‘Woodstock’-inspired fest seen to boost Leyte's tourism

SAN MIGUEL, Leyte, Dec. 4  -- The recently-held “For the Love of Leyte” music and arts festival is expected to boost this town’s tourism industry.

San Miguel town Mayor Cheryl Enrica Esperas said in an interview Tuesday that hosting the Woodstock-inspired event that gathered music lovers and travelers from different parts of the country and overseas, is a big plus to their tourism promotion initiative.

A farm in Ginsiyaman village was the venue of the three-day festival that concluded on December 2. The village is a 45-minute drive from Tacloban City.

“Name recall is a big part and the participants saw our simple town, a farming and fishing community, with its own unique products,” Esperas said.

The event also helped local transport providers, such as jeepney, motorcycle, and pedicab drivers, with the influx of visitors since last week, she said.

The Veloso family farm is an eco-tourism destination with activities aligned with the town’s vision to be an eco-tourism destination in Leyte province.

The festival featured two stages for the musical bands, a pop-up market showcasing the best arts and crafts from the region and around the country, art grounds, and on-site camping.

The musical lineup has Ben & Ben, Kiko Bun (UK), Bullet Dumas, The Itchyworms, Babani Records (Mauritius), Reese Lansangan, Ang Bandang Shirley, Hernandez Brothers, Conscious & The Goodness, La Loba Negra, Free the Robots (US), Irie Sunday, Lunas, Rob Mananquil, Tom's Story, The 76 Receipts, KulaHig, LSR, Aurora, Maroon & Gold, Lady Suzette, Succubus, KRNK, Specs, The Guerillas, Digital Danboi (UK), Bruder, and Tom Turner, among others.

The event was inspired by Woodstock, a music festival held on a dairy farm in the Catskill Mountains, northwest of New York City, which attracted an audience of more than 400,000 in 1969. (LAAA/PNA)

Top E. Visayas bodies seek return of unspent ‘Yolanda’ funds

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Dec. 4 -- The top three policy-making bodies in Eastern Visayas approved on Monday a resolution asking the central government to reallocate the PHP729.67 million unused Super Typhoon Yolanda funds that had been returned to the National Treasury.

Members of the Regional Development Council (RDC), Regional Peace and Order Council, and the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council unanimously endorsed the proposal presented by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).

NEDA Regional Director Bonifacio Uy is optimistic that the main offices of the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and NEDA will consider the proposal since there are still many post-Yolanda unfunded projects.

The unspent budget is under the 2016 “Yolanda” Recovery and Reconstruction Program that “remained untapped and were not released until the expiration of the validity of the funds last Dec. 31, 2017,” Uy said during the quarterly Regional Project Monitoring Committee meeting.

The 2016 allocation was released late in 2016 or early 2017, giving the agencies less time to procure and obligate the funds within the year.

The consolidated unspent budget came from the calamity fund, National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund, quick response fund, automatic and supplemental appropriation, realignments and savings, and regular agency funds, among others.

These funds were not utilized as some agencies encountered issues in the procurement of “Yolanda” projects, such as processing of documents and usufruct agreement, according to NEDA.

Of the nine agencies and universities with unspent outlay, the top three with returned allocations are the Department of Social Welfare and Development (PHP493.2 million), the Department of Agriculture (PHP114.14 million), and the Visayas State University (PHP80.05 million).

Others on the list are the Department of Public Works and Highways (PHP26.24 million), the Department of Health (PHP7.9 million), the Department of the Interior and Local Government (PHP4.34 million), the Leyte Normal University (PHP3.6 million), the Professional Regulation Commission (PHP178,745), and the Northwest Samar State University (PHP1,111).

In a letter, Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns Wendel Avisado recommended the use of the funds as subsidy for individual water service connections in all relocation sites, as proposed by the Local Water Utilities Authority.

“The subsidy is highly recommended as it is crucial in the sustainability and livability of the resettlement sites and is beyond the coverage of the regular national government subsidy to the agency,” Avisado said in his letter to the NEDA regional office here.

