February 4

February 4, 2014 1

“in pursuit of PIA’s commitment to provide a national mechanism for the free flow of timely, accurate and relevant information… “

VOL 2 ISSUE 26 Daily E-Newsletter of Philippine Information Agency - 8 February 4, 2014

17,300 school children in Tanauan and Tolosa receive school supplies from Korean NGO

Dr. Sang Rok Suh of KFHI told the Philippine Information Agency that although many schools reopened on January 6, classes are disrupted by the lack of school supplies. “So we will bring the school supplies from Manila urgently,” Dr. Sang said, as he underscore that the school supplies will be distributed to school children from Kindergarten to Elementary up to High School levels. Dr. Sang who was also in the Region during the Guinsaugon tragedy in 2006, intimated that the school supplies to be distributed

T h e D e p a r t m e n t o f H e a l t h ( D O H ) - 8 d e p l o y s 1 0 8 n e w

n u r s e s t o a u g m e n t t h e m u c h n e e d e d t e c h n i c a l h e a l t h s e r v i c e s i n 2 1 r u r a l a n d c i t y h e a l t h u n i t s i n t h e p r o v i n c e . A c c o r d i n g t o O I C Le t e c i a Ta n , Pr o v i n c i a l D O H O f f i c e r, “ t h e d e p l o y m e n t o f 1 0 8 n e w n u r s e s t o 1 8 r u r a l a n d 3 c i t y h e a l t h u n i t s w h i c h s t a r t e d l a s t J a n u a r y w i l l s t a y i n t h e n e x t t w o y e a r s t o a s s i s t i n t h e t e c h n i c a l h e a l t h s e r v i c e s d o w n a t t h e b a r a n g a y s i n c l o s e c o o r d i n a t i o n w i t h t h e l o c a l h e a l t h u n i t s .” T h r o u g h t h e N u r s e s D e p l o y m e n t Pr o g r a m ( N D P ) , a n i n i t i a t i v e o f t h e A q u i n o a d m i n i s t r a t i o n , w h e r e i n e a c h r u r a l a n d c i t y h e a l t h u n i t s w e r e d e p l o y e d f r o m t w o t o s e v e n n u r s e s d e p e n d i n g o n t h e s i z e o f p o p u l a t i o n i n e v e r y m u n i c i p a l i t y t o b e s e r v e d , Ta n s a i d . T h e N D P n u r s e s w i l l u n d e r t a k e a c t i v i t i e s m o r e o n t e c h n i c a l a s s i s t a n c e o n h e a l t h s e r v i c e s , a d v o c a c y o n t h e d i f f e r e n t f r o n t l i n e p r o g r a m s o f t h e h e a l t h d e p a r t m e n t , m o n i t o r i n g o f c o m m u n i t y h e a l t h s i n t h e l o c a l i t y, f o c u s a l s o o n d i s e a s e s u r v e i l l a n c e a n d s u p p o r t o t h e r h e a l t h p r o g r a m s

DOH deploys 108 new nurses to Southern Leyte

Some 17,300 school children from Tanauan and Tolosa towns in

Leyte will receive knap sacks full of school supplies from a Korean NGO called the Korea Food for the Hungry International, one of the many humanitarian organizations now in Eastern Visayas, on February 4, Tuesday. The distribution in Tolosa will start at 10:00 o’clock in the morning of February 4 and will cover 15 schools. Meanwhile, the distribution in Tanauan will start at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon and will cover 45 schools. continued on page 5

continued on page 5

BY: ERNA GORNE

Tacloban City school children sit at the newly donated recycled classroom chairs from Project Recyclass together with (right to left) DepEd-8 Director Luisa Bautista Yu, DepEd Usec Mario Deriquito, CNN Hero Efren Penaflorida, Mondelez Philippines Category lead for Powdered Beverages head Alex Tacderas and Tang Philippines Sr. Brand Manager Michelle Santillan. (Photo by Neil Lopido/PIA-8)

2 February 4, 2014

BKMM to run for typhoon “Yolanda” victims

Bulig Kablas Medical Mission(BKMM) intends to further help the poor as

well as the typhoon “Yolanda” victims here. Come February 8, a Fun Run for a Cause is set to be held around the city proper hoping to collect more financial assistance from the donation of the runners which range from P150.00 to P250.00; unlike the former, the latter amount is with a free T-shirt. Nurse, Rolando “Olan” Bagacay, one of the coordinators of the activity informed that the first three runners who would arrive earliest to the finish line will receive special awards, so with the oldest and the youngest joggers.

