VOL. 14 NO. 43 ORMOC CITY P 15.00 at the newsstands NOVEMBER 18-24, 2013

Website address: www.evmailnews.com For feedback/inquiries: e-mail ormocnews22@yahoo.com.ph

By LaLaine M. JiMenea

Ormocs electric power is restored, Leyte by Dec. 24

see POWER p. 2

GMA 7 AVP scores City for bad joke

see TZU CHI p. 2

ORMOC CITY Hopes that life in this city would be back to normal soon are high after the electric cooperative here success-fully restored power and lit up some street lights and the city hall on Friday (November 22).

This, after the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) ener-gized its Ormoc-Simangan 69-kiloVolt (kV) line at 5:18 in the afternoon and con-nected the substation of the Leyte Electric Cooperative V (LEYECO V) to it.

Elmer Cruz, informa-tion officer of NGCP, said that simultaneously, they also successfully energized the Dingle-Natividad 69-kV line at 6:51PM on the same day. The said line is connected to Iloilo Electric Cooperative III (ILECO III) which distributes power to portions of Iloilo including Anilao, Banate , Barotac Viejo & Ajuy.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr., who broke the good news to his constituents through his FB page by midnight, said he is hopeful that Leyeco V will meet its promised target date to energize the whole city by December 9.

The vice-mayor said the priority areas for energiza-tion are the citys four water pumping stations; the four

Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez, despite having no PDAF, was still able to bring in help to Ormoc City by partnering with NGOs. She is seen here speaking before residents of Linao who are chosen beneficiaries of the Tzu Chi Foundation.

THE TZU Chi Foundation, a Buddhist organization, has poured an estimated Php 100-million into relief aid and shelter assistance to 10,000 families in Ormoc City, this aside from what they are giving to Tacloban City.

Here in Ormoc, the foundation gave their lucky recipients 20 kilos of rice each, a blanket made from recyclable plastic, grocer-ies and cash ranging from P 8,000.00 for a family of three, P 12,000.00 for a fam-ily of five and P 15,000.00 for a big family.

They also gave the

citys 1,000 employees P 15,000.00 each.

As of this report, the foundation has already dis-tributed to selected recipi-ents at Brgy. Camp Downes, Canadieng, Curva, Ipil, San Pablo, Linao and Lilo-an.

Manuel Lee, a mem-ber of the foundation, said that in Tacloban, they have adopted a cash for work scheme. Their recipients work on cleaning up their communities and get P 500.00 at the end of the day.

Lee said that it is impor-tant that the people clean up their communities be-cause it could cause health

problems. Besides, he said, living in dirty surroundings can be depressing. When the communities are al-ready cleaned up, they will follow through with other community work aimed at restoring the lives and dignities of their recipients.

Lee said that originally, the foundation was only on its way to help Tacloban City but they met Rep. Lucy Torres-Gomez who persuaded their president to include Ormoc and the 4th district of Leyte.

You are lucky, he said, because they trust Cong. Lucy Torres-Gomez.

As Buddhists, he said, they believe everything hap-pens for a reason. That they would meet Lucy was no accident and it was because Buddha wanted them to help out the 4th district.

However, he explained Lucys role was just that, to convince them to come over and also share their blessings with her home city. We do not dabble in politics, he said. As for the choice of beneficiaries, it is really the foundation that chooses them. When the decision to help Ormoc City

THE ASSISTANT vice-president of television network GMA 7 scored city personalities assigned to deal with media in the past two weeks for telling them they would be served a notice of eviction from the City Hall premises be-cause they were allegedly not reporting good things about Ormoc.

Cel Rosales-Amores, assistant vice president for news and public affairs of GMA 7 who also headed the distribution of relief goods of GMA Kapuso Foundation, said she was disturbed that their news team had taken base at the Army camp here which was not representative of the city. She asked why they did not stick it out with the City Hall which was an appropriate background for reports out of the city and later found out that the news team packed up their gear after being told by some city personnel that they are disappointed with the news being aired, and that they would be served a notice of eviction from the City Hall.

The next day, Bam Alegre, who headed the

see GMA 7 p. 3

This house survived Yolanda!!!

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2 NEWS November 18-24, 2013

Baybay City Mayor, officials help Yolanda victims

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hospitals in Ormoc; then the Superdome where relief goods arriving to the city are stocked and then, the commercial areas.

Right now, 40% of the water systems are now op-erational. The Ormoc Water Systems Administration (ORWASA) is hopeful that when the four pumping stations are energized, it would restore the water ser-vice to pre-Yolanda levels.

Locsin added that after energizing these priority areas, Leyeco V would start working on house connec-tions. Those living along areas where the lines would pass are lucky because they would be first to be ener-gized, he said.

Locsin, who is closely coordinating with Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla and LEYECO V man-

POWER ... from P. 1

ager Juanito Jorda, said Petillas persistence has paid off. I have been talk-ing to him everyday and he would always monitor the power situation. He promised power would be restored to Ormoc by December 9 but its just November 22 and he has done it!

Petilla also announced to national media that power in Leyte would be restored by December 24, and that Leyteos will not have a dark Christmas.

As of this report, power to a few commercial estab-lishments have been re-stored like the Ormoc Villa Hotel. With this, The Beauty Lounge, which just started operations last October 18, has re-opened and the Chi-nese restaurant, Fat Choi.

TZU CHI ... from P. 1was made, the came here and met with the victims on the congressional offices list. He said it was Tzu Chis policy to really meet their recipients and really know if they needed help.

Lucy, who was pres-ent in their distribution at Brgy. San Pablo and Linao on Sunday morning (No-vember 24) told the recipi-ents to cherish the fact that they are the beneficiaries of the generosity of the Tzu Chi Foundation. She was warmly applauded by the beneficiaries who seated on

the floor, patiently waiting for their turn to get their bounty.

At Brgy. San Pablo, Mayor Edward Codilla and wife Violy was also present. Lucy and Violy, who were seated next to each other, held hands while singing the Tzu Chis song of unity and worldwide friendship.

Rep. Gomez, when asked how she felt about holding hands with the mayors wife, said she did not feel awkward about it. We are in a time when we have to set aside politics.

MOTHER NATURE HEARTS PALOMPON. Sophia Oate, the daughter of Palompon Mayor Ramon Oate shares this aerial photo of a heart-shaped Tabuk Island which she believes protected their town from the full force of 4-meter storm surges as it rushed from the middle of the sea towards the land. She believes the heart-shaped island is a sign that God loves Palomponganons. Tabuk Island is the biggest of the Tres Marias Island Group , just about 5 minutes from the mainland. It was restored to its original glory as as protected mangrove area by the incumbent mayor when he was still a neophyte mayor in 1992. Tres Marias was then bald and a seaweed farm but with firm resolve, Mayor Oate was able to restore it to the mangrove area it was. His perseverance paid off, apparently. Palompon was badly battered by Yolanda but damage could have been more without the natural protection of the Tres Marias islands.

BAYBAY CITY While the world was focused on the plight of the cities of Taclo-ban and Ormoc in Leyte, in one corner of the Province is a mayor who has silently worked her way to help constituents and even that of other towns.

She is Baybay City Mayor Carmen L. Cari, who has been working day and night since November 8 to give relief to constituents, shelter the thousands of people from the Waray side who passed their way as they waited for a ride to Cebu or Manila, and dis-tributed NFA rice to affected LGUs charge to her account.

Baybay City is just about 45 minutes away from Ormoc City. Admittedly, their dam-ages are not as bad as that of Ormoc, Tacloban or Palo, but still they were badly hit.

Mayor Cari, in an inter-view, said she is afraid of the economic consequence of Yolanda on her constituents. Definitely, this will affect the livelihood of our people, she said. SC Coco Global is badly damaged. Theyve stopped operations. People will be out of work, she said.

Another is the coco-coir plant that is just being con-structed. Wa pa gani kasugod, naguba na, she said. (It has not even started operations and now it is badly damaged.)

The Chinese investor does not want to come here any-more. Not yet. He is afraid of reports that the peace and order is not good, Mayor Cari pointed out.

She also emphasized that thankfully, the reports of loot-ers coming their way were false. It turned out false, and we managed the influx of refu-gees well, she said, though we had to be very tight on the security.

