TACLOBAN CITY – Leyte Governor Leopoldo Dominico Petilla welcomes the partnership forged with the Federation of Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCII) for the construction 500 houses and five barrio schools in Palo town, one of the hardest-hit areas of supertyphoon Yolanda.
“We are thankful that we have the Filipino Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry ready to help us. Indeed, even before the typhoon came in November, FCCCI is already our partner in building schools and other similarly important projects in the province of Leyte,” Petilla said.
The governor signed a memorandum of agreement together with FFCCCII president Alfonso Siy in Malacanang with President Benigno Aquino witnessing the signing.
The governor added that it takes years to complete a permanent shelter program for typhoon victims. However, a “ready response from the private sector and foreign organizations, pushes the action even faster and further.”
Under the agreement, 500 houses will be built on a five-hectare lot in Barangay Barayong with a project cost of P40 million.
Five barrio schools with 10 classrooms at a cost of P2 million will also be constructed.
Funding for the projects came from FFCCCII, the FFCCCII Foundation Inc., Federation of Filipino-Chinese Associations of the Philippines, World News Daily, Filipino-Chinese Amity Club, Overseas Chinese Alumni Association of the Philippines, Filipino-Chinese Shin Lian Association, and the Philippine Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc.
The area will be called the Filipino-Chinese Friendship Village and is expected to be completed in five months.
FFCCCII also distributed recently more than 50,000 relief packs, providing welding sets, fishing boats, water purifying systems, among other resources, in calamity-hit areas together with six other organizations, it was learned.
Department of Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas, Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla and FFCCCII chairman emeritus Lucio Tan also witnessed the signing.

By: AHLETTE C. REYES

TACLOBAN CITY – A structure intended for pregnant mothers who are to deliver their babies is to be completed soon.
Board Member Alan Ang of Leyte’s third district and former mayor of San Isidro town, said that the structure, known as the “waiting home” is now about 85 percent completed.
The “waiting home,” which was donated to the town of San Isidro by the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, aims to help lessen, if not totally prevent, cases of maternal and maternal in the town.
“The idea there is for the pregnant women to stay there (for a week) prior to their delivery date so they could reach the birthing facility immediately when they feel the contraction due to labor pain,” Ang explained.
The facility is located around 40 meters away from the town’s birthing clinic. Those who will use it will not be charged.
The structure, consisting of eight rooms with a kitchen, is said to be a first of its kind in the region, he added.
It cost about P1 million with the local government of San Isidro’s only counterpart was the location.
“If this becomes operational, the cases of maternal and child death in my town will be lessen and we will be assured of the safe delivery of the baby because they will be born in a center that is supervised by medical workers,” Ang said.

By: ROEL T.AMAZONA

PALO, Leyte-Soldiers from the Republic of Korea conducted the repair of the Leyte Provincial Hospital which was severely damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda.
And after more than 30 days of work, the hospital is now functioning enough to offer health services to the people, a gesture welcome by chief of hospital Doctor Ophelia Absin.
“They are really a big help,” she said.
The 86 Korean soldiers, led by Colonel Chu Wan Lee, turned over on February 5 the rehabilitated buildings of the LPH.
“Of course, we are happy with the help extended to us by our Korean soldiers and their government. You know, we cannot accomplished this if we just rely on our (provincial) government considering that we are all affected and it will cost huge amount of money,” Absin said.
The Korean soldiers worked for almost a month, to include Saturdays and Sundays, just to finish the repair of the hospital’s out-patient department, laboratory, Ex-ray room, ward’s department and even its canteen.
The soldiers started their work on January 3, 2013 and finished their work by February 5, this year.
The rehabilitation just cost P1.3 million, according to the Lee.
Their Filipino counterparts also joined in the work aside from providing them security, said Brigadier Gen. Rolando Malinao, head of the Task Force Yolanda.
“I was deeply moved by the hospital’s personnel passion to look after the patients despite of the (bad) condition of the hospital,” Lee said.
When they first visited the place on December 30, they were shocked on the condition of the hospital- destroyed and full of debris.
Its patients have to contend with rooms without roofs on their heads.
Major Kwon Doo Young, public relations officer of the Korean troops, said that they were “so concern” with the physical condition of the LPH that instead of helping its patients recover from their ailments, it could only aggravate their health condition and spread of more diseases.
This was the reason why they made the rehabilitation of the LPH as their priority among other public buildings in Palo destroyed by Yolanda, Young said.
Absin said that with the restored LPH, they could now serve better their clients who are not only from the Palo town but from other areas of Leyte and even Samar.

The LPH, which has a 100- bed capacity, closed its operations after it was hit by Yolanda and reopened on November 22, 2013 despite of the damaged condition of the buildings and its facilities.
Leyte Board Member and former governor Mimiette Bagulaya said that the people of Leyte have so much to thank for on the assistance extended by the Korean government.
“This really means a lot for us. They were really a big help,”Bagulaya said.

By: JOEY A. GABIETA

TACLOBAN CITY- City Councilor Cristina G. Romualdez relaunches her “Cristina Learn and Earn Program (CLE) in an effort to help residents of this city who either lost their jobs or looking for source of income in the aftermath of the supertyphoon Yolanda.
The relaunching of the CLEP was held on February 4 at the Rizal Central School led by the councilor, wife of Mayor Alfred Romualdez.
The CLEP, a comprehensive livelihood program, will equip women and mothers with special skills for them to earn money. For a start, hair cutting classes was held with mothers, yayas and grandmothers waiting for their students at the said school were the immediate recipients of the program.
Marissa of Barangay 96 said in an interview that availing the program is an opportunity worth grabbing. “While our kids are inside their classrooms, we mothers learn something which we can use later to earn a living,” she said.
Hair cutting techniques were likewise explained by Councilor Romualdez and return demonstration were being executed by the recipients.
Some 30 mothers enrolled themselves at the hair cutting classes. Founder and implementer of the CLEP program, the lady councilor revealed that the next succeeding classes will offer programs on carpentry, masonry, welding and automobile repairs for men.
Councilor Romualdez encourages more mothers to join the various livelihood classes on cooking, food processing, reflexology and cosmetology which the city government offers. Interested one can visit her Legislative Office at the Sangguniang Panglunsod Building for more details. (GAY B.GASPAY, TISAT)