The event will assemble and start at Baybay 5 at 4:OOAM and shall finish in the same site. It is now the tenth year of BKK public service in the province, through medical mission. Volunteer medical specialists from the U.S. and their counterparts in greater Manila area and Leyte have already impacted in the life and health conditions of hundreds of indigent patients here. From barangay Iraw, Salcedo town this province, single parent Maricel Macasujot, 33 and mother of three has all praises to the Medical Mission, because she was spared of some P30,000.00 surgical charge. She said, two years ago she was told to prepare the amount in a

DPWH to implement Php 752 M worth of road/ bridge projects in Samar

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Samar First

Engineering Office in Calbayog City received some Php 752,258,000.00 under the 2014 DPWH Infrastructure Program for roads and bridges within its area of jurisdiction. The amount is expected to fund 44 major projects to start immediately as pre-construction activities like bidding were done last year. Projects range from rehabilitation and reconstruction of critical sections like road slips in arterial and secondary roads along the national roads caused by Typhoon Yolanda, this will cost some Php 115. 262 M according to the public works.For a smooth traffic flow, widening of Gomez Extension and San Jorge town area will be done to cost some Php 75 M.To avert flooding, construction of drainage system will be done along Daang Maharlika worth Php 48.496 M.

Tacloban hospital but according to her, she has nowhere to find the money for the operation of her goiter. Since her operation by an American doctor, she has restored her self-confidence and lately, Jon Rognar, a 48 year-old tourist Canadian spotted on her and the two are now living together. BKMM mainly helps women who have problems in their reproductive systems, Ovarian cases for one, and elderly men who complain of Hernia troubles. The BK Medical Mission is a partnership endeavor of the Borongan Diocese and the Eastern Samar Provincial Hospital (ESPH). (PIA-Eastern Samar)

There will also be paving of road shoulders in J Luna Street, Calbayog Old National Route in Calbayog City and Sta Margarita worth Php 50 M. Identified critical bridges for strengthening includes Cabacungan Bridge, Cagmanipis Bridge,Malajog Bridge,Oquendo Bridge, Sinidman Bridge,Tangao Bridge and Tinambacan Bridge. New bridges will also be constructed in Awang, Begaho, Cagpapale,Palanas-Cara, Pulid and Rawis said to be worth Php 40 M. Another set of flood control and drainage projects worth Php 250 M is allocated for Barangay Bugtong, Malajog,Tinambacan Sur, Caglanipao Sur and San Policarpo all in Calbayog City. As to the so called Various Infrastructure, including Local Projects ( VILP), some Php 50 M is set for the construction of Gandara-Matuginao Road. (PIA 8-Samar)

BY: ALICE NICART

February 4, 2014 3Tacloban City Division recipient of 2 thousand classroom chairs from project ReCyclassDepartment of Education in

Eastern Visayas’ Tacloban City Division is a recipient of two- thousand (2,000) classroom chairs from Project RecyClass, a nationwide recycling drive supported by the Department of Education. Mr. Alex Tacderas of Mondelez Philippines, one of the prime mover of the project, said that the project is an organization of kids across the country whose main objective is to protect the environment. One of their very first projects is to collect foil and transform them into chairs. From foil packs to chairs, young minds of the Tang Galing Club, an online community which harnesses kid empowerment, rediscovered the power of recycling through its first real-life mission campaign called ‘Project RecyClass.’ Mondelez as a business enterprise help the kids to look for a

technology and a plant to transform what they have collected because if not these foils could have clogged the water ways. The project recyClass is a collaboration of the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources DENR, National Youth Commission, Girl Scouts of the Philippines, and the Sanguniang Kabataan. Tacderas was glad to inform that initially the group only thought of providing two thousand chairs in Metro Manila but the number of foils collected reached an overwhelming 11 million pieces which were transformed into ten thousand (10,000) chairs. Because of this, Tacderas said, that they will be able to donate to almost 200 schools in the whole country from Apari to Jolo. Initially, Tacloban being a Highly Urbanized City was not