Loretta Malabanan, the city social welfare officer, said they gave refuge to around 7,000 people from Tacloban and other towns, seeking to get a ride to Cebu and Manila. They sheltered them at the city gym and gave them food through the citys canteen which is run by the municipal employees cooperative.

A few chose to stay in Baybay, Mayor Cari said, because they had relations there. There are also a lot of Baybayanons who worked in Tacloban and they chose to come home, until things look up in Tacloban, she said.

Data obtained from Bay-bay City showed that they sustained estimated damages of P 475-million on public in-frastructures. They also evacu-ated more than 10,222 people to designated areas and private homes. 3,237 houses were totally damaged while 9,742 sustained partial damages.

The city only recorded two fatalities. City administrator Deogracias Pernitez said their pre-emptive evacuation appar-ently worked.

Mayor Cari also said that she is already indebted to the National Food Authority for the rice they had to with-draw from it, charge to my account. This is to include the NFA rice distributed to other towns.

I had to guarantee for them, she said, because they could not get rice. Aside from Baybays needs, she said, she had to guarantee for that of other towns like Albuera, Abuyog, Javier, Tanauan and other towns. Malooy man pud ta kun di nato tabangan, (I understand their plight and it would be inhumane not to help out.) she said.

For the 5th district towns, she said, the withdrawals are charged to her son Rep. Jose

Carlos L. Cari. With the decla-ration of the PDAF as uncon-stitutional, she does not know where her son would get funds to pay NFA but added they will cross the bridge when they come to it.

I dont know where he will get the funds. As for my account, bahala na. Lets solve the problem later, she said. Maybe, the governor (Dominic Petilla) would help pay for it.

Mayor Carmen Cari is the aunt of the governor. The mayor of Palo is her sister. I keep in touch with Matin (Palo Mayor Remedios Petilla) every day. We help her provide for her town mates. In these

see BAYBAY p. 5

3November 18-24, 2013 NEWS

news team here packed up their gear and moved their base to the Army camp.

Cel Amores initially said the particular person named by their technical manager was an Agnes Capahi Siguenza, a com-puter operator at the Sang-gunian Panglunsod and the first cousin of the mayor.

However, Bam Alegre, in a phone interview, said it was councilor Ruben Capahi himself who told him they would be given a notice of eviction. Capahi is the designated spokes-

person by Mayor Edward Codilla to deal with media.

Alegre said that earlier, their technical manager was called and accosted why there seemed to be no good reports coming out on TV from Ormoc. Before that, he added, people close to the administration including Agnes, has been making snide remarks against them.

When he heard that their technical manager was called, he went to Capahi and company to ask what the problem was. In a text, he said, What spurred me

GMA 7 ... from P. 1

Yolanda may not be the first super typhoon to hit Leyte, Visayas area?

(This article comes from the website of a BenK. It was also published in The Freeman of Cebu. We are reprinting herewith the article which we know would be interesting read for all of us Ormocanons and Leyteos. We apologize if we were not able to seek permission to reprint said article because communication systems are down. Editor)

As appalling as it was, it turns out the Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) was perhaps not as unique as we were led to believe. True, in modern times with the exception of the 1991 Ormoc Flood caused by Tropical Storm Uring the areas devastated by the typhoon have largely escaped the full force of the Philip-pines annual typhoons. And Typhoon Yolanda was exceptionally powerful, perhaps the most powerful storm to make landfall since records of such things were first kept. But Typhoon Yolanda was not a first for the Leyte-Samar area.

On October 12, 1897, a storm of similar ferocity arrived in Leyte, striking Tacloban, the capital, with terrific force, ac-cording to a newspaper article in the Barrier Minernewspaper of Broken Hill, New South Wales, which didnt receive the news until January, 1898:

Some of the descriptions of the aftermath 7,000 were report-edly killed in the storm and its accompanying tidal wave are eerily similar to the scenes being played out on television for a worldwide audience over the past week:

At Gamoa, the sea swept inland for a mile, destroying property worth seven million dollars, and many natives lost their lives. The Government prison at Tacloban was wrecked, and of the 200 rebels therein half succeeded in making their escape. The town of Hermin was swept away by flood and its 5000 inhabitants are missing. The small station of Weera, near Loog, is also gone, while in Loog itself only three houses are left standing. Thousands of natives are roaming about the devastated province seeking food and medical attendance. In many cases the corpses were mutilated as though they had fallen in battle, and the expressions of their faces were most agonising.

Only 15 years later it would happen again, this time killing or injuring 15,000 people, as The Oswego Palladium (Oswego, New York), reported on November 29, 1912:

TACLOBAN IS DESTROYED While the dispatch from the Governor-General of the Philippines gives us figures of the dead and wounded, it states that probably half the population of Tacloban and Capiz have been lost.The Red Cross is preparing to rush a relief [illegible] to the stricken district, and has been asked for details.

(As a point of attribution, I am uncertain what the source of the photo and report is, having discovered it only after it passed through many hands in the social media earlier today.)

There are two takeaways from these little glimpses of history, one rather grim in its implications for the current calamity, and one considerably less serious. First, they suggest that we might well prepare ourselves for very bad news concerning the human toll of Typhoon Yolanda; with two storms 15 years apart causing well in excess of 20,000 casualties at a time when the region was far more sparsely-populated than it is today, the early emotional estimate of 10,000 dead from last weeks storm suddenly does not seem so farfetched.

On a more positive note, the historical record tends to deflate what has been an expanding bubble of History Channel-esque nerd fever brought on by a couple videos and articles appearing online just after Typhoon Yolanda struck, which claimed the storm had been intentionally created by some sort of weather control device. Now in addition to finding explanations for how an atmospheric research facility that has been shut down since May and a nearly 40-year-old missile defense radar installation that points in a fixed direction towards Siberia could have been used to cause Typhoon Yolanda, those who don the tinfoil hat and keep their eyes to the skies to watch for chemtrails have the added challenge of figuring out how those infernal machines caused weather disasters in the past.

Of course, these are people who have enough time on their hands to make this assclown wealthier than the rest of us put to-gether. So theyll probably come up with something soon enough.

BenK: The Ben is kind of a big deal, and no one is more surprised

by that than he is. Already hailed for having a galactic-level talent for being a lightning rod and choke point in both the digital and meatsack worlds, Ben has recently added a column on business and economics topics of the moment, which appears -- on the front page, more often than not -- in The Manila Times on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays.

to confront them was when I heard yung xxx mataba na si Iging ba yun (Enrique Eking Caberos) saying out loud Bam Alegre re-porting live yesterday tapos sabi ni Agnes hindi ba reporting 2 days ago? Obvi-ously they were joking and having fun but they were also mocking us.

He said it was unfor-tunate that government employees were acting that way, in total disregard to their status as public ser-vants.

On the other hand,

councilor Ruben Capahi denied telling Bam Alegre that they would be evicting the GMA 7 team from the City Hall premises. He said it was city administrator Francis Pepito who said it, and it was in jest.

It was just a joke, he said. As for the news reports that did not sit well with them, he said that if he recalls it correctly, the incident happened at a time when they were asking the various news teams camp-ing out at the City Hall to help them debunk reports

that the peace and order situation in Ormoc was bad.

M e a n w h i l e , C e l Amores, the GMA 7 as-sistant veep for news and public affairs, during her interview with the EV Mail said that granting it was a joke, that it was a bad joke. Its like a bomb joke, she said, when you cant tell whether the joke is a joke or not.

Its like this, she add-ed, we are not from here. We do not know the people here that well. We dont know your dynamics. We

dont know if a joke is a joke or if it was a half-serious, half-joke.

Meanwhile, the EV Mail learned that the SP is investigating the alleged incident and the role that Agnes Capahi-Siguenza plays in it. Councilor Vin-cent Rama said they are concerned about it because she is an SP employee and such alleged uncouth be-havior, if true, will tarnish the whole institution. By Lalaine M. JImenea

One of the foreign groups who are now in the city helping out are the HUMAN IN LOVE from Korea. They worked on clearing the premises of at least five schools of felled trees and debris. Then, Dr. Park Soo Hyun said they would rehabilitate the schools and are looking into the possibility of at least constructing one classroom. They would also be doing some medical missions, it was learned. Here, the group are seen with little children who wrote on a cartolina how thankful they are for Human in Loves help.

