09 DECEMBER 2013.
-----------------------
| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- People of Palo remember life’s biggest lessons learned from ‘Yolanda’ |
| |
| (PALO, Leyte) The resilience of Filipinos and their strong devotion towards the Catholic faith were on display Sunday as those who survived the onslaught of super typhoon "Yolanda" (Haiyan) shared everything they remember during that fateful Friday of November 8, its aftermath, and how God helped them through those harrowing times. Fr. Sunny Quejada told a packed audience inside Palo Cathedral about his own ordeal upon learning that he had lost two members of his immediate family from the tragedy. He, however, said that blaming God for what happened never crossed his mind. The 33-year old priest took a few days of leave from his parish in Aurora and rushed home to his family as soon as he learned that his mother went missing following Yolanda’s onslaught. When he arrived, he was surprised to find out that his elder sister was also missing. He immediately went to search for his beloved kin, gone as far as looking at and praying for the dead bodies he saw on the road one-by-one, and felt relieved when he did not find them there. Such relief, however, was just temporary as the remains of his mother showed up a few more days later. Fr. Quejada said he wished to see his mother alive but he already prepared himself for the worst and accepted her death. He, too, acknowledged the possibility that his sister did not survive even if her body has not yet been found. He took care of everything for her mother’s burial, from buying the coffin to processing the papers, despite being overwhelmed with sadness. He even personally led the ceremonial rites during her interment. “Some priests found it hard to lead a funeral mass for their loved ones because they get very emotional. But somehow I managed to hold one for my mother because I wanted to give her a proper burial,” Fr. Quejada said in Filipino while keeping his emotions in check. Fr. Quejada admitted he once had thought about asking some of his brothers why they let something bad happen to their mother and sister, but he quickly abandoned the idea, knowing that it must be more agonizing on their part as they were witnesses to Yolanda’s devastation. Instead, Fr. Quejada prayed to the Lord and thanked Him for allowing them to experience this pain because it made them stronger as a family. With God on their side, he said he would rather look at his experiences with Yolanda on a positive note. Fr. Quejada already sent his remaining family members to Manila where they can start rebuilding their lives. He also plans to go back to his parish soon in preparation for the traditional Misa de Gallo. His testimony was just one of the many stories shared here in Palo as part of its cathedral’s Days of Prayer and Remembrance to mark the first month since super typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc in Leyte and other places in the Visayas. Monsignor Bernie Pantin, parish priest of the Palo Cathedral, said this prayerful event was held to provide a communal experience of healing and closure as they take a rest from the frenzy of relief activities and spend a period of silence, pay respects to, and pray for the dearly departed, as well as offer sympathies to their families and friends. It was also meant to give thanks to God for the valuable gift of new life given to those who survived the typhoon, and to remember with gratitude and to pray for the countless generous persons, who continue to work together to help with the healing process and rehabilitation of the beautiful island of Leyte. A group of talented children who fortunately survived the tragedy performed two songs, "Yesterday’s Dream" and "Pag-ibig Tulad ng Batis," during the said program that drew applause, cheers, and tears of joy from the adults who were watching from the pews. Archbishop John Du of the Archdiocese of Palo capped the program with a prayer before leading the Eucharistic celebration. PND (hdc) |
| |
| President Aquino to receive honorary doctorate degree at Tokyo's Sophia University |
| |
| (TOKYO, Japan) President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to receive an honorary doctoral law degree from Japan's Sophia University during his visit here this week. President Aquino is scheduled to visit the university on Friday morning, before meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Some 150 guests from government, business leaders, think tanks, the diplomatic corps and Filipino community members and Filipino students are expected to attend the event. Sophia University president Tadashi Takizawa is expected to deiver the opening remarks before formally awarding the Honorary Doctorate Degree to the President. President Aquino is expected to deliver a commemorative lecture after Chancellor Toshiaki Koso gives his congratulatory address. Following the event, the President and his delegation are expected to head for Prime Minister Abe's residence for a bilateral meeting and working lunch. The conferment of the degree is one of the activities of the President during his visit to Japan, for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit. Sophia University is a Jesuit educational institution and has exchange agreements with Jesuit universities including Ateneo de Manila University, President Aquino's alma mater. PND (jl) |