DepEd Tacloban City Division received Monday two thousand recycled classroom chairs donated by Project Recyclass, a group of empowered Filipino kids who collected foils and transformed into chairs in partnership with Tang Philippines thru its Tang Galing Club to help the school children in Tacloban to go back to school. (Photo by Neil Lopido/PIA-8)

included in the list of the recipients but the children of the project proposed to donate chairs to the victims of Yolanda thus, Tacloban was the included in the list. Tacloban was in fact the first stop of the project which is set to visit other schools in the country to distribute 10 thousand school chairs. Tacderas added that per chair the Department of Education has to allocate P1,500but because of the foil content the chairs will only cost P900 each. The chair ’s durability was tested and certified by the Material Science Division of the Department of Science and Technology which declared that the chairs are more durable because it has fiber and toxic free, Tacderas added. Tacderas was glad that the children from this project gave importance to chairs especially that the lack of classrooms is the usual focus even by the Department. Meanwhile, Dep-Ed Undersecretary for External Linkages Mario A. Deriquito thanked the Mondelez Philippines and the kids behind the project for bringing to Tacloban their chair sharing project and for sharing the fruits of their efforts to the kids of Tacloban city. Deriquito in his message to the children of Tacloban congratulated the kids for their new chairs. He also requested them to take care of the chairs. He said that chairs are of collaborative efforts of many groups including children it is best to take care of these chairs and if time comes that recipients has the opportunity to help others they should not hesitate to also help those in need. Director Luisita Bautista Yu and Tacloban City Schools Division Superintendent Gorgonio Diaz and CNN model of the year awardee Efren Penaflorida were among those present during the Tang Galing Club Project RecyClass chair distribution. (PIA 8 with Lizbeth Ann Abella)

4 February 4, 2014

PNP-SoLeyte strengthens war against illegal drugs, conducts random drug test

T he Philippine National Police (PNP) –Southern Leyte Police

Provincial Office through the leadership of Acting Provincial Director PSSup. Armando f. Bolalin conducted random drug testing among police personnel, Police Community Relations Chief PSupt. Reynaldo Plecerda informed. Plecerda said that the activity was following the directive of PD Bolalin directing to conduct a joint inspection and random drug testing for all PNP personnel assigned in Panaon Island-municipalities police stations such as Liloan, San Francisco, San

Ricardo and Pintuyan. “A total of 68 PNP personnel were assigned in the local police stations in the said areas,” Plecerda quoted. These include 4 Police Commissioned Officers and 64 Non-Police Commissioned Officers. However, three (3) PNP personnel were absent during the inspection and failed to submit for drug test despite of the scheduled activity and directive. Nevertheless, these three (3) PNP personnel will face administrative sanction to be undertaken by this Office, Plecerda added. During the inspection, PNP

personnel of said municipalities underwent mandatory drug testing undertaken by PSI Randy Dagatan and PInsp. Charles Rubie Vil lagen, Forensic Chemist of the Southern Leyte Crime Laboratory Office. The PNP directive is to strengthen the SLPPO’s campaign against i l legal drugs. “I t is not l imited to the arrest of drug pushers and users, but it also involved in cleansing its organization to make sure it is drug-free and its personnel are not using i l legal drugs,” Plecerda reported. (PIA-SoLeyte)

BY: MA. REBECCA G. CADAVOS

Grade VI pupil Kezia (center) of Rizal Elementary School is all smiles and thankful with the new 2,000 recycled classroom chairs donated to Tacloban City DepEd Monday from her fellow kids of Project Recyclass, an organization of kids across the country whose main objective is to protect the environment and whose first project is to collect foils and transformed them into classroom chairs. (Photo by Neil Lopido/PIA-8)

DPWH – 4th LED actively implements various projectsBY: MARIVIC ALCOBER

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) – Leyte

Fourth Engineering District (4th

LED) through its head District Engineer Lino Francisco C. Gonzalez is currently conducting various

projects in its area of coverage. Included in these projects in the 4th LED, Engr. Gonzalez informed, is the putting up of warning signs along Ormoc-Baybay-Southern Leyte Road (Panilahan Bridge), and along Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road. On the other hand, it was also bared that along the Palompon-Isabel-Merida-Ormoc Road, rechanneling of the flood control has recently been conducted, while repair of scoured shoulders damaged by Typhoon Yolanda was also completed a couple of weeks ago along Libungao-Matag-ob-Palompon Road. Engr. Gonzalez likewise shared that he and his staff also conducted an ocular inspection on the ongoing rechanneling of the Panilahan River to divert the waterways in order to avoid further damage to the bridge located in the area. (PIA-8)