4 November 18-24, 2013

Gratitude and lessons

see MERCADO p. 5

LALAINE MARCOS-JIMENEAPublisher/Editor-in-Chief

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The Super Typhoon Yolanda

39 questions

The Waray side is far worst

WHEN THE Yolanda typhoon crisis ebbs, Catholics here will be asked to give their views on 39 questions that Pope Francis fielded earlier.

A survey of ordinary believers views on sexual ethics signals a potentially ground-breaking change of emphasis, BBCs religious affairs correspondent Robert Pigott writes. Many Catholics passively murmur amen to counsel from the Vatican. Now, Francis prods them to speak up.

Francis unprecedented initiative is a sur-vey sent to Catholic bishops. Consult widely on touchy issues from contraception, sex outside marriage to divorced and remarried receiving Communion.

The Catholic Church in England and Wales was the first in the world to put the survey online. It urged members: Submit by 20 De-cember.

Responses will be to given to bishops before they gather in Rome next September. They meet for a synod to discuss the family. And their conclusions will be stitched into 2015 guidelines.

A covering note hints all might not be well. Many Catholic children and young people will never see their parents receive the sacraments.

Their responses are likely to confirm what bishops already know, Pigott writes. The daily lives of Catholics -- including the roughly one third who go regularly to church -- is diverg-ing dramatically from earlier norms. Divorced people who remarried are, according to the strict interpretation, committing adultery. They are denied Communion.

In the Philippines, there are the KBLs: Catholics who come to church three times in their lives: binyag or baptism; kasal or marriage

and libing meaning funeral A Social Weather Stations survey in Febru-

ary 2013 found: (a) weekly church attendance slumped from a high of 64 percent in July 1991 to a low of 37 percent in February 2013. (b) 29 percent of Catholics considered themselves very religious, compared to 38 percent among Muslims and (c) one out of 11 sometimes think of leaving the Church.

The data reflect a worldwide historical trend of secularization, Inquirers Randy David notes. Not going to church regularly is not giving up ones faith. Social scientists call this phenomenon de-churchification. In the Philippines, I guess that it isthe conversion of Catholics to other religions, especially to the Evangelical Christian churches that particularly troubles the church today....

Rome tried to fix this problem by increasing the number of saints who could serve as models of religious commitment for the young genera-tion. John Paul II beatified 319 individuals dur-ing his papacy, far exceeding the 259 blessed persons named by all previous popes since 1585. Between him and Benedict, they elevated 124 people to sainthood. Two are Filipinos: Lorenzo Ruiz and Pedro Calungsod.

There is a shortage of priests. One priest here must serve 20,000 compared to the ideal of 2,000. Talakag is 30 kilometers plus from Cagayan de Oro. I said mass there and people dressed in mourning surrounded me. Father, will you bless our cemetery? For years our dead have lain in unholy ground. When they were

see VIEW FROM ORMOC p. 5

YES, THE sufferings, at least as shown in pictures and in the media and now slowly recounted in the first person by many people, are unspeakable. Its a national nightmare of epic, even cosmic proportion. One for-eign journalist described the whole thing as worse than hell.

I, of course, like all others could not help but get painfully affected by all this. A brother priest, preaching a retreat to the Palo clergy, went missing for several days. Thank God that he was finally located and extracted from the place. And it was also like hell just to be wor-ried about him.

But the hell comment struck me in a peculiar way. I suppose the journalist was just saying it as a figure of speech, a hyperbole, with understandable literary license. But I dont believe there could be anything worse than hell.

In fact, in spite of all the pain and suffering, we still have reasons to be thankful. Things could have been much worse. And the massive destruction in life, limb and property has all of us scrambling for anything to be of help.

Many have become instant heroes to instant victims. We are given a great opportunity to show and live charity and generosity. We are learning precious lessons, albeit very costly, that we tend to take for granted. Most of all, all our suffering and death unite us to Christ in his suffering and death on the Cross.

This is how we have to look at this disaster we are having these days. This is not sweet-lemoning. This is rather the objective way to see things, that is, not only from the point of view of the externals and appearances, but most importantly from the point of view of faith.

Many of the good things, the more precious things that happened and continue to happen see FR. ROY p. 5

because of the unspeakable disaster that was Yolanda are mainly hidden and unappreciated.

That many people prayed all of a sudden, that they were willing to make great sacrifices, even to die, that they did not anymore mind their sorry condition just to look after the welfare of their loved onesthese and a lot more are the many good things that happened.

That they continue to build up hope even when they are already living on the edgethis is actually a miracle, since we also have endless reasons why we should feel bad, sad, angry or fall into discouragement, depression, self-pity, bitterness, hardness of heart, etc.

There will always be some villains. We should not be surprised by this phenomenon. Much of it will be more subjective than objec-tive. But theres more good than evil in life. Where sin has abounded, grace has abounded even more. (Rom 5,20)

But we cannot deny that we also have learned great lessons. Now our idea of disaster preparedness has gone several notches higher. I am sure that in the aftermath of this calamity, a lot of discussions about this will take place. And thats good.

Lets just hope that the discussions are properly grounded and oriented. Lets avoid provoking acrimony even as we wade through the different issues, different and even conflict-ing views, etc. It always pays to keep a cool, sober mind, always keeping the emotions, pas-sions and the tongue in check.

We will overcome this crisis. We can man-

THERE WAS a time when the Weather Bu-reau named typhoons as a matter of policy. This was done in alternate fashion according to a set pattern. That policy seems to have been superseded with that of the present one.

When it entered the PAR (Philippine Area of Responsibility) last Friday the 8th Nov 2013, it packed winds of 240 kph and early morning hit Guiuan, Tacloban to Ormoc (4am) to Palom-pon to Medellin in Cebu. Its destructive force was not foreseen nor was it ever to have been recorded because, according to a CNN item, it was termed as the most destructive storm in the planet. Not content to claim it as that of the world but the planet. As an idea how destructive was Yolanda, this corner would like to insert its personal observation in the manner fit for a first person award.

The gathering storm started to unleash its force at 4am (8Nov13) that was to last 12 hours according to the weather bureau. By 7am, it was like a ton of bricks unloaded to the hapless victims this corner included which seemed to come in endless waves. You hear a whistle of a whirling wind then there is a slight tremor of the house as if it was to be uprooted then the cry of wailing banshee as the roof is being wrenched away from its root with such a loud bang of a thousand decibels that it will terrorize you. With the roof gone, the ceiling has to fol-low then the people seeking cover underneath

will just have to cower in fear and soaking wet because of the absence of the sheltering roof. This routine is repeated with the succeeding waves of the same fury as the preceding one. Where will we seek cover? How about the numbing cold air that engulfs you? You will just have to stand up to the shivering cold the whole way through. Your shouts are deadened with the loud howling of a raging fury. We were seeing a preview of the end of the world. Lord! Lord! You will cry, but nobody listened because they are also of the same fix, or even worse, than you are. I thought I was a goner. I thought it was my requiem. Our beautiful house that was hardly used since its inauguration is now a carcass. Even in the sunset of my life, I am still exposed to the slings and arrows of outrageous for-tune. To mymind, the correct rest is when you are at the bosom of Abraham: the rest in peace.

The only small consolation we can have is that others are similarly situated. Poor old Juan de la Cruz. The accolade we have received from world leaders is because ours was the worst kind in living memory. This kind of accolade I do not want. I do not want that we will be remembered by world press as the recipient of the distinction

see POTPOURRI p. 5

WE WENT to the Waray side of the island on Friday. Getting the assurance from my staff that the road was already at least cleared of debris and nails, plus the fact that the lines for diesel are not that long anymore.

As early as November 11, I already saw footages of the devastation there but nothing really prepared me for the sight of it. And that was only Tacloban then, which was the focus. Now, we know that not only Tacloban was devastated but neighboring areas. Palo was also hard hit. Upon reaching Palo, we began to get disoriented. We could not distinguish the convent of the Franciscan Handmaids of the Lord to that of the Archbishops Palace, if not for the signage.

