Leyte’s 16,000 Blossoms draws more tourists

BAYBAY CITY, Leyte, Nov. 6  -- The city government here is optimistic of making its 16,000 Blossoms a top tourist destination in Eastern Visayas region.




The 16,000 Blossoms at the city’s Linta-on Peak is dotted with LED-powered red and white colored roses inspired by the 10,000 roses in Cebu.




Mayor Carmen Cari said on Monday the local government has already earned about PHP500,000 from the PHP20 per person entrance fee at the new tourism destination.




The city government developed the site for tourism activities in the mountain, resembling the terrain of Batanes province.

It officially opened middle of June this year.


 The 16,000 Blossoms is part of the PHP20-million development plan of the city for Linta-on Peak. 




Cari said the cost of electricity is very minimal because they use LED lights. “We are paying around PHP16,100 a month because lights are energy-efficient.”




The local government also acquired a generator as back-up in case of power interruptions.




“Most of the visitors especially during weekend are not from this city. We bought a generator so we can light up the place and for our visitors to enjoy the view even if there is a brownout,” Cari added.




Ongoing now is the construction of a function hall for rent during special events.

The city government will also fund the construction of two viewing decks overlooking the city proper of Baybay and Cuatros Islands.




An eight-storey image of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the city’s patroness, will also rise at Linta-on Peak.

The area is part of the Pomponan village, a known pilgrimage site for devotees of St. Anthony of Padua. (RTA/PNA)

Tacloban to host disaster resilience race

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 2  – A disaster preparedness race will be held in this city on November 8 in line with the commemoration of the 4^th anniversary of supertyphoon "Yolanda".

Dubbed as “Saving Race”, the competition will challenge the teams' mental resilience and physical strength in times of natural disasters and emergency situations.

An Waray Partylist Rep. Victoria Noel said the race is patterned after “The Amazing Race”, a reality television game show in which teams of two people race around in competition with other teams. 

Contestants strive to arrive first at a pit stop at the end of each leg of the race to win prizes and avoid coming in last.

All tasks or challenges will be related to disaster preparedness and risk reduction management.

At least 20 pre-screened teams will be chosen to join the race. Each team must be endorsed by a government-recognized group, school or local government unit. Each team will be composed of two racers and one logistical support.

“Contestants will race around the city and strive to arrive first at pre-identified checkpoints and do the tasks as fast as possible,” Noel told reporters.

Clues provided in each leg will lead the teams to the next checkpoint or direct them to perform a task, either together or by a single member.

Participants must be within the age bracket of 18 to 40 years old and a resident of Eastern Visayas region. (LAAA/PNA)

Eastern Visayas welcomes diversion of ‘Yolanda’ funds for Marawi rehab

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 3  – The plan to divert some unspent super typhoon Yolanda funds for the rehabilitation of war-torn Marawi City has received positive response from the Regional Development Council (RDC) and disaster survivors in this city.

Tacloban Mayor Cristina Romualdez, RDC chairperson, said Marawi badly needs budget to rebuild the city after five months of fighting between government troops and terrorists.

“The trail of destruction in Marawi brings back the memories of Yolanda. It happened to us and it’s time to share our blessings to others. They badly need our help since they are our brothers and sisters,” Romualdez told reporters on Friday.

National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) Regional Director Bonifacio Uy said there’s no official pronouncement of fund diversion.

“What we heard from the National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council is that the unspent Yolanda funds will be used for Marawi, but it will be returned once the budget is available,” Uy said in a text message.

Construction worker Charlito Concepcion, 54, who is now living in a resettlement site in San Isidro village, said, "As one nation, we must help our fellow Filipinos who are in desperate need. Since super typhoon Yolanda struck, a lot of people rescued and helped us”.

Housewife Claire Yano, 31, said Marawi residents deserve all kinds of help since they lost almost everything.

“Since we are already settled in a permanent shelter, there are other people in Marawi who deserves more attention from the government,” Yano added.

The NEDA regional office here reported that the central government has already released PHP32.19 billion for post-Yolanda rehabilitation. Of the total, approximately 65 percent or PHP20.94 billion had already been disbursed to implementing agencies.

Total funds released for the ongoing project of the resettlement cluster was the highest at around PHP14.42 billion, followed by social services (PHP9.20 billion), infrastructure (PHP6.02) and livelihood (PHP2.55 billion).

Super typhoon Yolanda, said to be the strongest typhoon in world history, struck central Philippines on Nov. 8, 2013 and wrought havoc to 175 cities and municipalities in 14 provinces in six regions.