February 4, 2014 5

17,300 school children...from page 1

DOH deploys...from page 1

i m p l e m e n t e d b y t h e l o c a l h e a l t h u n i t s , s h e n o t e d . A n o t h e r p r i o r i t y a c t i v i t y w i l l b e f o c u s e d a l s o o n m a t e r n a l c h i l d c a r e e s p e c i a l l y a m o n g t h e p r e g n a n t w o m e n a n d i n f a n t s , w h i c h a r e v e r y c r u c i a l t o t h e M i l l e n i u m D e v e l o p m e n t G o a l s ( M D G ) c o m m i t m e n t s . Ta n a l s o w a n t s a n a g g r e s s i v e i n f o r m a t i o n c a m p a i g n t o b e c a r r i e d o u t o n H I V A I D S h e a l t h w h i c h p o s e s a s a n o t h e r e m e r g i n g h e a l t h p r o b l e m t h a t h à s t o b e u n d e r s t o o d b y c o m m u n i t y.( P I A 8 S o Le y t e )

amounted to P6.92 million. “We will put pencils, ballpens, erasers, crayons, art materials, color papers, notebooks, among others in the knap sack,” he said. For this effort, Korean missionaries, Christians, and church members, with an overall number of 500 were engaged in packing the school supplies, worked for two days in the army headquarter gym located in Manila and the packages were transported to Tolosa and Tanauan through Filipino military vehicles. ”We don’t want to boast about this effort. We just want the residents in Yolanda hit-Leyte that there are many countries in the world that would like to help, so they must not lose hope. Dr. Sang said KFHI arrived in Leyte 4 days after the typhoon Yolanda and conducted emergency relief food supply activities, health care¸ epidemics prevention and tent distribution. “Now, we are on a long-term project which focuses on rebuilding schools and churches,” Dr. Sang said. (PIA 8)

DSWD Sec. urges DPWH to fast track the completion of Transitional Shelters in EV

BY: CONSUELO B. ALARCON

Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman of the Department of Social

Welfare and Development on Saturday has urged the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in Eastern Visayas to fastrack the completion of the transitional shelters as more people are getting back to its former residences even if situated in “No Build Zones.” During the Special Meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC) held at the Provincial Capitol Building, in the city, Soliman has emphasized the need to complete the transitional shelters as soon as possible to protect the Yolanda affected families from diseases and other dangers while staying in tents and tarps. “I think what we need now is to fast track this as you all know the rains are here, we had two typhoons and as I spoke with the people in

tents when I visited them, obviously it is better to be inside in transitional shelters rather in tents. So the sooner we have the transitional shelters, the better because we saw in Basey and Marabut, many tents are within the 40 meters and it really means that we need to do some fastracking,” Soliman said. As of this writing, 47 bunkhouses have already been occupied by the benificiaries. Other bunkhouses were not yet occupied while the DPWH is trying to complete the structures with toilets, bathrooms and kitchen. More than 200 bunkhouses are to be constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways for Yolanda survivors in the region whose houses were totally damaged and situated in risky areas. (PIA-8)

Signing of Deed of Agreement in support of Project Recyclass, an organization of kids across the country whose main objective is to protect the environment. In photo during the signing Monday at the Tacloban City Division are (l-r) Michelle Santillan, Tang Philippines Sr. Brand Manager; South East Asian Regional Director Alex Tacderas of Mondelez Philippines for Powdered beverages; DepEd-8 director Luisa Bautista-Yu; and Tacloban City Schools Div. Superintendent Gorgonio Diaz. (Photo by Neil Lopido/PIA-8)

6 February 4, 2014

Departamento han Edukasyon zero backlog ha mga classrooms, sering ni Pangulo AquinoH i Pangulo Benigno S. Aquino

II I en nagsering dida han Lunes nga ha katapos-tapusan an gobyerno en nakakuha na hin zero backlog ha mga classrooms dida han paghingayad hin maabot 66,813 nga mga classrooms. Dida han iya pagyakan dida han pormal nga turn-over

han 66,813 nga mga classrooms ha Carmona National High School dinhi, an Chief Executive en nagsering nga an Departamento han Edukasyon (DepEd) en ha katapus-tapusan nakakuha na han iya gintatarget nga zero backlog han nakalabay nga Disyembre, 2013.