I asked Sanro to take the right, and to pro-ceed to Dulag, Leyte. These places I know like the back of my hand when I was young. Again, the landscape was totally different. 14 days after Yolanda hit the Province, Palo was still buried in debris. You could see cars piled up in some places, pitiful reminders of the day when the sea rose and invaded at least 300 meters inland. Except for a house or two, everything was flattened. Some posts survived, again a stark reminder that once, there was a house there.

As I looked at the debris piled at the side of the road, I could not help think there could still be bodies buried there. As of this writing, the death toll has increase to more than 5,000 already in the areas that the typhoon hit, more than 4,000 comes from Eastern Visayas.

We travelled until Dulag. In a daze, I could only look at the landscape which was disorient-ing. I could not identified where Tanauan was already. My only reminder that we were in To-losa already was the Olot property of Madame Imelda Romualdez-Marcos, but I am pretty sure that whatever was behind the concrete fence was also a scene of destruction.

Along the road, we saw signs asking for Help: We need Food and Water, We are Hungry, Please give us Food and other similar appeals. Somewhere in Tanauan, I was happy to see a water tanker of the City of Baybay giving water to residents who lined up patiently. I had just interviewed Mayor Carmen Cari and this was one of the things she highlighted, that they were extending help to outside towns because in times of calamities, we cannot think of ter-ritorial boundaries. Humans as we are, we have to be humane.

I also saw some groups like MMDA working in the area. The ARMM even sent aid there. And it was also then that we started wondering what happened to Mark and Ina Gimenez and their kids. Ina, the daughter of Inday Larrazabal, is a councilor of Tanauan and I heard their house was along the beach. She also writes Inas Household Tips for the EV Mail.

Malaria vaccine

5November 18-24, 2013

Extrajudicial Partition with Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the properties of the late SIXTO SABORNIDO

re a parcel of land located in Pili, Almeria, Biliran, covered by ARP No. 00651 denomi-nated as Lot 1936 Lot No. 032, containing an area of 1.423621 has.was partitioned among his heirs and 144 sq. m. sold in favor of AMELISSA D. ELMUNDO per Doc. No. 240; Page No. 48; Book No. 47; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Redentor C. Villordon. EV Mail Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 25 Dec. 1, 2013

Extrajudicial Settlement with Deed of Absolute Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late MIGUELA M.

AMPARADO re a parcel of an agricultural land located in Lo-ok, Almeria, Biliran denominated as survey no. 761-P Lot 54 under ARP No. 00674 R-11, containing an area of 0.269000 has. was settled among her heirs and 725 sq. m. sold in favor of SPS. CARLOS C. SABORNIDO and CLARISA CATOR per Doc. No. 142; Page No. 29; Book No. 42; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Redentor C. Villordon. EV Mail Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 25 Dec. 1, 2013

Extrajudicial Settlement NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late VICENTE V. SUAZO,

SR. re half share of a house and lot situated at Purok 4, Dona Feliza Mejia Subd., Ormoc City, lot containing an area of 200 sq. m. covered by TCT No. T53301 a transfer from TCT No. 31106 described as a parcel of land Lot No. 2363-B-2-B-2 was settled among his heirs per Doc. No. 305; Page No. 61; Book No. 37; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Jasper M. Lucero EV Mail Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 25 Dec. 1, 2013

Extrajudicial Settlement with Sale NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN that the property of the late FLAVIANO CANETE re

an agricultural land located in Ungale, Kawayan, Biliran under ARP No. 00046 denomi-nated as survey no. 2033-P, containing an area of 1.142900 has. was settled among his heirs and 381.50 sq. m. sold in favor of NANCY TILLADA DELLA PIETRA married to WALTER DELLA PIETRA per Doc. No. 287; Page No. 58; Book No. 47; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Redentor C. Villordon. EV Mail Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 25 Dec. 1, 2013

Extrajudicial Settlement with Affidavit of AdjudicationNOTICE IS HEREBY given that the property of the late LEON BARRETE

described as Lot 1912 situated at Magsaysay Boulevard, Calbayog City with an area of 80 square meters and covered by Tax Declaration 99-0100700149 was adjudicated by his heir per Doc No. 478; Page No. 145; Book No. III; Series of 2013 of Notary Public Clemente S. Rosales. EV Mail November 4-10, 11-17, 18-24, 2013

I HAVE NEVER had malaria and neither have any in our family. But malaria infects about 219 million people worldwide annu-ally and leads to 600,000 deaths. While drug treatments can protect against infection, they are most effective when used in combination with bed nets and insect repellent.

Healthy adults immunized with an experi-mental malaria vaccine may be completely pro-tected from infection, according to researchers.

The vaccine, called PfSPZ, contains weak-ened forms of the live parasite Plasmodium falciparum responsible for causing malaria.

The vaccine is made from sporozoites, or early-stage parasites extracted from infected mosquitoes, which are the most common car-riers of P. falciparum. The sporozoites were incapacitated so they cant develop into disease-causing maturity, and infused intravenously into vaccines. Among 40 healthy volunteers, those who received the higher doses of the vaccine showed more antibodies against the malaria parasites proteins than those getting lower doses. When the immunized participants where tested with exposure to P. falciparum, none of the six who received six doses of the vaccine developed malaria, while five of the six who were not vaccinated became infected.

The trial was only the first phase of clinical testing for the vaccine, but, it is an important step forward in controlling the disease. It al-lows researchers in future studies to increase the dose and alter the schedule of the vaccine to further optimize it. The next critical questions will be whether the vaccine is durable over a long period of time and can the vaccine protect against other strains of malaria.

The results are especially encouraging after initially promising findings from another ma-laria vaccine developed by Glaxo Smith Kline proved discouraging. In 2012, a trial involving infants in seven African counties, where malaria is endemic, showed that the vaccine, called RTS,S, was 30% effective in protecting babies aged five to 17 months from infection.

The study found that RTS,S also reduced risk of severe malaria by 47%. Thats impressive when you consider that there has never been a successful vaccine against a human parasite, nor against malaria.

But protection from the vaccine didnt last. Beginning eight months after vaccination, the shots effectiveness started to wane, and four years later, its efficacy dropped to about 17%. In the fourth year, the vaccine did not show any protection. Researchers continue to test RTS,S in final-stage trials with over 15,000 kids, and the results are expected by the end of next year.

That vaccine, however, used pieces of the malaria parasites proteins that were fused with proteins from the hepatitis B virus in order to activate the immune system into producing antibodies against P. falciparum. Researchers hope that the weakened, live form of the para-site contained in PfSPZ produces more lasting responses, but more research will need to be done to see if thats the case.

The findings hold promises that it may be possible to protect against malaria with a vac-cine, and avoid hundreds of thousands of deaths.

MERCADO ... from P. 4

dying there was no priest to lift his hand above them in absolution. In death, there was no priest to give them final absolution. We buried them like pagans, without chant, or book or bell.

And so I went to the cemetery and the dead of years sleep at last in hallowed ground. And the people, with tears in their eyes, pressed gifts into my hands oranges and coffee and alligator pears, and strange tropical fruits. Every priest has a dozen Talakags, different only in setting. But wherever a priest comes to stay, attendance at Mass doubles and triples in a few months. That was written 50 years ago by the late Fr. James Haggerty, SJ. It is still true today.

As societies modernize, the place of religion in society will become sharply defined and limited, but religious faith will not disappear. What we cannot know except in retrospect, the sociologist Niklas Luhmann wrote is what shape religion will take as it adapts to new circumstances.

Even without touching core beliefs, there could be changes in practice, Pigott adds. Thatd stem from Franciss style i.e. to reduce conflict in the Churchs ideal values and the real lives of its members.

To a great extent style is substance when

it comes to applying the rules. In contracep-tion for example, new thinking could call for Catholic couples to be open to life in their sexual relationship. But itd leave up to their consciences how exactly they manage it.

The Popes survey broaches issues that once were no-no for debate. This has raised expecta-tions and assumptions. Whether justified or not, (they) might be hard to satisfy.

rrrA few weeks back, Francis slammed those

too focused on enforcing rules. He spurned be-ing locked up in small-minded rules and an obsession with the transmission of a disjointed multitude of doctrines.

