Tanauan, Leyte: 1st Yolanda-hit town to receive government's shelter assistance

When the national government started early this month thru the DSWD, the distribution of shelter assistance to Yolanda-hit families, it did first at Tanauan, Leyte.

The roll out amounted to P238 million worth of shelter assistance to 12,000 families affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

Each family-beneficiary within the build zone area in seven villages is entitled to receive P20,000 worth of vouchers to purchase and construction materials and P10,000 cash to cover labor cost or a total cash assistance of P30,000.

Priority villages for the full assistance are households of San Roque, Sto. Niño, Cabuynan, Bislig, Calogcog, Solano, and Bangon.

It was learned that these barangays were identified since they did not receive galvanized iron sheets from the government.

Mayor Pelagio Tecson said that they are eyeing to complete the distribution of cash and vouchers to all displaced families within this month.

Meanwhile, affected families from the remaining 47 villages of Tanauan will get P10,000 each for house repair.

However, households from no build zone areas will not get any cash assistance since they will be transferred to a permanent relocation site in Pago village.

The DSWD and local government have accredited several hardware stores in Tanauan town for claiming of construction materials by recipients. This will ensure that there will be no overpricing, that the product is of good quality and the service is good.

The beneficiaries can choose which hardware they will get the construction materials.

The government will conduct an audit to check the compliance of the beneficiaries to the conditions of the Core Shelter Assistance Program. opt

BAKHAW program brings hope to this fishing town in Leyte

Ten months after the onslaught of super typhoon Haiyan, communities in Babatngon, Leyte are now reinforcing their livelihoods and ecosystems through Babatngon Kalikasan Habitat Adaptation and Wellness (BAKHAW) program.

The program aims to rehabilitate and develop the coastal resources and at the same time provide sustainable sources of income to address the pervasive poverty in the coastal barangays of Babatngon, a coastal area and a third class municipality whose residents depend on the wealth of aquatic and marine species found in their local ecosystem for livelihood. 

“In my childhood days, a storm meant good memories under the rain. Now, it only spells phobia,” shared Mayor Charita Chan of the municipality of Babatngon.

Mayor Chan said that the mangroves or bakhaw served as the first defense against storm surges. The mountains surrounding the town also served as natural protection to the poor town. Despite these natural shields, the residents’ livelihoods have yet to fully recover from the impacts of last year’s super typhoon.

Babatngon means “bind” in the local dialect. The town was known historically for its wildlife, a rich source for food and livelihood. That bounty is scarcely seen today compared with its neighboring towns.

“Strengthening poor people’s income is one of the best ways to improve their resiliency to climate change. It is important though that economic programs also consider the health of the ecosystem on which people depend for food and livelihood,” said Jay Bertram Lacsamana, Foundation for Sustainable Society (FSSI) Executive Director.

FSSI is a social investing organization providing grants and loans to social enterprises which deliver social, economic and environmental returns for the local economy, Ms. Merriam Azurin, FSSI Advocacy and Communications Manager said.

  

A memorandum of agreement and statement of commitment were signed just recently, by the municipality and provincial government of Babatngon and Leyte, with partner organizations such as the PHCCI Multi-Purpose Cooperative, San Ricardo Producers Association, Brgy. District 4 Women’s Association, Brgy. District 3 Agricultural and Environmental Association, VICTO National, Eastern Visayas Multi-Purpose Cooperative, Eastern Visayas State University, Philippine Tropical Forest Conservation Foundation, the Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Philippine Cooperative Central Fund Federation (PCF).

Through BAKHAW, stakeholders envision a vibrant local economy propelled by community enterprises owned or participated by the poor who uses their environmental resources sustainably.

Butch Salera, CEO of the PCF said, “Through the help of different local sectors such as the government and cooperatives, we hope to engage the citizens in social enterprise that will alleviate the quality of lives of our citizens”.

The program kicked-off with a motorcade followed by a message from Mayor Chan who encouraged the community people to venture into social entrepreneurship. 

“The participation of our community people in this program means a lot because it will hopefully result not only to an empowered community but also to a protected and sustainable marine resource in our place.”

“Economic activities must always have people, planet and profits as their bottomlines. It is the central aim for profit that has put poor communities vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. It is time to change our business and governance behaviors.” Lacsamana said.

The FSSI also provided grant support for the establishment of a housing project for persons with disabilities in Leyte managed by the Foundation for These Abled.

