Task Force Yolanda tries cheering Yolanda-hit
Tacloban City with Christmas carols
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Hoping to lift the
spirits of residents here following the destruction caused by Super Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan), officials have started playing Christmas tunes in some areas
here.
Brig. Gen. Jet Velarmino, head of Task Force
Yolanda, said they started going around some areas Friday, playing carols using
a portable sound system.
"Perhaps baka makatulong (We hope to lift
their spirits by playing Christmas songs)," Velarmino said Saturday.
Tacloban City is one of the areas hit hard by
Yolanda, which as of Saturday morning had left more than 5,000 dead.
The extent of Yolanda's destruction had
triggered an outpouring of support for the Philippines from the international
community.
For his part, Task Force Yolanda deputy
commander Col. Emmanuel Cacdac said the initial feedback was that the carols
"elicited a lot of smiles."
Meanwhile, Velarmino said residents here are now
rebuilding their homes. PND (jl)
For boy swept by Yolanda's floods, tearful
reunion ends 2-week search for kin
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) For a seven-year-old boy
swept away by super typhoon "Yolanda's" floods, tearful reunion with
his lolo on Saturday finally ended a two-week search for his relatives.
Seven-year-old Miguel was reunited with his
grandfather Numeriano Berenguer, 59, at Task Force Yolanda headquarters here.
"Nagpapasalamat ako sa mga kumupkop kay
Miguel," Mang Numeriano said.
Brig. Gen. Jet Velarmino, head of Task Force
Yolanda, said Miguel was swept away by floodwaters when a storm surge hit their
house in Barangay San Jose here last Nov. 8.
Yolanda pounded parts of Visayas and Southern
Luzon, leaving behind at least 5,000 dead.
Velarmino said Miguel kept afloat by hanging on
to a coconut tree trunk.
The boy was rescued by Philippine Air Force
Tactical Operations Group 8 Col. Fermin Carangan, who himself was also trying
to keep afloat at the time after his office was also hit by the storm surge.
The waters swept Carangan and Miguel to Basey in
Samar province, another area hit by Yolanda.
But Miguel's ordeal is not quite over, as a
search is still ongoing for three more relatives, including his five-year-old
sibling. PND (jl)
Palace says it won’t be part of any delay in
Maguindanao massacre case trial
Malacanang made an assurance that it is
committed to making sure that there is no delay in the ongoing trial of the
Maguindanao massacre case and that it won’t be part of any delay.
“The commitment on the Executive is just to
continue making sure that there is no delay and that we are not part of the
delay,” Deputy Presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio
interview over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan on Saturday.
Valte said the Palace shares the public view of
having a speedy resolution of the case. But ensuring a successful litigation
does not solely rely on the hand of the executive branch since the case is
already in court, she said.
The President’s instruction on government
prosecutors is to make sure there are no delays in resolving the case, she
said, adding the government will fight the attempts of the defense to delay the
trial.
Asked to comment on the statement of Judge
Jocelyn Solis who said that by 2016 the court could come up with a verdict on
the Maguindanao case, Valte said the Palace respects the court and like the
Filipino public, it hopes for immediate resolution of the case.
But the Palace also acknowledged the stumbling
blocks that the trial may face, considering the very complex nature of the
case. She said the pace may be affected by the huge number of witnesses, and
the number of respondents, and also the number of testimonies being heard.
Rights advocates and the media commemorate the
infamous Maguindanao massacre in its 4th year anniversary today.
On Nov. 23, 2009, 58 people were slaughtered in
the country’s worst election-related violence allegedly committed by the
Ampatuan clan in Mindanao.
Although 104 people have been arraigned
including eight principal accused from the Ampatuan family, at least 88 of
their coaccused remain at large. PND (as)
Aquino thanks world leaders for support after
typhoon Yolanda’s onslaught
President Benigno S. Aquino expressed his
gratitude to several world leaders in a telephone conversation Friday for the
support they extended to the Philippines following the devastation of Typhoon
Yolanda two weeks ago.
Among the world leaders the President has spoken
with were Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Australian Prime Minister Tony
Abbott, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu and World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Deputy Presidential
spokesperson Abigail Valte said in a radio interview Saturday.
The President as well as the Filipino people are
very thankful for all the expressions of solidarity that the country’s
neighbors have extended, Valte told dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
“Nagpapasalamat po ang Pangulo para sa lahat ng
pagtulong na ipinadala sa atin ng mga bansang ito,” she said.
Valte said the President is glad receiving
assurances from other countries that in case the Philippines needs additional
assistance these countries are ready to offer help.
Even during the calls that the President
received from British Prime Minister David Cameron as well as US President
Barack Obama, those leaders extended a message of hope, according to Valte.
“The President did mention that it matters
because… It’s important for us as a people at this time to know that our
neighbors are here and that our neighbors are helping us and that there will be
other nations who will be rooting for our recovery,” she said.
Valte also mentioned the emergency loan that the
World Bank has offered the Philippines amounting to close to $1 billion for the
country’s reconstruction initiative.
The World Bank announced earlier this week a
loan offer of $500 million and the additional $480 million that it called the
National Community Driven Development Project, Valte said.
There is already a group from the World Bank
helping Filipino officials put together a rehabilitation plan. They are also
giving their own inputs and have discussed some of the details of the emergency
loan that the World Bank has announced earlier this week, Valte added.
World Bank’s disaster specialists are also
helping Philippine authorities assess the damage of Typhoon Yolanda and
determine the areas that need immediate recovery and reconstruction support,
she said.
The country can benefit from the group’s vast
experience in post disaster work after having extensive works in disaster areas
in Turkey, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan, and Haiti, Valte said. PND (as)
Leyte governor thankful for $24K addition from
Pau Gasol to Yolanda relief fund
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Governor Leopoldo
Dominico Petilla on Saturday expressed gratitude for a $24,000 addition to
relief funds for Super Typhoon "Yolanda" from Los Angeles Lakers
superstar Pau Gasol.
Petilla said his province, which was hit hard by
Yolanda, appreciates any contribution for help, no matter how small it may
seem.
"Kahit kaliit, malaki na sa amin yan.
Anything kahit maliit, it's very big para sa amin (Even if some may not
consider it big, to us it would be a big deal)," Petilla said after a
meeting with ranking government officials including Secretaries Florencio Abad
(budget) and Corazon Soliman (social welfare) here.
The meeting had sought to assess the damage to
the province brought by Yolanda, which has so far left at least 5,000 dead.
On Saturday, Gasol scored 24 points to lead the
Lakers to a 102-97 win over the Golden State Warriors.
Gasol had tweeted he would pledge $1,000 for
every point he would score in the game against the Warriors.
He also urged people to pledge any amount to the
relief fund. PND (jl)
Red Cross ship arrives to give more aid to Yolanda-affected
residents of Samar
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Residents in Samar
affected by super typhoon "Yolanda" may get more help for their
health needs, with the arrival Saturday of a vessel of the International
Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC).
ICRC spokesperson Atishay Abbhi said the vessel
brought with it basic health care facilities, including a surgical unit and
water tank.
"We have ICRC teams proceeding to Basey and
Guiuan in Samar," Abbhi said.
Yolanda had devastated parts of Visayas and
Southern Luzon last Nov. 8, and left more than 5,000 dead in its wake.
Abbhi said the ICRC teams are working with teams
from the Philippine Red Cross.
The said the vessel has a surgical unit heading
for Samar, as well as materials for restoring water service to Basey also in
Samar.
"We have a team proceeding to Basey to help
restore the water networks," he said. PND (jl)