There is no sign that Pope Francis plans a major overhaul of Church doctrine. But it is clear that he wants a switch in emphasis to a message of mercy and forgiveness, especially towards those who are suffering.

Pope Francis is not offering to change teach-ing on contraception. It is not diluting what it regards as a gold standard. Like the Churchs understanding of what constitutes a valid mar-riage - that is, between a man and a woman is not open to reform.

But there is elbow room change of focus to the kinder and non-judgmental approach Francis repeatedly calls for. The Pope has shown that he is aware that even those Catho-lics who shun the rules are hurt by the way the Church deals with them, in deeds as well as words.

of having had the monstrous storm that ever hit the planet.

To make matters worse, there is this pen-chant of the Pinoy to insert politics in the dis-tribution of aid to the needy. Some portions of the Waray country went into lawlessness. What can you expect when you are now homeless and your whole family is gone? All places between Ormoc-Tacloban are just as hard up as anywhere else. It is so bad in Tacloban that even malls and grocery stores were robbed. The businessmen are packing up and leaving for good. There is talk that Tacloban will take years to get back on its feet. They even proposed to make Ormoc as the new capital of the province. There are people who come to Ormoc from Tacloban just to have a decent meal. They are fed up with ev-erything that is happening out there the local governance, poor business outlook, attitude of the people in general. But it cannot be. Taclo-ban is the place of my mother, it is the place that Madam Imelda built to reach the highest firmament. Such an upbeat city cannot just die a natural death. We cannot allow it to happen. It has too many historical bits and pieces to

POTPOURRI ... from P. 4

keep the fan aflame. Let us win back our right senses. Let us distance ourselves from the ugly foreboding that permeates correct sensibilities. It is not the real end of the world. There had been prophets of doom in the past. Where are they now? Nobody knows when, even Jesus Christ said so. It is only God the Father who knows. All we can do is continue to pray and ask for Gods forgiveness. There has yet to be a soul that came back from the dead to tell us what to expect and tell us all about the after-life. What may seem to be a long life is but an instant when equated with cosmic theory.

rrrThe 24th November is the celebration of

Christ the King. It is also the last day in the Liturgical calendar. The Sunday after is Advent and the start of the new Church calendar. The 28th Nov is the Diamond Jubilee of the Palo Cathedral. This corner can only wonder how it will be done with whats left of the Cathedral. However, life must have to continue. The end of one is just the beginning of another one. When Jesus died for us, the world did not end.

FR. ROY ... from P. 4age to rebuild, and more than restore, we can re-make things, including our very own individual selves, in a much better way. This is actually our choice, our decision. Insofar as God is con-cerned, he gives us everything for us to make a better world. His grace and mercy is eternal.

We just have to avoid spoiling things by distancing ourselves from him, that is, by pre-ferring ways that are outside of charity, truth, justice, mercy. These values should not be empty words anymore to us. They have to be real, with our earnest effort to adhere to God and his ways, constituting their substance.

That is why, we need to pray, avail of the

sacraments, develop a certain plan to keep our-selves always growing spiritually and morally. We have to study more deeply the doctrine of our faith and make it the guide for our thoughts, words and deeds.

We should now realize where the real foun-dations of our life are, and what is truly essential with it, knowing how to avoid getting entangled with the non-essentials. Yes, we have many more reasons to be grateful than to be sad with Yolanda. Lets make Yolanda the grave from where to rise to become a new creation! Email: roycimagala@gmail.com

I was happy to learn when I got back to Or-moc that she was fine. They survived the storm surge that reached their second floor. When I talked to her over the phone, she sounded fine already and added she was returning to Tanauan soon to bring relief and aid to her constituents.

Mark and Ina left Tanauan only after the 5th day, after noting that no help had come and a lot of their neighbors were already suffering from hunger and the lack of potable water. They were fetched there by younger brother Atty. Gregorio Goyo Larrazabal who had to come in from Manila with his bike, intent of riding it to Tanauan to look for his sister whom they have not heard from yet.

Upon reaching DORELCO, we made a U-turn to back to Palo where I visited a cousins house in Baras. That is the area where the MacArthur Memorial Park is. It was another devastating scene. Once a bustling community of more than 200 middle and upper middle class families, only around 15 houses remain standing. One of them was my cousins. Another that had less damage and they were clean-ing up when we passed by was that of Judge Lauro Castillo, executive judge of the RTC in Carigara.

Thankfully, my cousin had a three-story house. She was just a corner away from the beachfront and the storm surge reached more than half of their second floor. I was happy to see that she was at home, together with her sister Cristina whom I have not seen for around two decades now, and sister-in-law Dindin. Dindin also leaves in the same community but had to abandon their house because it was totally destroyed. They managed to save themselves by climbing up an elevated structure they built just recently.

We had to leave after an hour to proceed to Tacloban. It was the same horrible scenery albeit the city is now much cleaner. Our office in Tacloban in front at the DBP building was totaled including that of other newspapers and radio outlets. The caretaker told my assistant that water was waist-deep in our office and the current was long. By the accounts of my cousin, Ina and other people we talked to, the water began to rise when the storm started and only ebbed when it stopped. That was four hours be-ing battered by the storm surges. We lost some colleagues to Yolanda.

VIEW FROM ORMOC ... from P. 4

Believe you me, we are far better off than the Waray side of the island right now. But what worries me is the economy of the region as a whole. In Tanauan, the bustling oil mills there and Pepsi lie in smithereens.

At Isabel, PASAR and Philphos were badly damaged and could take months to recover. In Baybay, the SC Global, an exporter of coconut by-products would have to stop operations. Be-fore Yolanda, the SPMI, an abaca pulp exporter had already closed its sorting plant because of the lack of local abaca supply. Granted the oil mills are revived, would there be enough supply of coconuts?

Here in Ormoc, the sugarcane industry is badly battered. The so-called poultry capital of the region, all our poultries were destroyed, even looted.

Even we in the media are not spared. A lot of my colleagues are jobless right now. Thank-fully, the EV Mail is eking through and I am humbled to get the commitment of advertisers that they will continue to support the paper even if they, too, are badly hit by Yolanda. I am truly humbled. Despite all the odds, let us not be fazed. Bangon Ormoc, Bangon Leyte and Bangon Eastern Visayas!

OFFICE SPACES

FOR RENT C/O EV MAILHermosilla Drive,

Ormoc City0918-923-4408

times, Cari said, we should help each other. The mayor also thanked all those who

helped them, even those victimized by Yolanda themselves. Manny Licup of SC Global lent us their 40,000-liter tanker which we are now using to supply water to interior barangays as far as Tanauan town, she said. Their records also show that SC Global gave 260 cartons of 555 sardines which were distributed to various LGUs.

There were also LGUs that sent over relief goods and rice like Valenzuela, Caraga, South Cotabato, and Cavite. Just last month, Baybay LGU also donated to the quake ravaged towns of Bohol, not knowing they would be victims of a calamity themselves just a few weeks later.

The mayor, on the other hand, assured resi-dents that their LGU was very much in control of the situation and that it would be business as usual at the City Hall once the generator they purchased with their calamity fund arrives.

BAYBAY ... from P. 2

Republic of the Philippines PROVINCE OF LEYTE

City of Baybay Office of the Sangguniang Panlungsod

Excerpt from the MINUTES OF THE 15TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE

SANGUNIANG PANLUNGSOD OF BAYBAY CITY, LEYTE IN THE SESSION HALL ON NOVEMBER 4, 2013

CITY ORDINANCE NO. 007 S. 2013AN ORDINANCE REGULATING THE USE OF

PLASTIC BAGS AND PROVIDING MECHANISM FOR ITS RECOVERY AND RECYCLING, AND PROVIDING

PENALTIES FOR VIOLATION THEREOF.

