Despite woes, Tacloban to cheer on Pacquiao on
Sunday
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) As they continue to pick
up the pieces from super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan), residents of
this city are ready to give Filipino boxing icon and Sarangani Rep. Emmanuel
"Manny" Pacquiao their full support this Sunday.
City administrator John Tecson Lim said they are
excited to watch Pacquiao's bout with Brandon Rios, which will be shown in some
public venues.
"We're just excited," he said, adding
Pacquiao's bout means a lot to residents of this city, one of the areas hit
hardest by Yolanda.
Lim said a Pacquiao victory would mean so much
to the city. Pacquiao had dedicated his upcoming fight to victims of Yolanda.
"We will be cheering him on," he said.
When asked how much Pacquiao's victory would mean to people here, he said,
"Malaking malaki (It's a big deal)."
Earlier, he told an inter-agency committee
meeting the city government is working with a television network to set up
"monitoring stations" to show the fight.
As of Friday morning, he said they have decided
on an area near City Hall as one of the public showing venues.
Other potential sites are still being studied,
with officials factoring in public safety. PND (jl)
DSWD: More than 1M food packs given to 'Yolanda'
victims
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Authorities have breached
the one-million mark in terms of food packs distributed to families affected by
super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan).
Department of Social Welfare and Development
Secretary Corazon Soliman said the one millionth pack was given to a family in
Tolosa, Leyte.
Soliman said that as of 6 p.m. Thursday, the
DSWD had distributed 1,136,565 food packs.
Also, she said the DSWD had distributed 216,389
one-liter bottles of water.
For now, she said the agency plans to open
another repacking facility in Catbalogan in Samar, to improve efficiency in
delivering basic services.
She added the delivery of food packs will
continue for the affected families. PND (jl)
Post-'Yolanda' cleanup in Tacloban now more than
halfway done
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The work to clear this
city of debris brought by super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan) is finally
more than halfway done.
City administrator John Tecson Lim told an
inter-agency meeting here Friday that the clearing operations were 50.23
percent complete as of 10 p.m. Thursday.
Tacloban City is one of the areas hit hardest by
Yolanda, one of the most powerful cyclones in recent history, and which has
left more than 4,000 dead.
But in past days, it has gradually resumed daily
activities, with businesses reopening and banks resuming transactions.
On Friday, the Department of Trade and Industry
opened a "Diskwento Caravan" for residents to buy basic goods at
lower prices.
Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fire Protection said it
continues flushing operations in up to 30 villages and in evacuation centers.
It said some 10 to 12 fire trucks are used for
the daily operations, using about 100,000 liters a day. PND (jl)
Aquino forms task group to handle full-scale
rehabilitation and rebuilding of typhoon ‘Yolanda’-damaged areas
President Benigno S. Aquino III directed the
Cabinet on Thursday to hasten the transition of relief efforts into the
full-scale rehabilitation and rebuilding of the areas damaged by of super
typhoon “Yolanda” (internationally known as Haiyan), Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said.
Coloma said during the press briefing in
Malacanang on Friday that the Chief Executive has formed a task group that will
present a comprehensive rehabilitation program to be tackled by the Cabinet not
later than Wednesday, November 27.
The Communications Secretary said the President
designated Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, who was Governor of Leyte
before he was appointed to the Cabinet early this year, as task group
coordinator.
The President also designated Public Works and
Highways Secretary Secretary Rogelio Singson, Agriculture Secretary Proceso
Alcala, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Labor Secretary Rosalinda
Baldoz, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director General
Joel Villanueva, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Environment
Secretary Ramon Paje, Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, Budget Secretary
Florencio Abad, and Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario as members of
the task group.
The task group will focus on five priorities
namely shelter and reconstruction; livelihood and employment; resettlement and
psycho-social care; environmental protection and resource generation and
allocation.
Singson will handle shelter and reconstruction
while Alcala, Domingo, Baldoz, and Villanueva will supervise the livelihood and
employment.
Soliman, on the other hand, will take charge of
resettlement and psycho-social care, Paje will take care of environmental
protection and Purisima, Abad and del Rosario will handle resource generation
and allocation.
"Local government involvement is a key
component of the rehabilitation program and this will be coordinated by
Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas adding that the President
also called on the active participation of all governors, mayors, and local
officials.”
Coloma said President Aquino instructed Governor
Aurelio “Boy” Umali, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the
Philippines (ULAP) to mobilize the active participation of the Leagues of
Provinces, Cities, and Municipalities and the Liga ng mga Barangay in concerted
efforts to fully engage the citizenry at the grassroots level.
