BORONGAN CITY– Residents of the inner barangay of San Jose, Borongan City, received a new two-storey evacuation center, a vital infrastructure that promises to address the challenges faced by the community during times of calamities.

Constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways Eastern Samar District Engineering Office (DPWH ESDEO), the evacuation center is designed to withstand typhoons and other calamities, providing a safe and accessible haven for approximately 100 residents.

Jerald Abogado, Punong Barangay of San Jose, expressed his gratitude, emphasizing the significance of this new facility in ensuring the safety of the community.

Recalling the hardships faced during typhoon Ruby, Abogado highlighted the flooding that submerged first-storey houses, leaving residents with no safe place to seek refuge.

“Yana, dako it amon pasalamat nga mayda na namon malilikasan it amon mga residente.

Ugaring dire gad ngane ubos na residente makakaokupar pero at least an aton mga kalagsan ngan mga kabataan, meada na maupay nga facility na pwede nira masirongan ngin meada kalamidad [Now, we are very grateful that our residents have an evacuation center to use. Although it can’t accommodate all the residents, our senior citizens and children now have safe facilities to dwell in during calamities.],” said Abogado.

According to DPWH ESDEO, the project is funded under the General Appropriations Act (GAA) for Fiscal Year 2024 with an appropriation of P5 million. Its construction commenced on February 15, 2024, and was successfully completed on June 15, 2024.

The completion of this evacuation center represents a significant milestone in enhancing the resilience of Barangay San Jose, providing a lifeline for its residents during times of crisis and contributing to their safety and well-being. (PR)

Manila-On October 2, the United States government announced an additional Php485 million ($9 million) in funding to expand the Advancing Basic Education in the Philippines (ABC+) project, a U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded initiative that aims to improve the literacy and math skills of children in the Philippines.

With a total funding of Php2.6 billion ($47.5 million), ABC+ will now extend its reach to new regions, including select areas in the National Capital Region (NCR), Region IV-B, Cordillera Administrative Region, and Region XII.

The additional funding will provide 900,000 new books and learning materials, benefiting an additional 350,000 students and bringing the total number of students reached to 2.8 million.

“We are focusing on strengthening students’ foundational skills, especially for those students who are struggling with reading. Just as with learning to read, we are taking a team approach—advancing step by step, word by word, teacher by teacher, student by student, to open possibilities for Filipino youth,” U.S. Ambassador MaryKay Carlson said.
“The United States is committed to working with the Philippines to provide a quality education that empowers children to enjoy a successful future.”

To commemorate the program’s growth, Ambassador Carlson led the handover of K-3 books to the Schools Division Office of Malabon City, one of the project’s new expansion areas.

Along with Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara, she led a read-along session with Grade 3 students from Malabon Elementary School to further encourage a love for reading.

Also in attendance were Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval, officials from DepEd NCR, Region IV-B, and representatives of Schools Division Offices in Malabon, Marikina, and Pasig.

“There is so much to be thankful for—the USAID ABC+ project has been successful in improving the capacities of our learners, and we want to expand it using the resources of the DepEd in the same way, with the same quality, the same measurability, and the same rigor that ABC+ has provided. I see not just thousands of learners blooming, but millions of learners blooming because of these contributions,” said Education Secretary Angara.

The ABC+ project aims to build on its successful track record in the new regions. Through this project, USAID has provided over 43,000 educators with early literacy training certified by the National Educators Academy of the Philippines; created and distributed 33.2 million early grade literacy materials; and supported students in Regions V, VI, and select areas in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.

Since 2019, USAID has been working with DepEd through the ABC+ project to strengthen teacher professional development, improve the availability and use of learning resources, bolster the capacity of the education system, and support effective early grade instruction. (PR)

The statistics community of Eastern Visayas joins the entire country in celebrating the
35th National Statistics Month (NSM) with the theme, “Advancing Data and Statistics Through Digital Transformation: A Road to an Empowered Nation”.

To mark the 35th NSM, PSA – RSSO 8 has calendared in October 2024 several
inter-agency events that will highlight the efforts in modernizing the statistical system through the adoption of digital tools and platforms to improve the accuracy, timeliness, and accessibility of statistics. This year’s 35th NSM Opening Ceremony, co-hosted by the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT) on 04 October at Robinson’s North, Abucay, Tacloban City, will be guested by National Economic and Development Authority VIII (NEDA 8) Regional Director and Regional Statistics Committee VIII (RSC 8) Chairperson Meylene C. Rosales, together with DICT OIC-Regional Director Melvyn Carlo T. Barroa. PSA-wide, all Provincial Statistical Offices have organized activities that include advocacy/IEC, training/workshops, symposium/webinar, contests/quiz, exhibits, and the like. At the regional level, activities to watch out for are the following:

Kapihan sa PIA Eastern Visayas (02 October); 35th NSM Opening Ceremony (04 October 2024); PSA Says (04 October) ; Regional Statistics Committee (RSC) Outreach Program (11 October); Stat Zumbayaw with a Twist (12 October); 2023 Full PSA Official Poverty Statistics Regional Data Dissemination (14 October); International Poverty Summit (16 to 17 October); Forest Bathing with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) (18 October); Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute – Philippine Statistics Authority (PSRTI-PSA) Capacity Building Training for LGUs (22 to 24 October); FB Stats Go! (every Wednesday and Friday of October); Search for Best LGU Advocates for Statistics (25 October); Search for Best Youth Organization for Statistics (25 October); 1st Visayas Cluster Data Festival (28-29 October); 35th NSM Closing Ceremony (25 October)
The NSM is observed nationwide pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 647 signed by then President Corazon C. Aquino on 20 September 1990, “Declaring the Month of October of Every Year as the National Statistics Month”. This was reinforced by PSA Board Resolution No. 11, series of 2021, “Enjoining and Institutionalizing Support to the Annual Celebration of the National Statistics Month”. These directives are refreshed with the issuances of Memorandum Circulars by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) calling for the conduct of NSM-related activities. All participating organizations, universities/colleges, and units of the government are also encouraged to vie for the NSM Awards in 2025 and requested to display the 35th NSM streamers/tarpaulin in the building façade throughout the month of October 2024.

Once again, the NSM aims to 1) promote, enhance, and instill nationwide awareness and appreciation of the importance and value of statistics to the different sectors of the society; and 2) elicit the cooperation and support of the general public in upgrading the quality and standard of statistics in the country. Along this line, PSA – RSSO 8 enjoins all departments, bureaus, offices, and instrumentalities of the national government, government-owned and controlled corporations, state universities and colleges, local government units, the private sector, and the public to continuously support and actively participate in the NSM celebration.

For more details, contest mechanics, updates and other announcements, please follow the PSA – RSSO 8 Official FB Page (@PSAEVOfficial). You may also contact our office with telephone numbers (053) 839-1884/888-0069 and email addresses rsso08socd@psa.gov.ph/ rsso08crasd@psagov.ph.
Happy 35th NSM, see you! (PR)

Manila-In a significant step towards strengthening healthcare in the Philippines, the development agencies of Japan, the Republic of Korea, and the United States signed on September 27 a partnership committing P1.6 billion ($29 million) over five years to improve health outcomes and advance Universal Health Care in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). This funding is in addition to existing forms of assistance which the three development agencies have provided and will continue to extend to BARMM.

Under the Memorandum of Cooperation, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will work closely with BARMM’s Ministry of Health (BARMM-MOH), the Philippines’ Department of Health (DOH), local communities, and other key stakeholders to improve health information systems; increase public health financing; promote good public health practices; expand quality healthcare services, and improve access to essential medicines, facilities, and equipment.

JICA, KOICA, and USAID have committed to share their expertise and resources to advance cross-cutting health system reforms and initiatives in the region effectively and innovatively.

“Together with our partners, we aim to promote a more resilient and efficient regional healthcare system accessible to the community and the vulnerable groups within the region. Our efforts towards a more inclusive and responsive health system reflects Japan’s long-standing commitment to human security and peace-making efforts within the BARMM,” Japanese Ambassador to the Philippines Endo Kazuya said at the signing ceremony held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Manila.

“Korea’s experience rising from the ashes of war to prosperity drives our commitment to supporting peace and development, reflected in our 30 percent increase in official development assistance and a 48 percent boost in KOICA’s budget for 2024. Through this unprecedented partnership, KOICA will play a crucial role in delivering vital maternal and child health services, strengthening health systems, and improving emergency readiness,” KOICA Vice President KIM Dong Ho said.

“Through this partnership, we envision a future where mothers and their children are in the care of highly capable professionals; where TB patients receive treatment; where young adults receive culturally sensitive reproductive health services; and where families are protected from infectious diseases and pandemic threats,” U.S. Ambassador to the Philippines MaryKay Carlson said.

JICA, KOICA, and USAID will each have a unique focus and expand their priority health programs in BARMM.

JICA will advance maternal and newborn health and nutrition, strengthen community health services, promote PhilHealth enrollment facility-based deliveries, and take into account contribution to gender mainstreaming.

KOICA will enhance sustainable health financing through PhilHealth, provide culturally sensitive maternal care, upgrade facilities and equipment, and boost emergency preparedness with the DOH-certified Field Epidemiology Training Program.

USAID will strengthen health systems, enhance the delivery of family planning, adolescent reproductive health, and tuberculosis programs, and improve preparedness and response to emerging health threats.

“This collaboration reinforces the shared journey of DOH, BARMM-MOH, USAID, JICA, and KOICA towards our vision of Universal Health Care and the sustainable development goals for health, including quality service delivery, healthcare financing, health governance, and health regulations,” DOH Secretary Dr. Teodoro Herbosa added.

“The Memorandum of Cooperation is a call to action and a commitment to harness the collective power of our organizations to create a healthier, more equitable, and more prosperous Bangsamoro with an end in mind to build a stronger Philippines,” said BARMM Health Minister Kadil Sinolinding, Jr.

“By working together, we can amplify our collective action, enhance our efficiency, and ensure that every peso, dollar, won, and yen invested shall translate to tangible improvements in people’s health and quality of life.”(PR)