TACLOBAN CITY – Seven former rebels from Leyte province have received financial assistance from the government under the Enhanced Comprehensive Local Integration Program (E-CLIP).

The cash aid was distributed during the Provincial Peace and Order Council meeting held at the Leyte Provincial Capitol Complex and presided over by Governor Carlos Jericho Petilla.
Five of the beneficiaries received P65,000 each, consisting of P50,000 for livelihood assistance and P15,000 as immediate assistance. The two other beneficiaries were given P25,000 each, broken down into P15,000 immediate assistance and P10,000 basic assistance.

Governor Petilla led the distribution together with Department of the Interior and Local Government–Leyte Provincial Director Anabelle de Asis, Leyte Police Provincial Director Col. Dionisio Apas Jr., and 802nd Infantry Brigade Commander Col. Rico Amaro.

E-CLIP, a flagship reintegration program of the national government, provides a comprehensive package of assistance to former rebels and violent extremists who surrender to authorities. It aims to address the specific needs of beneficiaries and their communities, and to help them and their families reintegrate into society as productive citizens.

Aside from financial aid, E-CLIP also offers firearm remuneration, reintegration support, social and psychological services, housing and educational assistance, and access to halfway houses.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – The five fishermen from Maydolong, Eastern Samar who were reported missing during the onslaught of Typhoon “Opong” have safely returned home on Saturday, September 27, 2025, after being found by fellow fishermen.

The fishermen — Albert Tating, Birbie Calosar, Harold Cris Buenafe, Ricky Bajado, and Rembert Versoza, all residents of Barangay 4, Maydolong — were caught at sea by heavy rains and huge waves. To stay safe, they tied their boat to a ‘payao’ (fish aggregating device) to avoid drifting farther away until the weather improved.

“They stayed out at sea longer because they wanted to make sure they could safely return once conditions were better,” said Remegio Orale, head of the Maydolong Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (MDRRMO).

He added that poverty pushes some fishermen to risk going to sea despite storm warnings, as fishing is their only livelihood.

On Sunday, Sept.28, the five fishermen received assistance from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Field Office 8, each receiving P10,000 in cash relief, along with two family food packs, hygiene kits, family kits, kitchen kits, and sleeping kits.
According to DSWD-8, at least 88,171 families or 295,598 individuals from 97 towns and cities across Eastern Visayas were affected by Typhoon “Opong,” which also damaged 451 houses — 1,800 of them partially. The agency has earmarked P139.5 million for relief assistance to affected families and individuals.

Orale confirmed that the five fishermen were the only ones reported missing in Maydolong during the storm.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)

TACLOBAN CITY – Thousands of families across Eastern Visayas reeling from the impact of Typhoon “Opong” are now receiving faster relief assistance as the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC-8), led by the Office of Civil Defense (OCD-8), ramped up logistics and airlift operations to reach even the most isolated communities.
With storm signals lifted and sea travel resuming on September 26, the Regional Inter-Agency Coordination Cell 8’s Libreng Sakay Program immediately transported food packs from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), medical supplies from the Department of Health (DOH), and power restoration materials from the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) from Tacloban Port to Amandayehan Port in Basey, Samar.

The OCD-8, as the Logistics Cluster Lead, coordinated the movement of supplies between hubs and disaster-stricken communities — a hallmark of the whole-of-government approach to disaster response.

Aerial operations, supported by the Philippine Air Force, saw two Black Hawk helicopters airlifting 300 family food packs to hard-hit and isolated towns like Capul in Northern Samar and Tagapul-an in Samar, where sea travel remains difficult. The same missions also conducted rapid damage assessments and supported search-and-rescue operations in Biliran.

Additional relief efforts included the delivery of OCD hygiene kits to Caibiran, Biliran, aided by the Philippine Army’s Joint Task Group Tacloban and 546th Engineer Construction Battalion, alongside the Philippine National Police, Bureau of Fire Protection, and other RDRRMC member-agencies. The Department of Information and Communications Technology also carried out connectivity assessments to help restore mobile and internet services in affected areas.

RDRRMC-8 Chairperson and OCD-8 Regional Director Lord Byron Torrecarion stressed the importance of seamless logistics to sustain disaster response operations.

“Beyond delivering aid, our coordinated efforts restore lifelines and reaffirm the government’s commitment that no community is left behind in the aftermath of Typhoon ‘Opong,’” Torrecarion said.

(ROEL T. AMAZONA)