Leyte governor sees faster rehab operations with
Lacson's appointment
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Leyte Governor Leopoldo
Dominic Petilla welcomed the appointment of former Senator Panfilo Lacson as
"rehabilitation czar" saying it will speed up the recovery process in
Eastern Visayas following the destruction brought about by super typhoon
"Yolanda".
"It's a positive news that the government
will help in the rehabilitation by assigning somebody as rehabilitation
czar," Petilla said.
He said he is expecting Lacson to coordinate
with his brother Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, who is designated as
coordinator of the rehabilitation operations.
Sec. Jericho Petilla served as governor of Leyte
before he was appointed to the Cabinet.
The two officials regularly called for an
inter-agency meeting here to oversee the progress particularly in the
rehabilitation stage.
As of the latest, the governor said the
government is working on logistics on how to transport some 300 million tons of
galvanized iron (GI) sheets to various provinces hit by Yolanda in Eastern
Samar.
He said the municipal government lacks the
facilities or equipment to deliver the said iron sheets to barangays.
The government conducted a pilot delivery of
some 7,000 GI sheets from private donors to Tanauan in Leyte and Guiuan in
Eastern Samar.
"The purpose of the pilot delivery is to
know the issues in distribution, which will be discussed with the national
government," said Gov. Petilla.
Other concerns of the local government is the
policy on the no-build zones which Gov. Petilla said has yet to be finalized by
the national government.
"It's difficult to come up with one policy.
It should be a case-to-case basis," he said. PND (jb)
DOH: Water in Tacloban not safe for drinking
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The Department of Health
(DOH) warned residents here not to drink tap water saying that water systems
have been contaminated following the devastation wrought by super typhoon
"Yolanda" three weeks ago.
In an inter-agency meeting Wednesday, DOH
assistant secretary Rosell Paulyn-Ubial said 29 out of the 45 water systems
they tested have turned out positive for coliform bacteria, which means that
the water is contaminated with feces.
"Water here is really dangerous and not
safe for drinking. We advise residents not to drink directly from
faucets," Ubial said.
The DOH has urged every household to boil water
for at least 20 minutes before drinking.
Ubial said the DOH with the help of the local
government units is assisting households in conducting water treatment by
providing aquatabs and chlorine solutions (waterine) to be put in a 20 liter
container for 30 minutes before consuming.
She stressed that all water sources should be
examined including water tanks and water refilling stations.
Ubial said there must be a breakage in water
systems in some parts of Leyte and Samar due to the typhoon which led to the
contamination of water.
As this developed, Ubial said there have been
cases of diarrhea reported in Tacloban but dismissed the concern of having an
outbreak in the city.
"We don't want this to be blown out of
proportion. We need to remove contaminants from the drinking water. Our teams
are going around to establish areas for water chlorination," she said.
As to the DOH response against dengue, Ubial
encouraged residents to do "search-and-destroy" in households as well
as in evacuation centers.
"Let's us cover containers with water where
mosquitoes could thrive. And let us maintain sanitation and cleanliness in our
respective areas," she said.
The government continues to work with the
Japanese Self-Defense Force unit in conducting fumigations in evacuation
centers.
Ubial also reported that the DOH already
finished giving vaccinations to 6,000 children below five years old in
Tacloban. They are still targeting 29,000 more children for immunization from
measles. PND (jb)
DOLE to set up livelihood projects for
typhoon-affected workers in Eastern Visayas
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The Department of Labor
and Employment (DOLE) is planning to come up with livelihood programs for
workers displaced by super typhoon "Yolanda" in the Eastern Visayas
region.
DOLE Eastern Visayas Director Exequiel Sarcauga
said many private companies closed their businesses here following the
devastation wrought by Yolanda last November 8.
"The Secretary of the Department of Labor
has rolled out programs that could give money to displaced workers immediately,"
Sarcauga said.
DOLE has launched an emergency employment
program intended for some 12,500 workers where each individual is paid P3,900
for 15 days or P260 per day for an eight-hour clearing and cleaning operations.
