TACLOBAN CITY – Around 2,400 families from five barangays in Rosario, Northern Samar, are set to benefit from the 32nd Kauswagan Caravan, a flagship program of Governor Edwin Ongchuan that brings essential government services to remote communities.
Scheduled for November 25, the caravan will serve the villages of Commonwealth, Gindaulan, Salhag, San Lorenzo, and Poblacion 2.
Supported by national agencies, private organizations, and local stakeholders, the initiative will provide free medical consultations, food packs, school supplies, veterinary services, legal and career counseling, and other essential services.
A preparatory stakeholder meeting was held on November 21 at the Farmers Training Center, University of Eastern Philippines in Catarman, to finalize commitments for the event.
This marks the second Kauswagan Caravan this month, following its success in Lapinig on November 11. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
TACLOBAN CITY – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Leyte 2nd District Engineering Office (L2DEO) has announced the completion of a 1.243-kilometer farm-to-market road connecting the barangays of Maya and San Pedro in MacArthur town.
With a project budget of P14.8 million, the newly constructed road features Portland Concrete Cement Pavement (PCCP) with a width of 5 meters and reflectorized thermoplastic pavement markings for enhanced visibility and safety.
District Engineer Leo Edward Oppura emphasized that the project, implemented in partnership with the Department of Agriculture (DA), aims to boost the local economy by improving the transportation of agricultural products.
“This road project ensures better access for farmers, reducing transport costs and time, which directly increases their income,” Oppura stated. He added that the road also enhances the daily commute of students and residents, offering a safer, more efficient, and cost-effective travel option.
Barangay San Pedro chairman Rey E. Belleza expressed gratitude for the project, recalling the challenges residents faced when the road was unpaved.
“When it rained, the road became muddy, with deep potholes making travel uncomfortable, especially for students and employees heading to town,” Belleza said.
He noted that the new road has significantly eased travel, reducing time and costs for students and workers. Belleza also highlighted the employment opportunities the project brought to local residents during its construction.
Construction of the road began on July 12, 2024, and was completed on October 14, 2024, under the supervision of Go Solid Builders Inc., in collaboration with the DA.
The project is expected to greatly benefit the residents of Maya and San Pedro by providing a reliable and safe roadway, fostering economic growth, and improving the overall quality of life in the community. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
BACK TO SCHOOL. Elementary students at Lunang Elementary School in Dolores, Eastern Samar, resumed classes on Monday, Nov.18, with a flag ceremony. Classes in several areas of the region had been suspended last week due to the threat posed by Super Typhoon ‘Pepito.’
(Photo courtesy of Eastern Samar PMFC UNO)
BACK TO SCHOOL. Elementary students at Lunang Elementary School in Dolores, Eastern Samar, resumed classes on Monday, Nov.18, with a flag ceremony. Classes in several areas of the region had been suspended last week due to the threat posed by Super Typhoon ‘Pepito.’ (Photo courtesy of Eastern Samar PMFC UNO)
No significant damage in EV as ‘Pepito’ passes
TACLOBAN CITY – Despite the initial threat of Super Typhoon ‘Pepito,’ the Eastern Visayas region was largely spared from significant damage.
However, over 39,000 families, totaling around 137,000 individuals, were temporarily displaced as part of precautionary evacuation efforts.
The 39,388 families, or 127,779 individuals, who evacuated as a safety measure began returning to their homes on Sunday, November 17, after the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) lifted the storm warnings for the region.
The evacuations affected the provinces of Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Samar, Leyte, and Biliran, while Southern Leyte remained unaffected.
Minor impacts, such as fallen trees, power outages, and intermittent internet connections, were reported, but no significant structural damage occurred in the region.
In Northern Samar, 22,539 families (81,505 individuals) were evacuated due to potential flooding and landslide risks, as reported by the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Eastern Samar recorded 15,396 evacuated families, totaling 51,127 individuals, who have since returned home, according to the provincial information office.
In Catbalogan City, 761 families (2,869 individuals) left their temporary shelters by Saturday, November 16.
In Naval, Biliran, Mayor Gretchen Espina organized a large screen in the town gymnasium to broadcast the Miss Universe pageant before allowing 272 families (1,085 individuals) to return home also on Sunday.
Additionally, food packs were distributed to the evacuees.
The island town of Maripipi, Biliran, also saw 420 families (1,193 individuals) return home on Sunday.
Samar and Northern Samar provinces were placed under Storm Signal No. 3, where wind speeds ranged from 89 to 117 km/h, posing a serious threat to life and property.
The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in the region reported that it has over 101,000 food packs and 36,470 non-food items prepared for distribution to affected local government units.
Additionally, the DSWD has provided 15,300 food packs to the Bicol Region, which was more severely impacted by Pepito.
TYPHOONS AS DISRUPTIONS. Education Sec. Sonny Angara, during his visit to Leyte, admitted that the series of typhoons that hit the country for the past weeks now, have resulted to the disruptions of classes,describing them as ‘learning losses.’ Photo shows Angara in a huddle with Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla.(CARLOS JERICHO ICOT PETILLA FACEBOOK)
TYPHOONS AS DISRUPTIONS. Education Sec. Sonny Angara, during his visit to Leyte, admitted that the series of typhoons that hit the country for the past weeks now, have resulted to the disruptions of classes,describing them as ‘learning losses.’ Photo shows Angara in a huddle with Leyte Governor Carlos Jericho ‘Icot’ Petilla.(CARLOS JERICHO ICOT PETILLA FACEBOOK)
TACLOBAN CITY — Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara has raised concerns about the significant “learning loss” caused by the frequent suspension of classes due to typhoons and other natural disasters in the country.
