by anyajulia | Oct 8, 2009 | Headlines, National News
The Department of Education mobilizes its employess for relief work. Its personnel and emergency employees in the Central Office are to promptly respond to the needs of its teachers, non-teaching personnel and pupils who suffered the brunt of Typhoon Ondoy.
“The spirit of ‘damayan’ is alive and well at the department where various school divisions not affected by the devastation were quick to launch and send relief goods to the National Capital Region,” Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said. He further adds, “This is ‘bayanihan’ or sense of community that we are talking about inside the classroom. Now we are seeing its concrete expression through these various expressions of compassion.”
DepEd is currently preparing some 10,000 bags of relief goods consisting of rice, milk, coffee, canned goods and basic toiletries.
DepEd is also tapping its private sector partners for possible donation of basic necessities. (DepEd)
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by anyajulia | Oct 8, 2009 | Headlines, National News
According to the United Nations News Service, the UN has kiced off an appeal for $74 Million to help the 1 Million flood victims in the Philippines.
Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs John Holmes said that he has allocated $7 million for the Philippines emergency from the Central Emergency Response Fund (CERF), set up to finance sudden-onset or under-funded crises.
The appeal has already received between $9 million and $10 million, Mr.Holmes said.
The Flash Appeal seeks to generate funds in key sectors including food, shelter, water and sanitation, nutrition, education, emergency telecommunications and logistics, child protection, coordination and camp management.
As part of the $74 Million appeal, the UN World Food Programme is asking for $26 million to fund its three-month emergency operation, to support the Government’s efforts by providing rice, beans and other food in the worst-hit areas of Manila and surrounding areas. The agency is also giving logistical support to allow humanitarian agencies to access remote areas.
For its part, the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has identified access to drinking water as the major concern in the wake of the devastating storms. UNICEF is asking for nearly $13 million from the wider appeal has already distributed hundreds of hygiene kids.
Appealing for $7 million during the launch was the World Health Organization (WHO), which reported that it is sending medical supplies to two dozen hospitals and health centers that have been damaged by floods. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Oct 8, 2009 | Headlines, National News
“Now is the time to approve House Bill 5043 / Reproductive Health and Population Development Act of 2009, and its counterpart Senate Bill 3122.” This is according to the Philippine Legislators’ Committee on Population and Development Foundation, Inc. (PLCPD) and The FORUM for Family Planning and Development, Inc. (FORUM).
The enactment of a law that will ensure education and reproductive health services to Filipinos especially to the poor could have lessen the impact of natural disasters such as typhoons.
Had we have a law on reproductive health and population development thirty years earlier, we could have had a more manageable population. We could have less families living in high risk areas such as mountain slopes and near the rivers which have been transformed into housing areas.
Meanwhile, according to Ramon San Pascual, PLCPD Executive Director, Ondoy has only highlighted the lack of integrated policies that cover land use, population management program, climate change and maternal health. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Oct 8, 2009 | Headlines, National News
P2 million is spent each day to feed typhoon victims in 2000 evacuation centers for the past 9 days. This is according to Deprtment of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza Cabral. The money was on top of the donations in cash and in kind from private organizations.
She said the evacuees normally enjoy six meals a day—including snacks being given them by the numerous NGOs and business and civic clubs that distribute their goods directly to the evacuation centers.
“We now have to wait for the signal from the proposed resettlements or relocation camps before we can let go of these evacuees,” Cabral said.
Regular medical and dental teams are also making the rounds of the evacuation centers to protect them from disease outbreaks caused by the garbage piles, improper sanitation and hygiene and even the places which are still under water as these are good breeding grounds for mosquitoes that can carry diseases like dengue, Cabral said. (PIA)
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by anyajulia | Oct 8, 2009 | Headlines, National News
National government and local government units (LGUs) will work together on how best to speed up repair and reconstruction of infrastructures destroyed by typhoon “Ondoy”. This is according to President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in an impromptu speech when giving out relief goods at the Sta. Lucia High School, Pasig City.
The President also distributed medicine kits, and Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) cards to some 3,000 families from 30 barangays. These PhilHealth cards can be used for free medical check-ups and hospitalization in any government hospital.
The President also distributed relief goods to Alabang Elementary School, Muntinlupa City and Marilao, Bulacan as part of the national government’s efforts to help “Ondoy” victims. (PIA)
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