“Han paglingkod naton ha pwesto, nakabalandra ha aton an nakakalipong nga kakulangan ha sektor han edukasyon. Kulang kita ha l ibro, ngan mga magturotdo. Mayda gihapon kita – adi na an k ilala nga numero – 66,800 nga kakulangan hin mga classrooms,” sering niya. Sering ni Pangulo Aquino nga an gobyerno en nakagdumara hin pakigsugbong ngadto han iba-iba nga mga ahensya han gobyerno, local government units (LGUs), pribado nga sektor ngan han mga langyawanon nga mga magdodonar para matapo an gintatarget. An mga classrooms, nga tikang ha one -storey nga mga estraktura ngadto ha pipira ka-andana nga mga estraktura, en gintindog pinaagi han pundo nasyonal ngan kanan lokal nga pangobyernohan ngan mga donasyon nga natikang ha mga pribado nga sektor. “Ngan ha yana nga adlaw, nakita naton an ceremonial turnover han 66,813 nga bag-o nga mga classrooms, nga nagpara han iginpamana nga backlog han nakalabay nga administrasyon. Ha kamatuoran, sugad han iginsaad ni Secretary Armin Luistro, natapos an pagtinduga dida pa han Disyembre. An bonus pa ngani: nalapusan pa naton an aton target,” sering han Pangulo. Gindayaw han Pangulo hi Education Secretary Luistro mahitungod han iya kakumitido ngan didikasyon ha iya paghatag han mga panguna nga mga panginahanglan para han mga classrooms, mga lingkuran ngan mga libro, labot la han mga iba pa.

WARAY NEWS

padayon ha page 7

February 4, 2014 7 “Makalapos hin masobra tulo katuig nga maupay nga pagpadalagan, an haros 62 milyones – utrohon ko la ito ha – 62 milyones nga kakulangan ha l ibro, napara na, 2012 pa. Ngan nakuha ito naton, ha mas maupay nga presyo kuntra han gin-abutan – nakatipid k ita dinhi hin 40 porsyento, Brother Armin, kuna tama an akon pagkahinumdom,” sering niya. “An duha hin tunga ka-milyones nga backlog ha l ingkuran, nasolbar gihapon. Nagamit pa naton an mga kakahoyan nga i l igal an pagkakuha para segurado nga waray na magpupulos han i l igal nga burohaton,” sering niya. An Pangulo en nagpagawas han iya pagtu-o nga an edukasyon an

Departamento...tikang ha page 6

sentro han estrateheya ha pag-iban han kakablasan ngan pagtindog hin national competitiveness. “Yana nga napunuan na an mga kakulangan han nakalabay, kumpiyansa k ita nga mas mapapagiusa pa – diri la an sektor han edukasyon – kundi pati an pag-uswag han kabug-usan han l ipunan,” sering niya. ( Trans. by maa/PIA8)

8 February 4, 2014

Batang Pinoy 2014 Most Valuable Player is from Leyte Sports AcademyAdjudged as one of the five Most

Valuable Players in the recently concluded Batang Pinoy 2014 is Karen T. Jonario, 14 years old scholar ofthe Leyte Sports Academy Jonario won won five gold medals from 100-meter dash, 200-meter dash, 100 -meter high hurdles, 2 relays 4 by 100 and 4 by 400 in the National Finals held in Bacolod City on January 28 to February 1, 2014. The group of Jonario, the Athletics girls. was also the over-all champion for the athletics, it was learned. Mr. Ruben Tamayo, Executive Director of Leyte Sports Academy informed the Philippine Information Agency that 21 athletes from LSA, 10 from athletics where Jonario is a member, 5 from swimming, 5 from boxing and 1 from wrestling joined the recently concluded sporting event. The LSA team got 5 gold medals, 2 silver medals, and 3 bronzes from athletics alone. Jonario said that few of her secret to in her winning streak in Batang Pinoy was training hard and trusting and believing in her coaches. Jonario who happens to live in one of the hardest hit municipality Barangay Libertad, Palo, revealed that she really prayed hard that she’ll be spared from the typhoon hoping that she will not be injured so that she can play well in Batang Pinoy. Jonario, it was learned, won 4 medals in last year’s Batang Pinoy Visayas Leg. Mr. Tamayo said that Jonario will receive P2,000 per medal, and over-all Jonario will receive P10,000 from the provincial government of Leyte. Batang Pinoy is an annual national competition program for

Grade 3 pupil Christian Jeff Orgino with his new backpack full of school supplies from USAID during the hand-over of post-disaster education assistance package to Leyte and Ormoc Schools held at Pawing Elem. School, Palo, leyte on January 30. (Photo by Neil Lopido/PIA-8)

children aged 15 years old and below. A way to develop athletic skills required in making a sports champion, Batang Pinoy is an avenue to harness positive values and characteristics of children: disciplined, socially-integrated,

value-laden and conscious of a healthy lifestyle. It was learned that Batang Pinoy is the Recruitment base for Youth Olympic Games in 2014 in Nanjing, China. (PIA 8 with Lizbeth Ann A. Abella)