Workers are also provided with insurance from the Government Service Insurance
System (GSIS).
Thirty workers were hired in every barangay with
at least one worker per household.
The emergency employment, which is a temporary
assistance to workers, has an initial funding of P50 million but Sarcauga noted
that they already have 14,000 workers, as of the latest update, thus incurring
a budget deficit of P13 billion.
He said they are "exhausting" other
funds to meet the P13 million excess.
As for the long-term livelihood projects,
Sarcauga said DOLE is now ready to accept proposals from displaced workers both
from the informal and formal sectors.
"They can submit proposals and as long as
the proposal qualifies and meets the criteria provided under the guideline it
will be approved," he said.
He noted that the DOLE will be getting a bigger
allocation in 2014 due to the abolition of the priority development assistance
funds (PDAF).
He said each congressional district will have P7
million increase in project allocation that can be used for livelihood,
training for work and special programs for the employment of students. PND (jb)
Palace assures government still addressing needs
of typhoon Pablo victims
Malacañang on Wednesday reassured that
government continues to address the needs of people affected by Typhoon Pablo
(Bopha), which devastated parts of Mindanao one year ago.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. said a task force headed by Cabinet
Secretary Jose Rene Almendras is preparing a budget for rehabilitation work.
“Meron pong inilatag na rehabilitation program
para sa Typhoon Pablo-affected areas. Meron pong Task Force Pablo na
pinangungunahan ni Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras at meron na rin pong
inihahandang budget para sa ganap na implementasyon nito (We have a
rehabilitation program for Pablo-affected areas, Task Force Pablo under Cabinet
Secretary Jose Rene Almendras. It has a budget for the implementation of the
rehabilitation program),” Coloma said at a media briefing.
Typhoon Pablo struck Davao Oriental and
Compostela Valley in December 2012, leaving a trail of death and destruction.
Coloma said the post-Pablo rehabilitation
efforts include identifying areas where new homes should not be built.
He added authorities have used modern technology
to identify resettlement areas that do not pose a major geohazard risk.
“Kasi kung maaalala natin, marami po doon sa mga
nasawi ay nakatira sa mga landslide-prone areas (Many of the fatalities from
Pablo were living in landslide-prone areas),” he said. PND (jl)
Palace acknowledges sense of urgency in
selecting new Customs chief
Malacañang on Wednesday acknowledged there is a
sense of urgency in selecting the the replacement of resigned Customs
Commissioner Rozzano Rufino Biazon.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr. also said it is up to Biazon and Finance
Secretary Cesar Purisima to decide how much time the transition from Biazon to
the new BOC commissioner will take.
“Wala po akong nalalamang deadline. Sapat na po
sigurong sabihin na dahil sa kahalagahan ng posisyon meron pong sense of
urgency rin sa pagpuno ng posisyong ito (I am not aware at this time of any
deadline. But it is sufficient to say that there is a sense of urgency in
filling this position),” he said.
Earlier this week, Biazon resigned from his post
over charges linking him to the alleged misuse of the Priority Development
Assistance Fund, when he was still a lawmaker.
Biazon ran for senator in 2010 but was defeated.
He was eventually appointed Customs commissioner by President Aquino.
On the other hand, Coloma said it is up to
Biazon to take up with Purisima the matter of how long the transition from
Biazon to his successor will be.
“Sa akin pong pananaw maaari naman pong
talakayin yan sa pagitan nilang dalawa ni Secretary Purisima (I think the issue
can be discussed between Biazon and Purisima),” he said.
Meanwhile, Coloma maintained the President will
appoint the “most qualified” person as Biazon’s replacement.
He said the government recognizes the major role
of the Bureau of Customs’ major role in the government’s revenue generation
efforts, next only to the Bureau of Internal Revenue.
“Kaya po significant ang contribution ng BOC to
this overall effort (The BOC has a significant contribution to this overall
effort). And following that principle, the person that will head this bureau
would have to be equal to the task of producing the second biggest revenue
source for the national government and its expenditures,” he said. PND (jl)
President Benigno S. Aquino III and President
Thein Sein of Myanmar to hold bilateral meeting in Malacanang on Thursday
President Benigno S. Aquino III and President
Thein Sein of the Republic of the Union of Myanmar will hold bilateral talks on
Thursday in Malacanang Palace, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr said on Wednesday.