The PHP495-million water system project will only cover the extension of water distribution pipes, develop two new sources in the city’s northern villages, set up and repair old pumping stations, set up a new reservoir, upgrade the existing reservoir, and rehabilitate the city’s water pipes.

More than 14,000 families transferred to the northern part of the city will benefit from this water connection project.

Since the super typhoon struck in 2013, some PHP146.2 billion had already been released for post-disaster recovery in all affected areas in central Philippines. About 46 percent of the funds or PHP67.1 billion was intended for Eastern Visayas.

In the second quarter of 2018, the RDC in Eastern Visayas and NEDA Board Regional Development Committee for the Visayas passed a separate resolution requesting the Office of the President to facilitate the reallocation of reverted post-disaster funds. (SQM/PNA)

Samar landslide victims get new houses

CATBALOGAN CITY, Samar, Dec. 3 -- Gawad Kalinga (GK) and the city government here on Saturday turned over 30 housing units to landslide victims in Mercedes village four years after the tragedy.

Malaysia-based Berjaya Corp. funded the construction of the housing units that started August this year through a system that required recipients to contribute 1,500 hours to haul sand, gravel, and hollow blocks.

City Mayor Stephany Uy-Tan, GK Visayas Island head Kevin Caballero and GK Provincial head Joseph Edward Baltazar led the turn-over ceremony of housing units built within a 1.5-hectare lot in Payao village donated by the city government to GK.

“These new homes will give a chance to the families to start a new life. This is the answer to their troubled mind from asking where they will go after their houses were destroyed by the landslide. They now have their permanent address now that they are house owners,” Caballero said.

Beneficiaries of the housing projects are happy that after more than three years of waiting, they now have a better place to stay.

Some of the landslide victims have to stay with their relatives after the incident, while others stayed at the bunkhouse near the GK village built by the city government out of donations of Catbalogan residents who are now based in the United States.

“I am thankful that finally we have a house. This is timely because, we just welcomed our first child,” said Marlon Lab-as, whose house was partly damaged by 2014 landslides.

“My family’s safety is my primary concern although our new house is a bit far from the city’s commercial district,” Lab-as said.

Aside from housing units and teaching values formation, GK personnel will also provide livelihood training for the recipients to augment their daily income.

In her message, Uy-Tan shared that her administration does not have regrets acquiring the lot in Payao village despite the controversy she is facing now.

“If I need to fight for these, I will do it. If they want to malign me, I will face them, and I will not be bothered if this will mean for the betterment of the future of Catbalogan and that this will benefit more residents of the city, I will stand for it,” Uy-Tan said.

The mayor was referring to the Nov. 26, 2018 Office of the Ombudsman’s order for six-month preventive suspension of Uy-Tan along with some city council officials and other city employees since they were charged with abuse of authority, grave misconduct, and gross neglect for the purchase of land from private individuals.

 A medium-rise housing project funded by the National Housing Authority meant for 300 families is also planned to be put in the same property. (RTA/PNA)

Balangiga Bells back to Eastern Samar Dec. 15

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, Dec. 3  -- The Balangiga Bells will be back to its original place on Dec. 15, in time for the start of Christmas tradition of nine-day dawn masses, Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana announced on Monday.

Lorenzana said the three bells will arrive at the Villamor Air Base on Dec. 11 with a simple military ceremony.

“We will look at the availability of President Duterte, but the target is to bring back the bells to Balangiga town by Dec. 15 in time for the Misa de Gallo,” Lorenzana told Eastern Visayas officials during the joint meeting of regional councils on development, disaster management, and peace and order held in this city. 

Misa de Gallo is a devotional nine-day series of masses practiced by Roman Catholics in the country in anticipation of Christmas.

The country’s defense chief said he got a call from the office of US Defense Secretary James Mattis about the schedule of the bells’ arrival in the country.

The official said refurbishing of the bells is already completed and the artifacts are now ready for transit to the Philippines.

“This is my good news to you that after 117 years, the bells will come where they should belong,” he said.

On August 9, US Defense Secretary James Mattis notified US Congress of its intention to return the Balangiga Bells to the country. The decision followed a year-long consultative process with associated veterans’ organizations and government officials to ensure appropriate steps are taken to preserve the history associated with the bells.