Total cost of damage and losses in Yolanda-affected areas reached PHP101.79 billion, of which PHP48. 79 billion was accounted for by Eastern Visayas. (with report from Mikaela Angelica A. Ramirez & Ali Krause P. Gamana, OJT/PNA)

Coconut bills get full support from partylist

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 2  – Bills proposing to revitalize the coconut industry and use the coconut levy fund got the full support of the An Waray Partylist.

Partylist Representative Victoria Isabel Noel said Thursday these bills are essential legislations that would help the country’s marginalized coconut farmers.

"Our tree of life, properly nurtured and never neglected, can ensure a sustained quality of life for employed farmers, lessees and tillers who can, in the process, be direct participants in and beneficiaries of the industry,” Noel said.

The bill on revitalizing the coconut industry aims to promote the rapid, steady and continuous integrated development and growth of the coconut industry in all its aspects and ensure that the coconut farmers, farm workers, processor, lessees and tillers and their families, shall become direct participants in, and beneficiaries of, such development and growth, thus increasing their income and uplifting their quality of life.

“Among its primary goals is to hasten and advance industrialization in the coconut industry and the diversification and proper utilization of coconut products and by-products,” Noel added.

The bill, if it passes into law, will benefit the Eastern Visayas region, with coconut as one of its major products.

Revitalizing the industry would likewise boost the recovery of the region from Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013, which damaged a major part of the industry and displaced thousands of coconut farmers. 

Noel also expressed her full support for House of Representatives Bill 5745, which provides for the use of the coconut levy funds. The bill will establish a Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund, which is seen to benefit the “poor and marginalized” coconut farmers.

It also provides that PHP10 billion of the initial trust principal to be used within two years from the approval of the “Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan” by the President of the Philippines.

The measure provides that the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Trust Fund Committee shall be created, under the Office of the President, which shall monitor the implementation of the Coconut Farmers and Industry Development Plan and approve disbursements out of the trust fund.

The trust fund shall consist of the principal and income. No portion of the trust fund shall accrue to the general fund of the national government. It shall be capitalized, managed, utilized and accounted for in the manner provided in the Act.

Noel said the coconut industry’s viability and sustained improvement in the areas of production processing and marketing and intensive research can guarantee the economic wellbeing of a major part of the country's population.

In 2012, the Supreme Court ruled that the fees collected during the Marcos dictatorship are state-owned and should be used solely for the benefit of coconut farmers and the coconut industry.

The tax had been imposed on the farmers of the poverty-wracked industry for their benefit, but the funds were diverted instead to investments, such as in the United Coconut Planters Bank and San Miguel Corp. (ACR/PNA)

Leyte student upbeat of winning global Breakthrough Challenge

PALO, Leyte, Nov. 2  – The only student from the Philippines shortlisted on the Breakthrough Junior Challenge is upbeat of winning the global science competition.

Hillary Diane Andales, 18, Grade 12 student of the Philippine Science High School Eastern Visayas Campus has stepped up her online campaign with the help of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) to USD250,000 scholarship grand prize.

Andales joined the competition online with her three-minute short film entry about Physics. She made it to the top 30 last year.

The student needs at least 300,000 likes and shares to be assured of a slot in the top 6. The deadline for voting is Nov. 2 and the announcement of winners is on Dec. 4 via Facebook live and National Geographic Channel.

Out of more than 6,000 entries from 146 countries, Andales, a native of Abuyog, Leyte, bagged a coveted place, one of the 30 semifinal spots in the Breakthrough Junior Challenge where students “make a short film about a big idea in science or math.”

“I explained through medium an idea called Relativity and The Equivalence of Reference Frames.

Maybe some of you have heard relativity about Albert Einstien the theory that makes him famous. I explained in simple terms about what we observe are always relative, it always depend on the observer,” Andales explained to reporters on Thursday.

The Junior Challenge began in 2015 and aims to recognize “that the biggest breakthroughs start with an insight, a new way of looking at things,” according to Sal Khan, the founder of Khan Academy.

It was launched in order to showcase the scientific knowledge of the world’s young leaders in development, and also to promote science awareness among the general public.

The entrants must display skills in science communication and must be able to simplify complex ideas into basic terms. Their videos are evaluated based on four criteria: Creativity, Difficulty, Engagement and Illumination.

The sole winner of the Breakthrough Junior Challenge will be flown to the United States to accept the award along with a USD250,000 scholarship, a USD100,000 science lab for the winner’s school, and a USD50,000 award for the winner’s teacher. (SQM/with Mikaela Angelica A. Ramirez, Christine M. Quimbo, OJT/PNA)