(Authored by Honorable Cristelo S. Loreto andco-authored by Honorable Alan D. Fernandez)

WHEREAS, it is the duty of the local government unit to protect the natural environment, the economy and health of its citizens;

WHEREAS, based on the Waste Analysis and Character-ization Study (WACS)conducted by the Genera Service Office (GSO), plastic bags contribute largely to the volume of city solid wastes being disposed of daily and may become a nui-sance to the environment for a long tie when not recovered, reused and recycled;

WHEREAS, the excessive usage of single-use plastic bags and there typical disposal also creates significant problems in the city, which usually clogs up the canals and sewerage systems to cause flooding;

WHEREAS, the free distribution of single- use plastic bags in stores effects a throw away attitude among the users;

WHEREAS, to address the throw-away attitude among its users and recover as much plastic bags from the waste stream, ii is deemed necessary to implement an effective system of plastic bag recovery;

WHEREAS, it is also the duty of the business sector to initi-ate, participate and invest in integrated ecological solid waste management projects, to manufacture environment-friendly products, to introduce, develop and adopt innovative processes that shall recycle and re-use materials, conserve raw materials and energy, reduce waste and prevent pollution and undertake measures for effective solid waste management practices, as provided in Republic Act 9003 or otherwise known as the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act;

WHEREAS, it is the best interest of the health, safety and welfare of the people that regulation include the imposition of an environmental fee to: (1) address the mindless consumption of single-use plastic bags; (2) minimize the use of plastic bags; (3) mainstream the use of reusable bags; and (4) invite the ac-tive participation of the citizenry in practices that promote a clean and sustainable environment.

NOW, THEREFORE,BE IT, ordained by the City Council of Baybay City in

regular session assembled:

SECTION 1. Short Title: This Ordinance shall be entitled Plastic Bag Reduction Ordinance

SECTION 2. Definition of Terms: For the purpose of this Ordinance, the following definitions are hereby established, to wit:

a) Office the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO).

b) Plastic Recovery System Fee a charge or regula-tory fee imposed to consumer on the use of new plastic bag/s at the point of sale in the absence of alternative reusable bags and/or redemption of used plastic bags.

c) Green Fund a fund or money earned from the imposition of plastic recovery system fee by the retail stores intended to fund various initiatives that would benefit the environment.

d) HDPE High Density Polyethylene plastic or type-2 plastic material. (source: ppia technical briefing on plastics)

e) LDPE and LLDPE Low Density Polyethylene and Linear Low Density Polyethylene plastic or type 4 plastic material.

f) Plastic Bags plastic carryout bags with handles, holes or string usually made from HDPE, LDPE/LLDPE and PP plastic materials with thickness not lower than 15 microns.

g) PP Polyethylene plastic or type 5 plastic materi-als

h) Recyclable a material that can be sorted, cleansed, and reconstituted for the purpose of using the altered form in the manufacture of a new product Recycling does not include burning, incinerating, concerting, or otherwise, thermally destroying solid waste.

i) Relevant Recyclers an individual or business en-tity duly registered and engaged in the trading of junk materials for the purpose of recycling said materials into new product.

j) Relevant Retailers establishments located within the geographical limits of Baybay City which are commonly and are regularly engaged in retail business and duly registered as one such as: Shopping Malls, Supermarkets, Departments Stores, Grocery Stores, Fast Foods Chains, Drug Stores, Phar-macy, Wet &Dry Markets AND SARI-SARI STORES.

k) Reusable bag a carryout bag that is specifically designed and manufactured for multiple reuse and is either (1) made of cloth or other machine washable fabric, and/ or (2) made of durable plastic and/ or (3) made of indigenous material like buli, rattan etc.

l) Used Plastic Bags old or second hand plastic carryout bags with handles, holes or string usually made from HDPE, LDPE/LLDPE and PP plastic materials.

SECTION 3. Regulations on the use of Plastic Bags The following regulations shall be imposed on the use of plastic bags as carryout bag:

A) Distribution of plastic bags by Relevant Retailers lower than the regulated thickness of 15 microns is prohibited under this ordinance.

B) To ensure the recovery of plastic bags from the waste stream, consumer who will not bring with them reusable bags and / or redeem used plastic bags for a new bag, shall

be charged with a plastic recovery system fee Said fee shall be indicated in the costumers transaction receipt as a reminder that they can save money if they use reusable bags and/or if they bring used plastic bags in exchange for a new plastic bag.

C) Stall owners/lessees in wet and dry markets will not be allowed to directly distribute plastic bags provided in subsec-tion 2 (g). The market management shall assign areas within the market where these plastic bags may be purchased with corre-sponding transaction receipt.

D) Plastic bags with no handles, holes or strings commonly used for wrapping unpacked fresh foods and cooked foods at supermarkets, wet &dry markets, restaurants, canteen and the like shall not be included under the scheme as the usage of such plastic bag is justified on the grounds of public hygiene.

SECTION 4. Plastic Recovery System Fee for plastic bag. All stores as defined in subsection 2 (k) shall charge and collect with a fix amount of two pesos (P2.00) per plastic bag regardless its size.

SECTION 5. Purpose of the Plastic Recovery System Fee Primarily, the imposition of plastic recovery system fee seeks change consumer behavior rather that generate fund. It is a move toward shifting habits from mindless consumption to a lifestyle that is anchored on the 3 Rs of Waste Management, namely reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Plastic Recovery System Fee also seeks to regulate the generation of waste from plastic bags by creating an economic option for consumers to use reusable carry bas and/or redeem used plastic bags for new plastic bags.

The imposition of Plastic Recovery System Fee will re-mind consumers that bringing their own carryout bags and/or redeeming used plastic bas will not only save money but will also save precious resources by recovering and recycling plastic bags.

Further, this Plastic Recovery System Fee shall be ear-marked for a green fund that shall be maintained by the stores to fund other initiatives that would benefit the environment.

SECTION 6. Reusable Bags as carryout bags All stores may provide the following reusable bags as carryout bags to be purchased by the costumer for a minimum fee. It will be made available in the respective checkout counters of the store, pur-posely for multiple reuses and to reduce the use of plastic bags as carryout bag. Appropriate sizes and design may be provided for the purpose:

a) Reusable Shopping Bag Reusable bag to be used for shopping and buying groceries. Applicable for shopping malls, supermarkets and grocery stores.

b) Take-Out Bag reusable bag to be used for carrying food goods and drinks for two or more persons, applicable for fast food chains.

c) Agora Bag reusable bag to be used in carrying goods from wet and dry markets such as meat, fish, vegetables, fruits and other goods. The market management may assign an area within an the market where this bag can be purchased.

d) Medicine Bag- reusable bag or medicine kit appro-priate to carry small quantity of medicines such as tablets and capsules, bottled syrups/suspensions and like. Applicable for drugstores and pharmacy.

SECTION 7 . Incentives for using Reusable Bags and/or the Redemption of Used Plastic Bags- To mainstream the use of reusable bags as well as encourage the redemption of used plastic bags, stores are hereby instructed to formulate appropri-ate incentives to consumers, which may include, but not limited to the following:

a) Point System Scheme For those stores implementing the point system scheme to their regular customers, additional points maybe given to those who are using reusable shopping bag and/or redeeming used plastic bags.

b) Green Lane All stores shall provide special coun-ters or expressed lanes to be called as green lane to cater the costumers using reusable bags to encourage greater number of stake holders in the observance of this Ordinance. This will also serve as an information and advocacy measure in caring for the environment.

SECTION 8. Plastic Bag Recovery & Recycling Mecha-nism

a) Relevant Recyclers The office shall provide a list of relevant recyclers to all stores that will buy used plastic bags. All plastic bags accumulated by stores shall be directly sold to the recyclers of their choice.

b) Waste Markets The stores may also bring their accu-mulated used plastic bags to the waste markets provided by the office.

All stores, groceries and shopping malls are likewise directed to implement their own Waste Markets in their respective areas to ensure that there will be enough venues where used plastic bags as well as other recyclable materials may be redeemed. The Office may also designate additional venue for the waste market or may alter existing schedule for advancement purposes.

SECTION 9. Implementation Upon effectivity of this ordinance and after public hearing, the Solid Waste Management Office (SWMO). Business Permits and Licensing Office (BPLO), Market Administration OFFICE (MAO) AND OFFICE OF the Liga ng mga Barangay, are hereby directed to FORMULATE the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of this Ordinance WITHIN SIXTY (60) DAYS AFTER ITS APPROVAL.

