Government to respect Yolanda fatalities in
burial sites, Palace assures
Malacañang on Thursday assured the loved ones of
those who died in the wake of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that the
government will accord their remains due respect.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said the mass burials will take into
account the sensibilities of the families of the deceased.
"Nananatili ang pagrespeto natin sa
katauhan ng mga pumanaw (We will maintain our respect for those who
died)," he said in a media briefing, adding there will be due respect for
the deceased and the sensibility of their families.
But Coloma also said they need to bury the
deceased, especially since decomposition would set in two days after death.
Coloma said the Departments of Health, Defense,
and Interior and Local Government, and the Armed Forces of the Philippines are
working to prepare for the burial.
These agencies are coordinating to identify and
prepare the "appropriate burial sites," he added.
Yolanda devastated parts of Visayas and Southern
Luzon last week. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
said that as of Thursday morning, more than 2,000 had died in Yolanda's wake.
PND (jl)
Palace says government fast-tracks relief
efforts in Leyte after Yolanda-affected roads are cleared
With the roads affected by super typhoon Yolanda
(Haiyan) finally cleared, the government on Thursday fast-tracked its efforts
to bring relief items to families in affected areas in the province.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said this is in line with President
Benigno S. Aquino III's order to improve the delivery of assistance to those
affected.
"Sa huling ulat ng NDRRMC, 100 porsyento ng
lahat ng pambansang kalye sa Rehiyon VI, VII, at VIII ang maaari nang madaanan.
Inaasahan po na bibilis ang paghahatid ng pagkain, tubig, at iba pang
pangangailangan ng ating mga kababayan (From the latest report of the National Disaster
Risk Reduction and Management Council, 100 percent of roads in Western, Central
and Eastern Visayas are passable. We now expect the faster delivery of food,
water and other relief items needed by our people)," he said at a media
briefing.
He said the fast-track distribution aims to
reach all 40 towns of Leyte, most of which are coastal areas, as well as
Tacloban City.
Coloma said an additional repacking center had
been established in Cebu on President Aquino's orders.
He added the President also tasked Finance
Secretary Cesar Purisima and Technical Education and Skills Development
Authority head Joel Villanueva to be logistics coordinators.
Purisima is to head the national relief
operations center in Pasay City, while Villanueva will head the Cebu repacking
center.
In Tacloban City, meanwhile, Coloma said the
government will set up a one-kilowatt emergency broadcasting system that would
facilitate information dissemination and help people find lost loved ones.
Coloma also said a media center has been set up
in Tacloban to help as a clearinghouse, under the supervision of Philippine
Broadcasting Service head Tito Cruz.
On the other hand, he said Manila Broadcasting
Co. and Far East Broadcasting Co. had offered their facilities in Tacloban and
neighboring areas for public service broadcasting.
"Ang focus ay public service broadcasting
para makatulong sa ating mamamayan (The focus is public service broadcasting so
we can help the people)," he said. PND (jl)
President Aquino calls on citizenry to help
Yolanda typhoon victims to alleviate their suffering
President Benigno S. Aquino III called on
citizenry to continue helping typhoon Yolanda' victims to alleviate their
suffering.
"We know the gravity of our countrymen's
suffering, and we know that, now more than ever, all of us are called on to do
whatever we can to help alleviate our countrymen's suffering," the Chief
Executive said in his message read by Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. during the Kapisanan ng mga
Brodkaster ng Pilipinas 39th Annual Top Level Management Conference in Clark
Freeport Zone, Pampanga on Thursday.
The President expressed his gratitude to
individuals and organizations here and abroad for their generosity.
"Difficult as it may be to find a silver
lining, I believe that this is where we can draw hope: the solidarity that
millions of Filipinos unaffected by the storm displayed with their countrymen –
a solidarity mirrored by so many individuals, private corporations,
organizations and countries around the world. The overwhelming message: We are
not alone," he said.
President Aquino emphasized the need to assure
the typhoon victims that the Philippine government, fellow Filipinos and the
international community will help them to rebuild their lives.
"It is up to us to make them feel that they
are not alone," the President stressed.
The government has been doing its part even
before Yolanda (internationally known as Haiyan) made a landfall last week, the
President said.
"Mandatory evacuations were conducted and
relief goods prepositioned. Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin and Interior and
Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas have been in Leyte since early last
Thursday (No.7) to oversee preparations," he said.
"In the wake of the storm, rescue, relief
and rehabilitation operations were conducted at the soonest possible time, and
they will go on for as long as necessary," he said.
As of Wednesday, the President said 115,607 food
packs have been distributed for the victims while medical and surgical teams
from the Department of Health (DOH) are already working on the ground. The DOH
has set up satellite medical stations in Regions 6, 7 and 8.
"The Department of Public Works and
Highways has been working nonstop to clear roads, so help can sooner reach
cut-off communities. Most roads are now passable, and can be used to deliver
relief goods," he said. PND (js)
Palace says government learning from Yolanda
experience
Malacañang on Thursday assured the public the
government is learning its lessons from addressing the problems brought by
super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), so it can improve its disaster management in
the future.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said the government is not engaging in
buck-passing or finger-pointing in this situation.
"Walang kaisipan ang pamahalaan magpasa ng
sisi o magturo ng responsibilidad. Dahil nakapulot tayo ng mahalagang aral…
magiging mahusay para sa susunod na pagkakataoon (We never engage in
buck-passing. And we intend to apply the lessons we learned to improve our
disaster management and response mechanism)," Coloma said at a media briefing.
