DPWH Leyte office projects 54.61% finished midway in 2016

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, June 2 (PNA) -– The Department of Public Works and Highways 4th Leyte engineering district (DPWH 4th LED) has attained a 54.61 percent completion rate for its 2016 projects.

The figure is 6.20 percent ahead of its 49 percent target for the first five months of the year, said District Engineer Lino Francisco Gonzales.

So far, the DPWH field office has 63 projects this year including a PHP3.2 million hanging bridge in Monterico and the PHP60 million widening of Anilao Bridge in Cogon. Both projects are located in Ormoc.

On the other hand, 4th LED has completed 99 percent of its projects for 2015. The remaining ongoing project from that year is the 60-meter footbridge in Naungan, also in Ormoc.

“The project hit a snag when the crane being used in the construction bogged down. Despite this, the contractor assured the project will be 90 percent finished by June 30,” Gonzales said. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/FNC/EGR

Diarrhea kills 9, downs 963 others in Eastern Visayas

TACLOBAN CITY, June 2 (PNA) -- At least nine people, mostly children, have died and 963 others were downed as diarrhea plagued 10 towns in four provinces of Eastern Visayas, the Department of Health (DOH) reported on Thursday.

Roderick Boyd Cerro, chief of the DOH regional epidemiology and surveillance unit said their office rushed to contain the outbreak that has been affecting several areas in the region since third week of May.

“Contamination of drinking water sources brought by sudden rainfall is the major cause why we have sporadic cases of diarrhea,” Cerro said in a mobile phone interview.

Catbalogan City, Calbiga, Talalora, and Sta. Rita towns in Samar province have reported two deaths each or a total of eight casualties. The ninth casualty is from Sta. Margarita, Samar. Most victims are children below 10 years old, according to Cerro.

Hilongos, Leyte has the most number of victims at 316, followed by Calbiga, Samar at 215.

In Samar, cases were reported in Catbalogan City (172), Sta. Rita (113), Talalora (28), Pinabacdao (19), Sta. Margarita (11), and Basey (five). Other affected areas are Lavezares in Northern Samar (30) and Jipapad in Eastern Samar (54).

Elena Villarosa, DOH Eastern Visayas regional information officer said teams have been deployed to Gamay, Las Navas, and Lavezares in Northern Samar to investigate newly-reported diarrhea outbreak.

“There is an increasing incidence of diarrhea in some areas due to person-to-person transmission through unsanitary food and water handling. Other factors are absence of toilets and proximity of open dumpsites to water sources,” Vilalrosa said.

Although the recent diarrhea plague is alarming, the official said that DOH is in control of the situation as they’re able to treat cases through medication and distribution of aquatabs and chlorine to curb contamination. These supplies are also available in health facilities and rural health units.

“With the onset of rainy season, we urged our local health workers to regularly check water sources, especially deep wells for possible contamination. They have to warned communities of potential threats and inform them of ways to purify drinking water,” Cerro explained.

To curb diarrhea, the public are advised to wash hands before cooking foods, wash foods before cooking, cover foods, practice personal hygiene, practice proper disposal of waste and use of sanitary toilets, and practice health seeking behavior especially for children who are prone to develop more serious illness and complications.

Diarrhea is characterized by stomach pain, headache, body weakness and watery stools. The worst is dehydration that can cause death. (PNA)
BNB/SARWELL Q. MENIANO

78 new buildings in northwest Leyte ready for incoming school year

ORMOC CITY, Leyte, June 1 (PNA) -– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) office in northwest Leyte reported that 76 out of 78 school building projects are ready for use in time for the opening of new academic year.

Only two buildings, both four-storeys, are ongoing construction at the New Ormoc National High School campus and will be finished in July.

Funds for the school buildings came from the Department of Education (DepEd) programmed last year.

On top of these projects, DepEd released another PHP200 million last month for the construction of more than 15 school buildings particularly in Ormoc and the towns of Albuera, Matag-ob and Palompon. (PNA)
FFC/SQM/FNC/EGR

Outgoing DOST chief lauds Duterte for picking an insider successor

TACLOBAN CITY, June 1 (PNA) –- Outgoing Department of Science and Technology (DOST) Secretary Mario G. Montejo lauded President-elect Rodrigo Duterte for picking an insider as the next head of DOST.

Speaking to employees here on Tuesday, Montejo said the appointment of Undersecretary Fortunato dela Peña will ensure continuity of what the department has been implementing in the past years.

“I am happy that he’s from the ranks because there will be continuity. As a nation, we should develop technology self-reliance and it can be easily achieved if someone from the ranks will lead,” Montejo said.

The outgoing DOST chief reiterated the need to sustain existing efforts such as the Small Enterprise Technology Upgrading Program, launched during the Arroyo administration and expanded by the Aquino government.

SETUP is DOST’s response to their public’s demand to improve access to technologies and breakthroughs developed by the different facilities of DOST.

This program is focused in helping SMEs utilize and adapt technological innovations and scientific processes that improve business productivity and efficiency.

“We have many programs that should not be stopped. These are multi-billion peso programs, which are bearing fruits,” he added.

Other key programs are food innovation and processing center, scholarship, technical and consultancy services, and standards and testing.

Dela Peña is the DOST’s current undersecretary for science and technology services. Under his watch is Science and Technology Foundation Unit, International Technology Cooperation Unit, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Joint Scientific Cooperation program, gender and development, human resource development, biosafety committee, and biosafety clearing house.

Dela Peña's stint in DOST started when he became head of the planning service division of the National Science and Technology Authority (DOST's forerunner) in the early 1980's. (PNA)

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EU-funded recovery project builds 11 evacuation centers in Eastern Visayas

CABUCGAYAN, Biliran, June 1 (PNA) -- The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) has completed the construction of six out 11 community evacuation centers intended for areas in Eastern Visayas ravaged by typhoon Yolanda in 2013.

UNDP Philippines Country Director Titon Mitra said construction of three centers, designed to protect families from impacts of disasters, are now ongoing while two sites will kick off its construction within the year.

“These evacuation centers are constructed to withstand 300 kilometer per hour wind velocity and up to intensity 8 earthquake,” Mitra told reporters on the sidelines of project turnover here onTuesday.

Newly-completed centers are located in Biliran, Naval, and Cabucgayan in Biliran province; Ormoc City in Leyte; and Salcedo and Hernani in Eastern Samar.

Under construction are evacuation centers in Quinapondan, Mercedes, and Balangkayan in Eastern Samar. Similar structures will also rise in Tacloban City in Leyte and Lawaan in Eastern Samar.

Mitra said the project complements efforts of national and local governments in enabling the timely and sustainable recovery of Yolanda-affected communities and also builds their resilience to future natural disasters.

The two-storey center, with a cost of PHP12 million each, integrates water, sanitation and hygiene facilities, and fitted with solar panels and generator set.

“This is the best possible design for the local circumstances within the budget available for us,” Mitra said.

The UNDP urged local government units to use the building for community development activities during “non-disaster events.”

European Union (EU) Ambassador Franz Jessen, who led the turnover of the facility to local government units, said the project manifests that EU values its strong partnership with the Philippine government.

“We commend the Philippine government on the remarkable and impressive progress in its recovery and rehabilitation efforts. The EU remains to be a committed partner of the Philippines not just in responding to and recovering from disasters, but also in the journey towards sustainable development,” Jessen said.

The EU post-Yolanda assistance through UNDP tagged as Project Recovery is a comprehensive disaster risk reduction package seeks to increase the capacities of communities and local governments, reduce community vulnerabilities, and increase people’s capacities towards building safer and resilient communities. (PNA)
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