US solons urge defense dep’t to airdrop relief supplies in remote areas

 News
Nov 222013
 
US solons urge defense dep’t to airdrop relief supplies in remote areas

INQUIRER.net US Bureau 9:34 am | Saturday, November 23rd, 2013 Rep. Eric Swalwell WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Air Force should air drop humanitarian supplies and food to the most remote and inaccessible areas of the Philippines following Typhoon Haiyan/Yolanda, several lawmakers wrote to the US defense secretary and the USAID head. U.S. Representatives Eric Swalwell (CA-15) and Jackie Speier (CA-14) wrote to Department of Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) administrator Raj Shah, requesting the airdrops. The bipartisan letter was signed by 36 members of Congress. The U.S. is currently delivering food to the Philippines primarily through distribution centers and via helicopter and V22-Ospreys; but relief personnel have yet to use airdrops although many areas of the devastated by the storm are remote. Airdrops in a disaster situation are not unprecedented. Following the earthquake in Haiti, the U.S. Air Force dropped over 55,000 pounds of food and water into difficult to reach areas. In their letter, the lawmakers encourage use of an aid deployment strategy developed by the U.S. Air Force at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in Livermore, California, called the Tri-wall Arial Delivery System (TRIADS). TRIADS is a proven method, which enables the dropping of food packages from high altitudes without parachutes. Rep. Jackie Speier “Typhoon Haiyan swept through the Philippines, creating unimaginable damage,” said Swalwell. “I’m proud we’ve quickly provided assistance to our friends in the Philippines, but many in remote areas are still in desperate need of basic humanitarian supplies.  I’m Read More …

World Bank doubles disaster aid to Philippines

 News
Nov 222013
 
World Bank doubles disaster aid to Philippines

WASHINGTON – The World Bank on Friday added $480 million in emergency aid to the Philippines, taking to nearly $1 billion its support as the death toll from super typhoon Haiyan passed 5,200. World Bank President Jim Yong Kim made the pledge, added to $500 million committed Monday, in a phone call with Philippine President Benigno Aquino, the development lender said. The new money will be provided through the bank’s existing Community Driven Development Project for the Philippines, which will allow localities to tap the funds for their own rebuilding projects. “The project will empower communities themselves to lead the reconstruction effort, by offering a transparent way for people to identify their own needs,” the Bank said in a statement. The Bank has already deployed disaster specialists to Manila to help the government assess the damages and identify rebuilding priorities in the wake of the storm, which blasted through the center of the country on November 8, flattening entire communities and leaving up to four million people displaced. Early estimates by analysts of the typhoon’s economic cost to the Philippines have been put at around $14 billion. “We have been encouraged by the resilience of the Filipino people and the determination shown by President Aquino and his team as they work to recover from a disaster of unprecedented scale,” Kim said in the statement. — Agence France– Presse

CHED promises to find funding to keep PDAF scholars in school

 News
Nov 222013
 
CHED promises to find funding to keep PDAF scholars in school

The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) assured scholars dependent on lawmakers’ Priority Development Assistance Fund that they can stay in school despite the Supreme Court’s recent decision declaring the multibillion-peso fund unconstitutional. In a statement released Friday, CHED chairperson Patricia Licuanan said the commission is now looking into other possible funding sources for PDAF scholars so their studies will not be affected. Licuanan added CHED asked 111 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the country as early as October to allow PDAF beneficiaries enrolled for the first semester of this school year to enroll again for the second semester. Some scholars have expressed fears they will have to stop their studies following the Supreme Court’s issuance last month of a temporary restraining order on the release of the second tranche of the 2013 PDAF. Eastern Samar Representative Ben Evardone has warned that over 200,000 scholars will be affected by the order to freeze PDAF use. Licuanan said CHED is currently assessing the situation of PDAF beneficiaries enrolled in private higher education institutions (HEIs) to determine how it can help scholars continue their studies. “Once CHED has assessed the resources needed by former PDAF grantees in public and private HEIs, CHED will tap into its Higher Education Development Fund, funds from the General Appropriations Act and possibly from the President’s Social Fund,” she said. In a 14-0-1 vote, the Supreme Court on Tuesday declared the PDAF, more commonly known as the pork barrel, unconstitutional. The Court declared the PDAF Article in Read More …

Official Yolanda death toll breaches 5k mark, with over 1,000 still missing

 News
Nov 222013
 
Official Yolanda death toll breaches 5k mark, with over 1,000 still missing

More deaths related to Typhoon Yolanda have been validated by disaster officials Friday, bringing the official death toll to 5,209 with 1,611 still missing and 23,404 injured, based on the latest report by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Of the total number of fatalities, 4,919 were from Eastern Visayas, the hardest hit region of the super typhoon, while the rest were from Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Bicol, Western Visayas, Central Visayas, Zamboanga Peninsula and Caraga. “These were recovered for the past few days but have to be validated,” said Eduardo del Rosario, NDRRMC executive director, referring too the additional fatalities. Validation was done in coordination with mayors and local heath officers, he added. “We had changes because the official validation and confirmation are slowly coming in from the municipal mayors and municipal health workers,” del Rosario explained. The latest death toll was already more than double than President Benigno Aquino III’s estimate of between 2,000 to 2,500 Chief Superintendent Elmer Soria, the relieved Eastern Visayas regional police chief, had earlier estimated that the death toll could reach 10,000. — KBK, GMA News