To ensure that the provisions of this Ordinance is strictly monitored and implemented, a Task Force composed of agen-cies abovementioned with SWMO as the lead agency shall also be created.

Funding for the operation of the Task Force shall be taken from the General Fund of the City Government.

SECTION 10. Enforcement and Penalties. a) Any establishments that violates the provisions of the

Ordinance shall e charged of an infraction and shall be penalized by:

a.1) 1st Offense: A fine OF P500.00a.2) 2nd Offense: A fine OF P1,000.00a.3) 3rd Offense: A fine OF P3,000.00 and / Or cancellation

of Business Permit. b) An Environmental Violation Receipt (EVR) shall be issued

to the violator by the Office after which, he/she shall proceed to the SWMO within seven (7) working days for the issuance of

Republic of the PhilippinesPROVINCE OF LEYTE

City of BaybayOffice of the Sangguniang Panlungsod

MINUTES OF THE 15TH REGULAR SESSION OF THE SANGGUNIANG PANGLUNGSOD OF BAYBAY CITY,

LEYTE, HELD IN THE SESSION HALL ON NOVEMBER 4, 2013

CITY ORDINANCE NO. 008 s 2013 AN ORDINANCE DECLARING BARANGAY LINTAON OF

BAYBAY CITY AS AN ECOTOURISM ZONE. (Authored by Honorable Eden C. Butawan and co-authored

by Honorable Margarita C Cari)Be enacted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod in a regular

session assembled: SECTION 1. This Ordinance declares Barangay Lintaon of

the City of Baybay as An Ecotourism Zone. SECTION 2. The following principles shall govern the plan-

ning, development, promotion and management of this ecotour-ism zone, to wit:

a. This Ordinance shall ensure the development of eco-tourism zone of Brgy. Lintaon, Baybay City for the Baybayanons, conserve and promote Baybays Heritage, local identity and sense of unity.

b. The Baybay Tourism and Investment Promotion Office shall formulate a tourism development plan for the ecotourism zone, provided that said plan is consistent with or may be inte-grated into the local tourism master plan of the city as well as the provisions of Republic Act No. 9593 known as the Tourism Act of 2009.

c. Shall protect and enhance the natural features and cul-tural heritage of the ecotourism zone, while providing sustainable economic opportunities for the local community.

d. The City of Baybay shall utilize its powers provided under the Local Government Code to implement and enforce the tourism development plan

e. The Baybay City Tourism and Promotion Investment Office may seek necessary technical and financial assistance from the Department of Tourism and its attached agencies for the development of tourism infrastructure and skills development while endeavoring, when practicable to promote ecotourism zone, both locally and internationally.

f. The Baybay City Tourism and Investment Promotion Office shall create a forum by which the private sectors, non-government organizations and other interest groups can interact with one another and the city government to create an atmosphere that shall encourage investment and the development of a culture of tourism.

g. All infrastructures and improvements introduced therein, public or private shall secure the necessary approval or permits from the Baybay City Tourism and Investment Promotion Office, Engineering Office, City Planning & Development Office, Business permits and Licensing Office and other concerned offices of the local government unit of Baybay City.

SECTION 3. The Baybay City Tourism and Investment Pro-motion Office shall adopt implementing rules and regulations within sixty (60) days from the effectivity of this Ordinance.

SECTION 4. The LGU shall enter into agreement with any entity for the implementation of this Ordinance.

SECTION 5. This Ordinance shall take effect after its pub-lication in a regional newspaper and corresponding posting in public places of the City and after approval by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Leyte.

ENACTED, November 4, 2013. I HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing ordi-

nance which was duly adopted by the Sangguniang Panlungsod during its regular session held on November 4, 2013.

(Sgd.) AMELITO V. BORNEO SP Secretary ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED TO BE DULY ADOPTED: (Sgd.) MICHAEL L. CARI City Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer

APPROVED BY HER HONOR: (Sgd.) CARMEN L. CARI

City MayorCity Mayor

EV MAIL Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 2013

the Order of Payment and make the necessary payment to the City Treasurers Office. If an establishment fails to settle his/her liability within the given time, the case shall be referred to the City Legal Office for the appropriate action.

SECTION 11. Separability Clause- If for any reason, and provision, section, or part of this Ordinance is declared not valid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such judgment shall not affect or impair the remaining provisions, sections, or part which shall continue to be in force and effect.

SECTION 12. Applicability Clause All other matters relevant to the impositions in this Ordinance shall be governed by pertinent provisions of existing laws other ordinances.

SECTION 13. Repealing Clause All ordinances, rules and regulations, or parts thereof, in conflict with, or inconsis-tent with any of the provisions of this Ordinance are hereby repealed or modified accordingly.

SECTION 14. Effectivity There shall be a grace period of three (3) months from the date of enactment of this Ordinance for the conduct of massive information campaign and another three (3) months for warning violation with no penalties and other charges. Thereafter, the Ordinance shall take effect after publication in a newspaper of general circulation.

ENACTED: NOVEMBER 4, 2013 I HEREBY CERTIFY to the correctness of the foregoing

ordinance which was duly adopted by the Sangguniang Pan-lungsod during its regular session held on November 4, 2013.

(Sgd.) AMELITO V.BORNEO SP Secretary ATTESTED AND CERTIFIED TO BE DULY ADOPTED: (Sgd.) MICHAEL L. CARI City Vice Mayor & Presiding Officer

APPROVED BY HER HONOR: (Sgd.) CARMEN L. CARI

City Mayor EV MAIL Nov. 11-17, 18-24, 2013

6 NOTICES November 18-24, 2013

7November 18-24, 2013 CLASSIFIEDS

Large format printing & Computers

Fastest RORO from Ormoc to Cebu!!!

M/V LITE FERRY 8ORMOC-CEBU-ORMOC

Daily except FRIDAYSDeparts Ormoc

10:00 PMDeparts Cebu

11:00 AMFor inquiries and bookings, contact Tel Nos.

(053) 561-6036/ (053) 255-3821 or 0922-997-3088

Commercial rate * - P100.00 per col. cm. *Judicial Notices *- P 60.00 per col. cm *

For inquiries: Call (053) 255-5746 & 561-8580 (Ormoc); (053) 530-3366 (Tacloban); 500-9389 (Biliran)

* Exclusive of taxes/Black and White rate

EV MAIL TRAVEL

For cottage reservations, call:Tel # 255-3737; 561-1895

Bantigue, Ormoc City

S.A. LARRAZABAL Queen Pineapples

SabinsBEACH RESORT

Available at:CHITOS CHOWOrmoc Plaza 255-4144; 561-8144

IN CEBU at:No. 2 Wilson StreetLahug, Cebu City 253-0654

IN TACLOBAN at:P. Burgos St.(near Dahil Sa Iyo)

S & R L A R R A Z A B A L CORP.Bonifacio St., Ormoc City 255-4783; 561-7953

Philippine Airlines Inc.TACLOBAN BRANCH

TACLOBAN CITY

The following schedule is effective as of 01 June 2011 until further notice:PHILIPPINE AIRLINES AIRBUS 319 & 320

PR 191 MNL 5:40 AM TAC 6:55 AM DAILY PR 192 TAC 7:25 AM MNL 8:35 AM DAILY

PR 391 MNL 9:20 AM TAC 10:40 AM DAILY PR 392 TAC 11:10 AM MNL 12:25 PM DAILY PR 393 MNL 4:00 PM TAC 5:20 PM DAILY PR 394 TAC 5:50 PM MNL 7:05 PM DAILY

AIR PHILS EXPRESS Q-300/Q-400 PR 234 CEB 4:10 P.M. TAC 4:50 P.M. DAILY PR 235 TAC 5:10 P.M. CEB 5:50 P.M. DAILY

FOR MORE INFORMATION YOU CAN VISIT OUR OFFICE AT DZR AIRPORT TACLOBAN OR CALL US AT 321-2212/3212213/325-7528 OR OUR AUTHORIZEDAGENTS: ALS TRAVELLERS SHOPPE 053-500-7803 AS DOMS & INTL TICKETING OFFICE 053-325-7000 EASTERN VISAYAS AIR TRAVEL 053-321-7771/321-8608 EMY TICKETING OFFICE, PALO, LEYTE 053-323-7404/523-8981 LEYTE GULF TRAVEL AND TOURS 053-321-7966/523-7966 LEYTE 1ST TRAVEL AGENCY PHILS., INC. 053-523-1313 NORTHSTAR INTERNATIONAL TRAVEL 053-321-3974/523-1644 PASHADA TRAVEL , BORONGAN, SAMAR 055-560-9847 Y5A TICKET EXPRESS, MAASIN CITY 053-381-4433 ZJ CABLITAS TICKET EXPRESS, BAYBAY CITY 053-335-3464 ROPERL TRAVEL & TOURS, CATBALOGAN CITY 055-251-2076/251-6133 SUNSHINE TRAVEL AND TOUR 053-321-2246

Ormoc-Cebu 11:00 AM (Daily)

Cebu-Ormoc 10:00 PM (Daily)

8 November 18-24, 2013NEWS

IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

has TRANSFERRED its office to Hermosilla Drive, Ormoc City after Yolandas

aftermath. We are still having a signage made. In the meantime, the landmark is

the chapel at Malbasag.

