supertyphoon “Yolanda” devastated this city. Joel Caminade, president of Rotary Club of Tacloban, said that until now government’s financial support to them remains to be seen. “We’ve been waiting for so long, yet no help is around. It’s both frustrating and infuriating,” Caminade said in an interview. The soft-spoken businessman who is into printing press industry did not hide his disappointment on government’s apparent lack of support to them. “I’ve lost about P 40 million from our machinery and office equipment. We’re back to scratch. But I know by and by we’ll sustain this in our own efforts,” Caminade said. He said that businessmen like them in Yolanda-hit areas should be given immediate attention to recover their business and eventually revive the local economy. “Even government banks are giving us a run-around with those who will apply for loans, demanding so many requirements when they already knew that our documents have been washed out by Yolanda. Worst, they are even asking more collateral when in fact our businessmen had collateral already in our past loans to them before Yolanda,” Caminade said. So as to recover their losses and continue their livelihood, Caminade said that Tacloban businessmen have no other option but to rely to each other or borrow money for new capital from their friends and associates outside the city. Despite their lack of support, Caminade maintained they were able to help storm victims by providing food and medical reliefs with the help of their partner organizations. Jack Uy, president of Tacloban Filipino Chamber of Commerce and Industry, openly expressed his frustration to the government for its apparent failure to “seriously” help them.
(RONALD O.REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- “There was only little time for me to mourn when my only sibling died after the surge. Many are in need of blood services from the Philippine Red Cross – Leyte Chapter that needed much attention,” Nilda Quiero teary-eyed during the interview as one of the awardees of the Yolanda Heroism Awards handed by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG). The regional office of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) honored people on November 5 who showed uncommon bravery and selfless commitment to others during and after Supertyphoon Yolanda last year.

The recognition, dubbed as The Yolanda Heroism Awards, sought to acknowledge people who risked their lives for others and to glorify exemplars of courage and selflessness, DILG Regional Pedro Noval, Jr. said.
Recognized acts of valor were security guard Dionesio Bagon, a resident of Palo, Leyte; Christopher Caspe from Magallanes, Tacloban City; Armando Corillo from V&G Subdivision, Tacloban City; Benjoe Mercenes of Taguiktic San Jose, Tacloban City; and Isagani Sabalza of Brgy, Magay, Tanauan, Leyte.

For acts of Good Samaritan the honorees were Nilda Quiero of Philippine Red Cross, Leyte Chapter; C/insp. Adel Bautista of the Bureau of Fire Protection, and Ranel Repasa from Tanauan, Leyte. The honorees were screened and validated by DILG and agency partners from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Health (DOH), Department of Education (DepEd) and Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas (KBP) Eastern Visayas Chapter. Nilda Quiero, a medical technologist of the PRC, was honored under the acts of Good Samaritan Category. Quiero together with 16 other staff and volunteers of the agency spent the night at the chapter building on November 7, after feeding arroz caldo to the evacuees at the Eastern Visayas University numbering to 888 persons.

They never got to sleep as the next thing they did was preposition of relief food packs. When typhoon’s fury was imminent in the morning of November 8, and waters started to rise, Quiero immediately saved important documents already floating, money for purchases and equipment at her hand’s reach, secured them in the vault, before breaking glass windows and joining the rest of the group at the Red Cross building rooftop for four-shivering hours. She thought she could not survive.

She went home on the following day, only to find out his brother Felix has not returned home. She reported to the PRC Operations Center at Leyte Park Hotel in the morning and searched for his brother at the Fish Port down Magallanes street in Tacloban around 3 o’clock every afternoon, until they found him under the debris at the fishing port on the 15th. “With the help of the Red Cross, we put his body in the body bag, brought him to the old cemetery in Sagkahan, secured him in the space provided above my mother’s grave. Only to return, before Christmas day, to give him a decent burial,” Quiero said.

Quiero’s nominator was PRC Leyte Chapter chairman lawyer Miguel Tezon, who said that heroism is a way of life at the Philippine Red Cross but others do an extra mile to make life better for others, that made them shine like Quiero. Tezon said Quiero worked 25-straight days after the typhoon with over 800 patients served. Winners received both plaques of citations and a cash reward. “The storm which was the strongest ever to hit land tested the resolve and character of the people. The award is a fitting tribute to the individuals who performed extreme acts of selflessness and sacrifice during and after Yolanda,” said Dir. Noval. (VICKY C. ARNAIZ)