"The two leaders are scheduled to hold
bilateral talks Thursday that will be followed by the signing of several
agreements such as cooperation on trade and investments, food security and
agriculture, Agreement on renewable energy, information cooperation in the
fields of news exchange, radio, and television broadcasting, film industries,
public relations, and printing and publishing and an agreement on visa
exemption of ordinary passport holders," Coloma said during the regular
press briefing in Malacanang.
The Representatives from the chambers of
commerce and industries of both countries will also sign an agreement to expand
business opportunities and trade relations, Coloma said.
After the signing of the agreements, Coloma said
the Ministry of Social Welfare, Relief, and Resettlement of Myanmar and the
Department of Social Welfare and Development will exchange notes on the
turnover of Myanmar’s donation for the victims of the Central Visayas
earthquake and typhoon Yolanda.
President Thein Sein and his official party will
offer a wreath in honor of Dr. Jose Rizal at the Luneta Park on Thursday before
proceeding to Malacañang.
"The President will tender a state luncheon
in his honor after the bilateral talks. He will visit the International Rice
Researchs Institute in Los Baños, Laguna and Cebu province to explore
investment opportunities in the agricultural sector and to visit some
typhoon-affected areas," Coloma said.
The state visit is President Thein Sein’s first
visit to the Philippines since his assumption to office in 2011. The last time
a head of state from Myanmar visited the Philippines was in 2005 when Prime
Minister Soe Win visited Manila.
President Aquino and President Thein Sein had
their first bilateral meeting in Nay Pyi Taw on June 07, 2013, when the Chief
Executive attended the World Economic Forum (WEF) on East Asia hosted by
Myanmar. It will be the Philippines turn to host the said forum in 2015.
Myanmar donated seven (7) tons of relief goods
and US$100,000 to the victims of typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).
The Philippines and Myanmar established
diplomatic relations in 1956 and will celebrate the 60th anniversary of their
relations in 2016. PND (js)
Palace: PNP to look into resale of ready-to-eat
meals for Yolanda survivors
The Philippine National Police will look into
the alleged resale of ready-to-eat meals from the United States for survivors
of super typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), Malacañang said Wednesday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
head Herminio Coloma Jr. said the Palace is interested in getting to the bottom
of the alleged sale of relief items.
“Kung makukumpirma ang ulat na ito, if this
report is verified, maaaring siyasatin ito ng Philippine National Police (If
this report is verified, the PNP can investigate it),” he said at a media
briefing.
When asked if Malacañang is interested to get to
the bottom of the matter, he said it is.
“Syempre po ang gusto natin ay ‘yung maayos na
paghahatid ng kalinga at tulong sa ating mga mamamayan na naaayon sa batas. So
kung ano po ang naganap na labag sa batas, tungkulin po ng ating mga law
enforcement agencies na siyasatin ito at ipatupad ang batas (Of course we want
an orderly distribution of aid to people affected by the typhoon. This means
having law enforcement agencies investigating and taking appropriate actions on
any violation of the law),” he said.
Earlier reports indicated some ready-to-eat
meals meant for survivors of Yolanda had been brought to some stores in Metro
Manila where they are sold.
Yolanda had left more than 5,600 dead after
battering parts of Eastern Visayas and Southern Luzon.
Coloma said the PNP is aware of its mandate to
enforce the law.
“Batid po ng PNP ang dapat nilang gawin bilang
law enforcement agency (The PNP knows what it has to do as a law enforcement
agency),” he said. PND (jl)
Palace: Government prepared to take steps to
protect public welfare on power rate adjustment
The government is ready to take the needed steps
to protect the public welfare if the power rate adjustment by the Manila
Electric Co. (Meralco) is found to be unjustified, Malacañang said Wednesday.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
head Herminio Coloma Jr. said that while power rates are market-driven, the
Energy Regulatory Commission is in place to review the basis of a power rate
adjustment if it is questioned.