In Tacloban, it also provided a low-interest loan for the Philippine NGO Support Program, Inc. to operate a community-run social health enterprise clinic providing low-cost diagnostic services.  

FSSI also worked with Initiatives for Dialogue and Empowerment through Alternative Legal Services to provide legal services for the reconstruction of the identity of Haiyan’s survivors needed for claiming benefits.

Apart from supporting projects with community organizations, FSSI is also supporting the passage of the Poverty Reduction Through Social Entrepreneurship (PRESENT) Bill which now has a senate committee report.  The bill aims at making social entrepreneurship in the planning framework for national and local governments. Opt

October 6, 2014, a Regular Holiday

This a breaking news. Malacañang has declared October 6, Monday, a regular holiday throughout the nation in observance of Eidul Adha or the Feast of Sacrifice.

The declaration was contained in Proclamation No. 875 signed by President Benigno Aquino III on September 12.

Eid al-Adha is an Islamic festival to commemorate the willingness of Ibrahim, also known as Abraham, to follow Allah’s command to sacrifice his son Ishmael. opt

The Right of Peoples to Peace

The International Day of Peace is observed every year around the world on 21 September. The UN General Assembly has declared this as a day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace, both within and among all nations and peoples.

 

To mark the 30th anniversary of the General Assembly Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace document, the theme of this year’s International Day of Peace is the “Right of Peoples to Peace”.

This anniversary offers a unique opportunity to reaffirm the United Nations commitment to the purposes and principles upon which the Organization was founded. The Declaration on the Right of Peoples to Peace recognizes that the promotion of peace is vital for the full enjoyment of all human rights.

The International Day of Peace was established in 1981 by resolution 36/67 document of the United Nations General Assembly to coincide with its opening session, which was held annually on the third Tuesday of September. The first Peace Day was observed in September 1982.

In 2001, the General Assembly by unanimous vote adopted resolution 55/28 document, which established 21 September as an annual day of non-violence and cease-fire.

The United Nations invites all nations and people to honor a cessation of hostilities during the Day, and to otherwise commemorate the Day through education and public awareness on issues related to peace. opt

One more Glimmer of Hope

Another Glimmer of Hope is forthcoming for the Yolanda affected families in the town of Tanauan, province of Leyte.

Come September 10, 2014, the groundbreaking rites for two more Resettlement Sites for Yolanda displaced families of the municipality will be conducted at Barangays Maribi, a barangay adjacent to the first Resettlement Site at Barangay Pago; and the other one is at Barangay Sacme.

This will be done by the Local Government of Tanauan together with its partners Gawad Kalinga, National Housing Authority and the Department of Public Works and Highways. opt

Glimmer of Hope for Yolanda victims

97 Yolanda displaced families in Tanauan, Leyte have already received housing units at the Pago Resettlement Site.

This after the 4th turn over to 50 families conducted recently by the LGU in partnership with Gawad Kalinga, NHA and DPWH.

Mayor Tecson said in the first turnover, 20 families benefitted; 19 for the second batch and 8 for the 3rd batch.

Leyte Gov Dominic Petilla who led the turnover together with Tanauan Mayor Pel Tecson, assured livelihood assistance to the family beneficiaries.

Some 1,500 housing unit are scheduled to be constructed at the Pago Resettlement Site. Opt

Govertment continues to assist former rebels into the mainstream society

Three more Leyte ex-rebels each received P75,000 cash assistance from OPAPP and the Leyte PLGU.

Per info received from Army friends at the 19th Infantry Battalion, the 3 former rebels received cash assistance from Leyte Governor Dominic Petilla during the Provincial Peace and Order Council (PPOC) meeting held at Governor’s Hall, Leyte Provincial Capitol Bldg., Tacloban City on Tuesday, September 2.

The bounty comprised P65, 000 livelihood assistance from the Office of the Presidential Adviser on the Peace Process (OPAPP) and P10,000 basic assistance from the provincial government of Leyte.

The governor who also gave one (1) sack of rice and food packs each to the former rebels, expressed hope that the bounty will be use to improve the living conditions of the former rebels as they go back to mainstream society.

Cpt. Christopher Badong, Civil Military Operation Officer of the 19th Infantry Battalion based in Kananga, Leyte, said the recipients surrendered to the military, after experiencing hardships in the underground movement of New Peoples Army.

Without them mentioning, the Army is the prime mover in helping and guiding the former rebels as they go back to the folds of law. Congratulations to our Army friends.