Because landlines have not been restored yet, contact us at:

0932-536-1122 (Sun); 0916-493-8704 (Elvie); 0921-211-9603.

Thank you for your continued patronage!!!

Classes resume in Ormoc by December 2 - MaganORMOC CITY School Divisions Superintendent Mariza Magan here issued an order to all public and sec-ondary schools in the city to resume classes on December 2.

Most private schools will also resume on the same date, she said. School uniforms, she added, are not yet compulsory but IDs are required for security purposes. Students who lost their IDs are advised to secure new IDs.

To cope with the lack of school-rooms as many were damaged during the typhoon, a shifting of classes scheme is proposed. Temporary tents will be established for totally damaged schools while waiting for the reconstruction funds from the central office, Magan said. In her initial meeting with the City Engineers Office, she learned that reconstruction of schools may take time.

Magan initially issued an order to suspend classes for a maximum of two weeks after Yolanda ravaged the city last November 8. However, this was extended because evacuees

are still occupying most of the citys schools. I am already coordinating with the LGU to relocate the school inhabitants because on November 25 will be our full clearing in prepara-tion for the classes resumption, she said. Most of the teachers are even partially reporting since November 18, she added.

Magan said that to cope up with the academic lessons that were interrupted, she will proposed a one week limited vacation and the exten-sion of classes until the last week of April 2014. This proposal, however, is subject to the approval of DepEd Secretary Bro. Armin A. Luistro who will be at the National Management Committee meeting on November 22 at Baybay City. She said among the agenda for the meeting is the restoration of classes and the extent of damage that the various school divisions in the province experienced.

It was also learned that most colleges in the city would open its classes on or before January 15, 2014. By Jhay Gaspar

P-Noy lauds Ormocanons for rising up after Yolandas on-slaught, should set example for the rest of the country

Houseware Representative e-King says he may be roofless, homeless but not hopeless. The catchy sign can be seen on top of Noelle West bridal gowns and rentals and is the heartfelt expression of owner Wesley and Mennen Chu who lost their dreamhome of many years to just four hours of Yolandas onslaught.

ORMOC CITY Mag-sisilbi kayong inspirasyon sa iba, Pres. Benigno Aquino III told Ormocanons gath-ered at the City Hall here, as he lauded the Ormocanon spirit for immediately rising up after being badly battered by Typhoon Yolanda on No-vember 8, 10 days ago.

Aquino, together with So-cial Welfare secretary Dinky Soliman, Public Works Secre-tary Rogelio Singson, arrived here on a chopper at 10:30 AM. He had a private meet-ing with Ormoc city officials led by Mayor Edward Codilla, who was joined by his brother Mayor Elmer Codilla of the next town of Kananga. Also present were Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr. and the council who are dominated by the presidents party mates in the Liberal Party.

The President said that on his way from Camp Downes where his chopper landed, he noted that the city roads were already cleared and that many businesses have already opened up their stores.

He was also happy to hear that the private sector was actively involved in restoring normalcy in the citys state of affairs, aside from the city government. A week earlier, a group of private citizens launched the Yolanda Re-source Network which aimed to coordinate relief efforts passed through the private sector to ensure equitable distribution. He said that what Ormocanons were doing and showing the world was ad-mirable.

He frankly said that even while the government would want to help everybody, it does not have enough money. He also hopes that the Supreme Court would lift its TRO on the Priority Development As-sistance Fund (PDAF) so that it can also be used for the

rehabilitation. The House has already passed a resolution giving the remaining PDAF for 2013 to the President to use for the countrys rehab after Yolanda. (The very day, however, that P-Noy made this announcement, the Supreme Court released its decision calling the PDAF unconstitu-tional.- Editor)

P-Noy said he is thankful that other countries are helping the country. There are now 28 countries who are pitching in to help us, he said in Tagalog.

On the other hand, Vice Mayor Leo Carmelo Locsin Jr., said that among the important points of their discussion with

the president was the fuel situ-ation in Ormoc, the need for more transportation avenues to bring in relief goods, housing and power.

For fuel, he said, we (the city) are already running out and we need fuel badly to be able to go about relief and rehabilitation work, he said. We also told him that relief aid was coming in trickles, that we needed more transportation to bring in the relief goods., citing that there are many relief goods at various ports waiting to be shipped to Ormoc and Leyte.

We also told the President we needed temporary shelters.

It is always raining and people need to have good shelter, Locsin said.

The President was taking notes all the while we were telling him all these, the vice mayor added, and he prom-ised us to immediately look for what he can do about it when he gets back to Manila.

Before his Ormoc visit, P-Noy was in Basey, Samar to meet with the officials there and offer comfort to the sur-vivors.

Meanwhile , the off i -cial death toll in Leyte has breached the 5,000 mark, and 90 percent of which are from Leyte. By Lalaine M. Jimenea

Cebu Pacific (PSE: CEB), the Philip-pines largest flag carrier, continues to operate daily flights between Cebu and Tacloban and Manila and Tacloban. The airline reserves seats for humanitarian purposes in its Tacloban flights. The airline started humanitarian flights to and from Ta-cloban as soon as the airport opened last November 11.

CEB accepts passengers from other airlines, volunteers, medical and support teams to be on board its Tacloban flights. With no electric-ity and communications in Tacloban, the Cebu Pacific airport team elects manual check-in for passengers, and manual checks for baggage.

CEB has already transported 3,000 kilos of relief goods from the GMA Kapuso Foundation (GMAKF) to Iloilo, 3,000 kilos more to Cebu and 9,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban earlier this week. The airline will be transporting an additional 30,000 kilos of relief goods to Tacloban. Those who wish to donate to the GMAKF may visit www.gmanetwork.com/kapusofoundation for more details.

Passengers on CEBs Manila-Tacloban flights may also bring relief goods, and the airline will transport as

Commercial flights resume in Tacloban, Cebu Pac continues humanitarian flights

much as it can accommodate to Taclo-ban. The airline is working closely with the government on the resumption of normal operations to Tacloban in the soonest possible time.

In the meantime, CEB passen-gers with flights to and from Tacloban until December 31, 2013, have the option to rebook or reroute their flights to the nearest alternate airport without penalties, or get full refund or travel fund.

Passengers may call (02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888 for their pre-ferred option, any time even after their flights. Those who wish to check the status of their flights may go to https://www.cebupacificair.com/Pages/check-flight-status.aspx

Seats on the three remaining Cebu-Tacloban-Cebu flights and Manila-Tacloban-Manila flights are available through the website www.cebupacificair.com, reservation hot-lines (02)7020-888 or (032)230-8888 or nearest travel agents.

Cebu Pacific will continue to provide updates as soon as they are available. Follow @CebuPacificAir on Twitter or Cebu Pacific Airs official Facebook page. PR

The Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay, over the past two weeks, has distributed relief packs to five barangays in the city already. The villages of Nueva Sociedad, San Vicente and Domonar benefitted from the first wave. On the second wave, the club went to Naungan and Curva.