Over a century ago, American soldiers took the bells from Balangiga town’s church as war trophy. The bells’ ringing signaled the attack by the villagers against the invaders.

The Balangiga Encounter happened on Sept. 28, 1901, when town residents led by Valeriano Abanador initiated an attack against US soldiers.

The villagers killed 54 American soldiers using bolos. It was the biggest defeat of the foreign troop during the Philippine-American war.

Around 2,500 Filipinos were killed by the US retaliatory attack. The Americans took the Balangiga Bells after they turned the town into a “howling wilderness”.

Balangiga town is about 98 kilometers east of Tacloban City. It is a fourth-class town in Eastern Samar, with a population of 14,085. (SQM/PNA)

Samar’s contribution to Russian history to be promoted

GUIUAN, Eastern Samar, Nov. 30 -- The Russian ambassador to the Philippines has vowed to help the local government unit of Guiuan and the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation in their campaign to let more people learn about Tubabao Island and the plight of “White Russians” who lived there, 69 years ago.

Ambassador Igor Khovaev said Thursday afternoon the campaign will help, not only in strengthening the ties between the two countries but will also pave the way for more Russian tourists to visit, especially Tubabao Island.

About 6,000 “White Russian” refugees from China stayed on Tubabao Island in 1949, a former American base during World War II.

The refugees were called “White Russians” as they opposed communism. The group, which started in Russia, also organized the Russian immigrants in China to leave, when the Communists came into power.

In their appeal to the international community, only the Philippines - through the administration of then-President Elpidio Quirino - replied to their request. The offer was made even if the country was still recovering from the devastation of WWII.

Tubabao Island was the designated place for the “White Russians” to stay while they wait for other countries to grant them asylum. In 1951, after two years of stay on the island, the refugees were granted asylum to the United States of America, Australia, France, and South American and European countries.

“Unfortunately, this story is little known in Russia. I think we should combine our effort to let all people know that. This can be a bridge of friendship, connecting Russia and all Filipinos,” Ambassador Khovaev said.

“They deserve to know the story and I’m sure that many of them will have desire and will want to visit this place. Hopefully this can be our modest contribution for the social and economic development of this region,” Khovaev added.

“As far as the Russian Embassy in Manila, we will do our best. I hope that in the near future that Tubabao and Guiuan will become a destination of pilgrimage of Russian tourists because this is a very special story. A story that is very close to the heart of all Russian people. We will do our best to let as many people to know that,” Khovaev added.

Next year, the odyssey of “White Russians” to Tubabao Island will mark its 70th year, a milestone that needs to be properly celebrated.

The ambassador said they will work closely with the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation on this.

In his visit to Guiuan, Eastern Samar, the ambassador went to Tubabao Island and offered prayers and flowers at the refugee marker located in the heart of the island.

He also visited the old site of the Orthodox Cathedral of the Most Holy Theotokos (Orthodox Cathedral of the Holy Virgin Mary), where then Archbishop John Maximovich, who was later venerated into sainthood, served.

The archbishop, now known as Saint John of Shanghai and San Francisco, was also instrumental for the granting of asylum to the “White Russians in Tubabao” in the US.

Ambassador Khovaev also went to the Guiuan public cemetery to visit the graves of some of the “White Russians” who died during their stay in Tubabao.

During his visit to Guiuan, Ambassador Khovaev also expressed his elation to the effort of the former mayor of Guiuan, Annaliz Gonzalez-Kwan and her daughter Kinna Kwan to conduct research to let the people know about the forgotten history of Tubabao that has a great impact on the lives of the Russian people.

“I’m deeply impressed, touch and humbled. I think this is a very meaningful story because despite that huge geographical distance there is something that connects our country,” Ambassador Khovaev.

Ambassador Khovaev referred to the Philippines as a “country of refuge, country of assistance and help, and country of care” when showed the documentary about the “White Russians” in Tubabao, which was produced by the President Elpidio Quirino Foundation. (RTA/PNA)