“Meron tayong proseso para maituwid yan kung ito
naging arbitrary. Kaya tayo may ERC despite the operation of market mechanisms,
may regulatory body empowered to review the decisions of the market players (We
have a process to address claims that power rate adjustments are arbitrary. We
have the ERC as a regulatory body empowered to review the decisions of the
market players),” Coloma said at a media briefing.
“At meron din sapat na safeguard na nilalagay
ang batas para protektahan ang karapatan ng consumer kung maipapakita na di
makatwiran o labis ang pagsingil at di naaayon sa paggalaw ng market forces
(There are safeguards in place to protect the consumer from price adjustments
that may not be fair or in accordance with market forces),” he added.
He added that while the government recognizes
the power sector is market-driven, President Benigno Aquino III still has the
obligation to uphold the welfare of Filipino consumers.
“The President is putting up front in his
decision-making the general welfare of the Filipino people,” he said.
Coloma said power distribution utilities like
Meralco automatically adjust their generation charge depending on the prices of
the supply it gets from the market.
The latest power rate adjustment was due to the
maintenance shutdown of the Malampaya natural gas plant from Nov. 11 to Dec.
10, he said, adding the power rate increase according to Meralco is temporary.
Meanwhile, Coloma said it is up to Congress to
review and amend the Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) and the oil
deregulation law, which some groups had blamed for high power rates. PND (jl)
The Philippine's improved ranking in
Transparency International’s 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index reflects
continuous government reforms, Palace say
The Aquino administration welcomed reports that
the Philippines improved its score and ranking in the Transparency
International's Corruption Perception Index 2013, Presidential Spokesperson
Edwin Lacierda said.
"The momentum of reform continues unabated,
as recognized by the global anticorruption coalition, Transparency
International. In its 2013 Corruption Perceptions Index, the Philippines moved
from 105th place in 2012 to 94th place this year—an improvement of 11 places.
This builds on last year’s 24 spot jump (from 129 to 105)," Lacierda said
in a statement.
The Philippines ranked 94th this year with a
score of 36, up from last year's 105th with a score of 34.
Transparency International is a non-governmental
organization that monitors and publicizes corruption in international
development.
"This year’s improvement continues a
trend—in which the reforms put in place result in an increasingly positive and
encouraging perception of the country, where improvements are measured not only
year-by-year, but by leaps and bounds on an annual basis," Lacierda said.
Lacierda said the Philippine improvement is also
a measure of the continued confidence of the international community in the
Philippines. "It likewise contributes to the virtuous cycle of empowerment
as Filipinos from all walks of life work together to accomplish permanent
change in the country," he said. PND (js)
Palace reassures public: Officials in Yolanda
rehab doing homework
Malacañang on Wednesday reassured the public the
officials involved in the rehabilitation of areas affected by Super Typhoon
Yolanda (Haiyan), including rehabilitation czar and former Sen. Panfilo Lacson,
are doing their homework.
Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the officials involved are continuously
fleshing out the plans of their particular agencies.
“Patuloy po ang Gabinete sa paggawa ng
kinakailangang homework sa pag-flesh out, pag-concretize nung mga partikular na
rehabilitation plans and programs within the scope of the mandate of each
department concerned. So wala pong humpay ang pagsisikap na makapagtakda ng konkretong
programa na maaaring maisagawa sa lalong madaling panahon para maibsan ang
sinapit ng ating mga kababayan sa mga calamity areas (The Cabinet members
concerned continue to do its homework in fleshing out and concretizing
particular rehabilitation plans under their respective mandates. There is no
letup in working to help those affected recover),” Coloma said in a media
briefing.
Even Lacson, who last weekend accepted President
Benigno Aquino III’s offer to head the rehabilitation work, is already talking
to stakeholders, he added.
“Ang batid ko patuloy ang pakikipagugnayan sa
stakeholders’ group at nangangalap ng input, suggestion at information (From
what I learned, he is working with stakeholders’ groups and is getting inputs,
suggestions and information),” he said.