UP Diliman grad tops 428 Chemical Engineer Licensure Exam passers

 News
Nov 222013
 
UP Diliman grad tops 428 Chemical Engineer Licensure Exam passers

A graduate from University of the Philippines Diliman topped the 428 examinees who passed the Chemical Engineer Licensure Examination given this month in Manila and Cebu, the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC) said Friday. Jasper Powell Samson Esguerra scored 84.60 percentage points, followed by Arniel Lagumbay Belarmino of Xavier University with 82.90. Tied at third place were Fernando Caasi Lit of UP Los Baños and Robert Cesar Bulo Morta of Bicol University-Legazpi, both with 82.80. The rest of the Top 10 are as follows: 4 SUGAR ROA  ESTRADA OF XAVIER UNIVERSITY (82.40)5 MARK JAYSON ARELLANO  PANGANIBAN OF UP-LOS BAÑOS (82.00)6 HYKINEL BON DETERA  GUARTE OF UP-DILIMAN (81.90)7 ALDRINE OGENA  ALMANZOR OF UP-DILIMAN (81.50)RAWLINSON PEÑA  TOLENTINO OF BATANGAS STATE UNIVERSITY-BATANGAS CITY (81.50)8 MARK RIGEL RABANERA  ALI OF SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY (81.30)9 ANGELO GUNIO  MAGNAYE OF ADAMSON UNIVERSITY (81.00)HAZELLE LAGUE  ROXAS OF UNIVERSITY OF MINDANAO-DAVAO CITY (81.00)10 MARCO HERNANDEZ  GARCIA OF MALAYAN COLLEGES LAGUNA (80.90) [Click here for the complete list of passers in the Chemical Engineer Licensure Exam.] A total of 734 examinees took the exam, which was given on November 19. The PRC said the issuance of Professional Identification Card (ID) and Certificate of Registration will be on November 28 and 29, 2013, while the date and venue for the oathtaking ceremony will be announced later. — KBK, GMA News

NDRRMC chief: No order to suppress Yolanda body count

 News
Nov 222013
 
NDRRMC chief: No order to suppress Yolanda body count

The head of the country’s disaster risk reduction council tasked to collate data on the effects of Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) on Friday denied receiving orders to stop releasing the death toll from the recent calamity. “Let us settle that. Merong accusations na pinipigil or merong order na huwag ilabas ‘yung figure. Wala pong katotohanan,” National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) executive director Eduardo del Rosario said at a press conference. He explained that the death toll was stalled at 4,011 during the past two days because the NDRRMC is still waiting for reports from the ground. “Hinihintay ‘yung official report na isa-submit ng mayor, duly signed by the mayor and the health officers of the municipalities and cities concerned,” del Rosario said. He added that official data from local government units affected by the typhoon will likely reach the NDRRMC central office within the day. “Kino-collate na ngayon, and you will know today. Hopefully this afternoon, you will know a more concrete figure,” the NDRRMC chief said. The official death toll from Yolanda slightly increased on Friday morning to 4,015.  The massive typhoon whipped through the Visayas and parts of Luzon two weeks ago. In a separate briefing later in the day, Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas said the death toll has climbed to 4,919. Days after the super typhoon hit the country, conflicting estimates on the number of individuals killed during Yolanda’s onslaught came out in the media. President Benigno Aquino III earlier estimated that Read More …

‘Yolanda’ death toll nears 4,000-mark

 Entertainment
Nov 212013
 
‘Yolanda’ death toll nears 4,000-mark

Residents carry a coffin containing the body of a victim of Typhoon Haiyan during a funeral in Tanauan, Leyte, central Philippines November 14, 2013. (MNS photo) MANILA (Mabuhay) – The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said on Monday morning the official death toll from supertyphoon “Yolanda” has reached 3,976, while the number of families affected also rose slightly as relief efforts from the government and other sectors continue for the victims. The death toll is broken down by regions as follows: CALABARZON, 2; MIMAROPA, 7; Bicol, 5; Western Visayas, 161; Central Visayas, 74; Eastern Visayas, 3,725; Zamboanga Peninsula, 1; and CARAGA, 1. NDRRMC said that 18,175 persons were injured, broken down as: 2 for CALABARZON, 21 for Bicol, 228, Western Visayas; 102, Central Visayas; 17,821, Eastern Visayas; and 1, Zamboanga Peninsula. Still missing are 1,598 individuals and these can be broken down into 19 for Western Visayas, 5 for Central Visayas, and 1,574 for Eastern Visayas. NDRRMC said a total of 2,212,955 families (10,306,318 persons) were affected in 44 provinces, 574 municipalities, and 57 cities. Of the total number of affected residents, 850,058 families or 4,008,894 persons were left homeless, NDRRMC said, prompting over 74,000 to stay inside evacuation centers. Number of damaged houses also rose to 571,806. The cost of damages breached the P10-billion mark at P10,384,690,061, with P1,295,508,600 for infrastructure facilities and P9,089,181,461 for agriculture. NDRRMC spokesman Major Reynaldo Balido said the province with most damages is Leyte with P1.2 billion in agriculture, P1.6 million Read More …

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