Speaking during the welcome program for the National Management Committee meeting hosted by the Palo municipal government held last week, Sec. Angara highlighted that approximately 53 days of learning have already been disrupted this school year.
He warned that this figure is likely to increase, particularly in the northern regions, which remain vulnerable to further typhoons.
“If we add up those 53 days, it amounts to almost one-third of the school year. We anticipate that this number will surpass 53 days as Regions 1 and 2 in Northern Luzon are expected to experience two or three more typhoons in the coming weeks,” Angara stated.
The country, particularly in Luzon and Visayas areas, have been hit by series of typhoons, the latest of which is Super Typhoon ‘Pepito’ with Bicol Region feeling the brunt.
To mitigate the impact on students’ education, Angara emphasized the need for the department to enhance its efforts in delivering quality education despite adverse conditions, including weak internet connectivity and other logistical challenges.
“The department has to be creative in addressing these issues to ensure students continue learning even from home,” he added.
Prior to the event in Palo, Angara visited several schools in Tacloban, Palo, and Alangalang, engaging with school administrators, students, and Parent-Teacher Association officials.
At Leyte National High School, Angara was briefed on the shortage of classrooms, with the school requiring an additional 53 classrooms to accommodate its nearly 9,000 students from Grades 7 to 12. The shortage has led to the implementation of a double-shift system. “Addressing logistical gaps is a priority for the central office,” Angara noted.
In addition to LNHS, he visited St. Francis Elementary School, which is currently housing 547 learners in temporary learning spaces due to facility shortages.
At Alangalang National High School, Angara observed a Khan Academy demonstration as part of DepEd’s efforts to prepare for the upcoming Programme for International Student Assessment.
In Palo, he also toured the regional office and the Girls’ Education Center, which serves as the region’s only Alternative Learning System (ALS) hub.
This initiative, part of the “Better Life for Out-of-School Girls to Fight Poverty and Injustice in the Philippines” project, is a collaboration between DepEd, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), and the Korea International Cooperation Agency. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with IOM Philippines to deliver emergency tarps and shelter kits to families affected by Tropical Storm Kristine in Camarines Sur.(US Embassy)
The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) partners with IOM Philippines to deliver emergency tarps and shelter kits to families affected by Tropical Storm Kristine in Camarines Sur.(US Embassy)
MANILA-The United States government, through the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), is providing an additional Php196 million ($3.5 million) to support the Philippine government’s response to Tropical Storm Kristine, known internationally as Tropical Storm Trami.
Through this assistance, USAID will support logistics and provide clean water, sanitation, shelter, and cash assistance to help residents in the most affected areas of Bicol and Batangas meet their basic needs. This assistance is also supporting communities that have been affected by subsequent disasters.
This new funding is in addition to the P84 million ($1.5 million) announced in October to provide emergency shelter, water, sanitation, hygiene assistance, and critical logistics support, raising the total value of U.S. support for the Philippines’ disaster response to P280 million ($5 million).
“As your friend, partner, and ally, the United States is committed to working with the Philippine government and people as they rebuild and recover,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said.
Since October 25, the United States has been working with humanitarian partners to deliver lifesaving assistance to communities affected by tropical storms, typhoons, and subsequent flooding.
The Philippines’ Office of Civil Defense (OCD) distributed 1,500 shelter-grade tarpaulins and 1,500 kitchen sets funded by USAID to disaster-affected families in Albay and Camarines Sur. These relief items were prepositioned in the OCD humanitarian relief depot at Fort Magsaysay, an Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA) site in Nueva Ecija.
USAID and IOM are working together to assist more than 4,000 families in the Bicol region, Ilocos region, and Batangas by providing shelter grade tarpaulins, shelter repair kits, and WASH kits.
Through USAID funding, the United Nations World Food Programme also mobilized 92 trucks that supported Philippine Department of Social Welfare and Development in delivering more than 150,000 family food packs and other relief items to Albay, Benguet, Camarines Sur, Ilocos Norte, and La Union.
This new assistance builds on the United States’ previous support to Philippine government’s disaster response efforts, including during catastrophic flooding in Mindanao in February, Super Typhoon Carina in July, and Super Typhoon Julian in October.
Since 2010, the United States government has provided more than P22 billion ($393.6 million) in disaster relief, preparedness, and early recovery in the Philippines. USAID works year-round to help communities build resilience in preparing for, and responding to, the increasing frequency and intensity of natural disasters. (US Embassy)
INCREASE FUNDING. House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan has urged the Senate not to scrap the various aid programs like the AKAP saying these have tremendous to ordinary Filipinos. (PHOTO COURTESY)
INCREASE FUNDING. House Minority Floor Leader Marcelino Libanan has urged the Senate not to scrap the various aid programs like the AKAP saying these have tremendous to ordinary Filipinos. (PHOTO COURTESY)
TACLOBAN CITY – House Minority Leader Marcelino “Nonoy” Libanan is urging the Senate to approve the proposed P114 billion allocation for the 4Ps and P39 billion for the AKAP (Ayuda para Kapos ang Kita Program) under the 2025 national budget.
Libanan emphasized the importance of these programs in helping vulnerable families cope with rising costs.
“These cash transfer programs are effective in improving the lives of disadvantaged families,” he said.
He also pointed out that despite some Senate members questioning the AKAP’s priority, the program has the President’s support, citing the P26.7 billion allocation in the 2024 budget.
The 4Ps targets 4.4 million households, offering cash grants tied to health, education, and family development. The next budget will extend aid to pregnant women until their child turns two.
Libanan stressed that both programs are essential in fighting poverty and enhancing access to education, health, and nutrition. (LIZBETH ANN A. ABELLA)
