Police in Yolanda-affected areas assures
security for reopening of businesses, diskwento Caravan
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Police in Eastern Visayas
on Thursday reassured the public of security for businesses about to reopen
after the onslaught of super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
Philippine National Police Special Action Force
head and security task force commander Director Carmelo Valmoria said this
includes a Diskwento Caravan slated for Friday.
"All these we provided with security,"
Valmoria said at a meeting of the inter-agency task force on Yolanda here
Thursdaymorning.
Several businesses are trying to recover from
the effects of Yolanda, which tore through Visayas and Southern Luzon.
On Wednesday, Mayor Alfred Romualdez met with
representatives of local businesses to encourage them to resume their trade
soonest.
Banks have started efforts to resume normal
transactions.
This Friday, the Department of Trade and
Industry will hold a Diskwento Caravan selling basic goods at low prices.
"We expect there will be other business
establishments that will open today and tomorrow. A Diskwento Caravan of the
Department of Trade and Industry is scheduled for Friday," Valmoria said.
Meanwhile, Valmoria said they will start sending
notices to police personnel who have not yet reported for duty.
"We will send two notices. If they still
fail to return to work we'll be forced to charge them for neglect of
duty," he said. PND (jl)
DOH on alert for flood-related diseases in
‘Yolanda’-hit areas
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Nearly two weeks after
super typhoon “Yolanda” ravaged Visayas and Southern Luzon, the Department of
Health is keeping tab on flood-related diseases here.
DOH assistant regional director for Eastern
Visayas Dr. Paula Sydiongco told an inter-agency meeting Thursday here they are
particularly looking out for leptospirosis and tetanus.
In her report, Sydiongco assured they have
stocked enough medicines to address these diseases.
She urged people exposed to floodwaters to go to
the DOH clinic, where there is propylaxis.
Also, Sydiongco said at least two more had died
from tetanus, an infection caused by exposure to potentially deadly bacteria.
But she also said they are wary of other
diseases like diarrhea among residents in affected areas. PND (jl)
Palace mobilizes entire bureaucracy for relief
efforts
Malacanang has mobilized the country’s
1.3-strong bureaucracy to help in relief efforts for victims of Typhoon
Yolanda.
Memorandum Circular 57 directs all department
secretaries, and heads of agencies and government corporations to mobilize
their respective officials and employees to help in relief and rehabilitation
efforts.
MC 57 also authorizes local government units to
mobilize and help in the efforts.
The Palace also issued Memorandum Order 61 which
directs the Department of Health to temporarily take over control of health and
sanitation operations of LGUs affected by Typhoon Yolanda.
The orders were signed by Executive Secretary
Paquito N. Ochoa, Jr.
Communications Secretary Herminio B. Coloma, Jr.
said the orders effectively expands the relief and rehabilitation operations of
the national government for typhoon-stricken areas.
“Even before the issuance of the MCs, many
government employees already volunteered to assist in relief efforts. This
issuance makes it possible for us to mobilize even more personnel for relief
efforts,” Coloma said.
“The national government recognizes that the
extent of this calamity has left many LGUs crippled as local government
officials were victims of this typhoon as well. The Department of Health has
already activated all its resources to provide medical assistance the survivors
of this tragedy,” he added.
MC 57 gives agency heads and LGUs the discretion
to exempt their officials and employees who will be part of the effort from
observing normal office hours or from performing their regular duties, and to
determine the duration and extent of their participation.
On the other hand, MO 61 puts health and
sanitation services in typhoon-stricken areas under the direct supervision and
control of the DOH.
Malacanang cited Section 17 (f) of Republic Act
7160, or the Local Government Code of 1991, which provides that “the national
government may provide or augment the basic services and facilities assigned to
a LGU” when these services or facilities are either not available or inadequate
to address an emergency situation.
RA 7160 also allows the Health secretary, upon
the direction of the President and in consultation with the LGUs concerned, to
temporarily assume direct supervision over health operations in any LGU for the
duration of the emergency in cases of widespread public health dangers.
An estimated 4.5 million people have been
affected by Typhoon Yolanda. There are presently 1,595 evacuation centers
providing temporary shelter to 89,785 families or 418,988 persons in Regions
IV-A and B, VI, VII, VIII, and CARAGA.
Other displaced families totaling 759,996 or 3.5
million individuals have chosen to stay with their friends and families. PND
Early recovery phase starts in typhoon-ravaged
areas, says Soliman
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The Department of Social
Welfare and Development reported that there are early recovery efforts being
done by government agencies to help the Visayas region get back on its feet
after the devastation of typhoon Yolanda two weeks ago.
Social Welfare and Development Secretary Dinky
Soliman said in a briefing here at the Leyte Sports complex that residents of
the affected areas have start asking for seeds for planting and non-food items
such as tents, plates and blankets.
The DSWD is also in touch with the DepEd to
start alternative learning using USAID tents, Soliman said adding that the
DepEd has to account the number of children that could go back to school
because some may have perished because of the disaster.