"In line with the mandate of RA 10121
(Philippine Disaster Management Act), the task group will be guided by the
conduct of a post-disaster needs assessment and this inter-agency effort will
be supervised by Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras," Coloma said.
"Economic Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan is tasked with planning coordination. NEDA will synthesize and
integrate all proposed programs and projects for submission to the President
and the Cabinet. The rehabilitation task group will be supported by the Cabinet
clusters on economic development, poverty reduction and social welfare, climate
mitigation," he said.
According to Coloma, the President emphasized to
the Cabinet that a fine-tuned plan responsive to specific needs at the
community level is necessary. President Aquino said it is also important to
enable the people to attain greater self-reliance while participating in the
rebuilding of their communities.
The rehabilitation program also includes the
“adopt-a-town” concept initiated by the Metropolitan Manila Development
Authority and Metro Manila mayors in partnership with mayors in Leyte, Samar,
and other calamity areas.
"Moreover, the adopt-a-family concept will
also be fleshed out such that beyond the LGU level, communities and families in
Metro Manila and other regions may extend support and assistance to families in
the calamity zones," Coloma said. PND (js)
National Economic and Development Authority
approves seven projects amounting to P184.2 billion to boost economy, Palace
says
The National Economic and Development Authority
(NEDA) is banking on seven infrastructure, transportation and health projects
amounting to P184.2 billion to drive the country's economy, Presidential
Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said.
Coloma said during the regular press briefing in
Malacanang on Friday that the NEDA Board approved on Thursday seven projects,
six of them to be implemented through Public-Private Partnership (PPP) program.
The projects aim to build and rehabilitate vital
infrastructure such as airports, light rail transits, hospital and others to
improve the delivery of basic services and movement of trade.
First of these projects is the P64.9 billion LRT
Line 1 South Extension Project that involves the extension of the existing LRT
Line 1 South.
"Next is the MRT 7 Project, total cost
P62.7 billion. The project involves the construction of 22.8 kilometer rail
system from North Avenue up to the proposed intermodal transportation terminal
in San Jose del Monte Bulacan," Coloma said.
"Third is the LRT Line 1 North Extension
Program/Common Station (P1.4 billion). The project involves the provision of a
common station among LRT 1, MRT 3, and MRT 7, as well as road-based transportation
systems. This is a locally funded project," the Communications Secretary
said.
The fourth project is the Mactan-Cebu
International Airport New Passenger Terminal Project which is estimated to cost
a total of P17.5 billion, Coloma said.
"Next is the Development Transportation
System at FTI and PRA --- PRA is the Philippine Reclamation Authority area; FTI
will be the SLEX Terminal at the FTI property in Taguig --- to serve passengers
traveling to and from Laguna and Batangas and the South Coastal Road Terminal
will be at the PRA property beside Asia World Uniwide along the Manila-Cavite
Expressway in Parañaque City to serve passengers traveling to and from
Cavite," Coloma said.
Coloma said the NEDA Board also approved the
P5.6 billion Modernization of the Philippine Orthopedic Center. This project
involves construction of a 700-bed capacity tertiary orthopedic hospital within
the National Kidney and Transplant Institute Complex along East Avenue, Quezon
City.
"The next project was proposed by the MWSS
(Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System), this is the Bulacan Bulk Water
Supply Project with a total cost of P24.4 billion to ensure potable water
supply to Bulacan province," he said. PND (js)
Aquino government reiterates its commitment to
hasten the delivery of justice for Maguindanao massacre, Palace says
The Aquino government reiterated its commitment
for institutional reforms to hasten the delivery of justice for those who lost
their lives in the “2009 Maguindanao massacre,” Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. said.
"We join the Filipino people in affirming
our solidarity with the families of those who lost their lives in the
Maguindanao massacre on Nov. 23, 2009. We are determined to erase the stigma of
the culture of impunity that led to this heinous crime," Coloma said
during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Friday.
Fifty-eight people, including 32 media
practitioners, died in the incident which is said to be the Philippines' worst
political massacre. The media practitioners were part of a convoy led by
Genalyn Mangudadatu, the wife of then Buluan vice mayor and now Maguindanao
Governor Esmael Mangudadatu.
"The Philippine National Police has been
directed to intensify efforts to arrest some 88 suspects still at large,"
Coloma said
The Department of Justice is undertaking a
continuing effort to strengthen its investigative and prosecutorial arms,
Coloma said.
"We join the advocates for institutional
reforms including amendments to the Rules of Court that will hasten the
delivery of justice. We will work with Congress to prioritize action on the
enactment of the proposed whistleblower bill and amendments to strengthen the
witness protection law," he said.
A total of 197 people, including members of the
Ampatuan clan, were initially charged for the incident. PND (js)