"Kung may pumupuna, tinatanggap natin ang
pagpuna, hindi natin tinatanggi na maaring nagkaroon ng pagkukulang. Pero ito
ay bunga ng severe constraints, hindi sinasadyang huwag tuunan ng pansin (If
there are criticisms, we accept them. We never said we would not be prone to
mistakes. But what I can say is that we never intentionally neglected our
duties)," he added.
He maintained that while the government had
taken steps to prepare for Yolanda, the typhoon was simply
"unprecedented" in terms of severity and magnitude.
Coloma added even the first responders,
including local government unit officials and their partners, were temporarily
immobilized because they themselves were displaced.
"Extraordinary din ang demands ng situation
compounded by the breakdown of power and communication facilities (The demands
of the situation were also extraordinary, considering the breakdown of power
and communication facilities)," he said.
Also, Coloma pointed out the government uses a
highly complementary and interdependent structure for disaster management and
risk reduction.
Still, he said the government is open to
constructive criticism, so it can improve and be more prepared in the future.
PND (jl)
Palace: Government to continue addressing
lawlessness in Yolanda-hit areas with firm law enforcement
Firm law enforcement will remain the
government's answer to looting and lawlessness in areas hit hard by super
typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), Malacañang maintained Thursday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said this amid reports of more attempts
to loot warehouses.
"Ang response natin to lawlessness is law
enforcement (Our response to lawlessness has been law enforcement). The
government has been quite firm in doing it," Coloma said at a media
briefing.
Coloma also said the government expects to
sustain its efforts so it can transition from search-and-rescue to relief and
eventually to rehabilitation.
He said the government expects to work more
closely with local officials, especially those in Leyte, now that the mayors
involved are in the loop.
Coloma also reassured the public that the
government has not forgotten other affected areas in favor of Leyte. PND (jl)
President Aquino assures Kapisanan ng mga
Brodkaster ng Pilipinas will play crucial role in the implementation of the
Integrated Service digital broadcasting-terrestrial system
The Kapisanan ng mga Brodkaster ng Pilipinas
(KBP) will play a crucial role in ensuring the full implementation of the
Integrated Service Digital Broadcasting-Terrestrial (ISDB-T) System developed
by Japan, President Benigno S. Aquino III said.
"One of the major challenges that our
relief and rescue workers in the field is facing is the absence of reliable
communication services after the breakdown of power and communication lines
especially in the provinces and areas that were badly-hit by the typhoon,"
the Chief Executive said in his message read by Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. during the KBP 39th
Annual Top Level Management Conference at Clark Freeport Zone, Pampanga on
Thursday.
"It is within this context that the
government is fast-tracking efforts for the full adoption and implementation of
the ISDB-T System developed by Japan, which will pave the way for digital
broadcast in the entire country," the President said.
The Philippines is joining 15 other Asean member
countries in switching over from analog to digital broadcasting.
"The KBP will play a crucial role in
ensuring the full fruition of this undertaking as it shall work with the
National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) in the conduct of necessary public
consultations leading to the promulgation of the Implementing Rules and
Regulations of the system,” the President stressed.
The President emphasized the new system is
aligned with the government’s objective of zero-casualty in times of
calamities.
"The country is learning from the lessons
of its neighbors. Nothing could further exemplify the importance of the ISDB-T
system than what transpired in Northeastern Japan in 2011 in the aftermath of
the earthquake. Residents in the vicinity of the quake immediately received
tsunami alert warnings and passengers of the Shinkansen or bullet trains were
able to disembark and run for safety using the system. Moreover, residents in
nearby towns were also able to receive warnings despite the absence of
electricity. As a result, numerous lives were saved," he said.
He said ISDB-T has a built-in early warning
system to enable people with TV sets, mobile phones and other hand-held gadgets
with TV receivers to receive early warning announcements and advisories from
the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council.
It has also a built-in mobile transmission that
can send early warnings to more than 100 million mobile phone users in the
country at the shortest possible.
"You in media have certainly done its part.
No one will forget how many of your news teams risked life and limb to cover
the storm," he said.
"We can all do more, and today, I would
like to make an appeal for greater accuracy in reports. In the same way that
you have used your media coverage to give this tragedy a very real and human
face, and to move others to action, you can also use your role to uplift the
spirits of the Filipino people - to find stories of resilience, hope, and
faith, and show the world just how strong the Filipino people are," the
President said. PND (js)
Palace: President Aquino remains focused in
directing disaster management operations to help Yolanda victims
President Benigno S. Aquino III remains focused
on directing the operations of the government's disaster management mechanism
in helping people affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), Malacañang said
Thursday.
In a media briefing, Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said the goal is still
to help bring the people's lives back to normal.
"Patuloy na naka-focus ang Pangulo sa
pag-direct ng operations na ito (The President remains focused in directing
such operations)," he said.
He said the priority is also to bring normalcy
back to all affected cities and towns, and prepare for the transition to
rehabilitation.
Coloma also emphasized that the Aquino
administration is the first to implement a disaster management mechanism via
the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Under this structure, local government units are
given more responsibilities to minimize the impact of disasters by getting more
powers such as announcing the suspension of classes or work.
He said that while people in the past had to
wait for the head office of a department to announce the suspension of classes
or work, LGUs are now empowered to make such decisions.
Coloma also said there is no need for President
Aquino to appoint a so-called disaster czar because the national disaster risk
reduction and management framework is in place.
"Pag naganap ang actual emergency, doon na
i-activate yan (When there is an actual emergency, it can be activated),"
he said. PND (jl)