“So meron na ring efforts dun sa early recovery
kung tawagin na may mga ibang needs na tinutugunan na ng mga iba’t-ibang donor
agencies na nagpupunta sa atin at nagbibigay nito,” she said.
The DSWD is also working with the local
government units to come up with a proposal for food-for-work program, she
added that adding that LGUs may have the proposal by Saturday and it will be
submitted to the NDRRMC for the President’s approval.
During his visit here this week, President
Aquino instructed agencies to immediately start the food-for-work program as a
way to fast-track the normalization process of devastated areas here in the
Visayas region.
The DSWD’s relief efforts also continue,
according to Soliman, adding repacking operations is also non-stop in Manila.
For the latest figures, Soliman said that the
DSWD has delivered 12,400 food packs in Tacloban City alone. It has also given
away 126,165 one-liter bottles of water to the people, she said. Also 187,879
high energy biscuits were delivered to different areas with the help of the
World Food Program.
The World Food Program also provided five trucks
for Guiuan and another five in Ormoc City to transport goods. With the
additional vehicles the DSWD could do more rounds in different Leyte
municipalities, Soliman said. PND (as)
Aquino government welcomes proposal from
congressional leaders to approve supplemental budget that will provide
additional funding for ‘Yolanda’ victims
The Aquino government welcomed the proposals
from congressional leaders to approve a supplemental budget that will provide
additional funding to cope with the immediate needs of the typhoon victims,
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma
Jr. said.
"The President (Benigno S. Aquino III) is
currently leading the Cabinet in a meeting of the National Economic and
Development Authority Board that, aside from tackling proposals for major
infrastructure projects, has been convened to concretize priority action
programs for the severely-damaged portions of Eastern Visayas," Coloma
said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang on Thursday.
The government expects to incur huge
expenditures that will have a substantial impact on the national budget
following the series of calamities such as typhoon ‘Pablo’, Zamboanga standoff,
typhoon ‘Santi’ in Central Luzon, the Bohol earthquake, and super typhoon
'Yolanda'.
"Hence, we welcome proposals from
congressional leaders to approve a supplemental budget that will provide
additional funding for coping with the immediate needs, based on the
availability of funds that will be certified by the national treasurer,"
Coloma said.
The Executive Branch will also work with
Congress in fine-tuning the proposed 2014 national budget, taking into account
specific funding requirements brought about by the recent series of calamities,
Coloma said.
"As relief operations on ground zero of the
calamity zones are now being actively supervised by the mayors and the
municipal disaster management structure, the national government is able to
focus on the next vital task: rehabilitation and rebuilding," Coloma said.
"We are gratified to note the overwhelming
support and solidarity manifested by the international community. It is
auspicious that, given the country’s sound macroeconomic fundamentals, we were
able to seek favorable terms of assistance, such that incremental borrowings
may be obtained that will not be onerous and burdensome," he said.
Coloma said the forthcoming Philippine
Development Forum pledging session of the international donor community is an
appropriate venue for securing commitments among various stakeholders for the
country’s resource generation efforts. PND (js)
Aquino government to comply with the decision of
the Supreme Court declaring the Priority Development Assistance Fund
unconstitutional
The Aquino government will comply with the
decision of the Supreme Court (SC) declaring the Priority Development
Assistance Fund (PDAF) unconstitutional, Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said.
"As we speak now, the Office of the
President has not received an official copy of the full text of the Supreme
Court decision. Since it is the duty of the Executive branch to fully—to ensure
full compliance with the directives of the Supreme Court, it is as essential
that we have a comprehensive appreciation of the entire meats and bounds of the
decision, so that we will faithfully comply with the Supreme Court’s
directives," Coloma said during the regular press briefing in Malacanang
on Thursday.
The Supreme Court, voting 14-0-1, has declared
the pork barrel system unconstitutional. The magistrates ruled in favor of a
slate of petitions challenging the discretionary funds' legality.
Coloma said the government will study the
decision once it is able to receive a copy from the SC to be able to fully
comply with the magistrates' ruling.
"Katulad po ng aking nabanggit sa simula ng
ating talakayan, hindi pa po nakakakuha ng opisyal na sipi ng buong teksto ng
Supreme Court decision. Ang available po ngayon sa mga online sources ay ang
dispositive portion na ipinahayag ng spokesperson ng Supreme Court, si Attorney
Theodore Te. Kaya sa amin pong assessment, mas makabubuti kung maging ganap
‘yung pag-aaral ng buong desisyon ng Supreme Court," he said.
The Communications Secretary reiterated that the
government is stepping up in the right direction in reform the country’s
bureacracy.
"Makailang ulit na po binanggit ng ating
Pangulo na kaisa ang pamahalaan ng mga mamamayan na nagpahayag ng kanilang
matibay na paninindigan laban sa korapsyon, ‘yung matibay nilang paninindigan
para sa mabuting pamamahala na nakabatay sa transparency and
accountability," he said. PND (js)