Yolanda barreled through parts of the Visayas
and Southern Luzon last month, leaving behind more than 5,600 dead.
The destruction it caused has triggered sympathy
and aid from the international community. PND (jl)
Filipino-Chinese fire volunteer group continues
to help Taclobanons following Yolanda destruction
(TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The devastation caused by
super typhoon "Yolanda" failed to hinder a Filipino-Chinese fire
volunteer group based here to help and rescue their fellow Taclobanons.
Archibald Jansen Antig, Chairman of Tacloban
Chinese Chamber Fire Volunteer Brigade, said Wednesday all of their five
emergency vehicles including four fire trucks and one ambulance were damaged
during the typhoon that struck last November 8.
However, such situation did not cripple their
efforts to secure their families and rescue their neighbors at the height of
the storm.
"Our equipment were totally damaged but it
never became a hindrance for us to help others especially Taclobanons,"
Antig said.
He recalled that when the typhoon hit, his 25
men who were on-duty, were able to help children and families residing beside
their three-storey building in downtown Tacloban.
"Iyong mga tauhan natin nagawa pa ring
tulungan sila sa ginawang lifeline dito para maging safe sila," Antig said
referring to a lifeline safety rope used for emergency response.
The chamber's office served as evacuation center
for almost 150 individuals where they provided basic necessities such as food
and water.
Antig said they were able to seek help from
other volunteer groups to sustain their needs.
Despite lack of functional vehicle, he said they
are still participating in relief operations and flushing of debris as they
received augmentation from other volunteer groups nationwide.
"We were able to get medical supplies to
conduct medical missions. We are also using two fire trucks here from Manila
and Bicol," he said.
Asked what lessons they learned from typhoon
Yolanda's destruction, Antig said "Hindi maging kampante. The downtown
area was never this flooded before so kumbaga kampante kami. We did not
anticipate and foresee the extent of the damage of a storm surge."
"Safety first if ever magkaroon pa rin ng
storm signal. We will make sure emergency vehicles are brought to a safer place
para hindi ma-damage," he added.
The Tacloban Chinese Chamber Fire Volunteer
Brigade currently has 60 members composing of firefighters and emergency
medical teams wherein 95 percent are registered nurses. PND (jb)
President Aquino assures to protect the welfare
of Filipinos with the 10-year extension of lifeline subsidy for households
consuming 100 kilowatts or less, Palace says
President Benigno S. Aquino III is firmly
committed to protect the welfare of the Filipino people with the full
implementation of the law extending the lifeline subsidy to households
consuming 100 kilowatts or less, Presidential Communications Operations Office
Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said.
Coloma issued the statement on Wednesday
following reports of the plan of the Manila Electric Company (Meralco) to
implement power rate adjustment.
In 2011, President Aquino signed into law the
extension of the lifeline subsidy to households consuming 100 kilowatts or
less, Coloma said. He said the subsidy covers more than two million of the
country's most needy families.
The said law known as Republic Act No. 10150
provides a ten-year extension of the lifeline rate implementation under the
Electric Power Industry Reform Act (EPIRA) as a socialized pricing mechanism
that benefits the marginalized end-users of electricity, Coloma said.
Previously, Section 73 of the Republic Act No.
9136 or the EPIRA of 2001 provided for a lifeline rate for the poorest
families, Coloma said.
The Communications Secretary said the Chief
Executive extended the subsidy when it expired in 2011.
Under the lifeline structure, electricity
consumption of up to 20 kWh a month is of free of charge. Households using
21-50 kWh enjoy a 50 percent discount in rates; 51-70 kWh users gets a discount
of 35 percent. Those within the 71-100 kWh consumption range get a 20 percent
subsidy while senior citizens are also entitled to a 20 percent subsidy.
"The Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC) has
exercised its power of review especially when it concerns the general welfare
of consumers. According to ERC, the systems losses shall constitute not more
than eight percent of power rates," he said. PND (js)