| |
| President Aquino to promote PHL economic interests in meetings with Japanese business leaders in Tokyo visit |
| |
| (TOKYO, Japan) President Benigno S. Aquino III is expected to promote Philippine economic interests in Japan this week, through scheduled meetings with Japanese business groups and delegations during his visit here. President Aquino will lead a Philippine delegation to Tokyo to take part in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative Summit here. On Friday, the President is scheduled to meet with the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) at the Meeting Room of the Keidanren Kaikan in Chiyoda-ku here. The President and members of the Philippine delegation are to meet 12 representatives of the Japan Business Federation led by Hiromasa Yonekura. The meeting is scheduled after a bilateral meeting and working lunch hosted by Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Also on Friday, the President is scheduled to receive a social call by Bank of Japan Governor and Mrs. Haruhiko Kuroda at the Main Building of the Imperial Hotel. On Saturday, President Aquino is scheduled to join fellow ASEAN heads of state at a lunch hosted by the Japan business community, including the Keidanren and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, at the Japan Business Federation building. Also on Saturday, the President and members of the Philippine delegation are to meet with officials of the Sumotomo Mitsui Banking Corp. Expected to represent the SMBC are chairman Teisuke Kitayama and deputy president Hiroshi Minoura. Meanwhile, the President is scheduled to witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding for an 850-room retirement community in Cebu City. To sign the MOU are officials of the Cebu City government, Japanese real estate firm I-Land Co., and construction company Primary Structures. On Saturday evening, the President and the Philippine delegation will meet with officials of Nidec Sankyo Corporation led by chairman of the board Shigenobu Nagamori. PND (jl) |
| |
| President Aquino to pursue closer Phl-Japan ties in Tokyo visit |
| |
| (TOKYO, Japan) President Benigno S. Aquino III will pursue closer ties between the Philippines and Japan during his visit here this week for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN)-Japan Commemorative summit. President Aquino and the Philippine delegation are to take part in several events aimed at bolstering various aspects of Philippine-Japan friendship. On Friday, the President is scheduled to receive an Honorary doctorate law degree from Sophia University. The President is then expected to meet with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe for a bilateral meeting and a working lunch at the Prime Minister's official residence. He is then to meet with the Nippon Keidanren (Japan Business Federation) at the Keidanren Kaikan) in the afternoon. The President will then join fellow ASEAN heads of state at tea hosted by Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko at the Imperial Palace in Chiyoda, Tokyo. Also on Friday, the President and the Philippine delegation will receive a courtesy call by the Japan Philippines Parliament Arians Friendship League (JPPFL) at the Imperial Hotel. Expected to lead the JPPFL delegation are Minister of Justice Sadakazu Tanigaki as advisor; chairman Kenji Kosaka; vice chairman Takeshi Maeda; chief secretary Yukio Ubukata; and secretary-general Taku Otsuka. Following this will be a social call by Bank of Japan Governor and Mrs. Haruhiko Kuroda. On Friday evening, the President will join ASEAN heads of state at a dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister Abe and his wife Akie Abe at the Prime Minister's official residence. On Saturday, the President will take part at the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit at the Akasaka State Guest House, President Aquino may deliver a statement during the summit. The President and fellow ASEAN heads of state will then take part in a lunch hosted by the Japan business community, including the Keidanren and the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry. President Aquino will then join fellow ASEAN heads of state at the closing session of the ASEAN-Japan Commemorative Summit. Also on Saturday, the President will receive a courtesy call from former Japan International Cooperation Agency president Dr. Sadako Ogata, who is now advisor to the Minister of Foreign Affairs and a special advisor to JICA President Akihiko Tanaka. He will then meet with a delegation from the Sumotomo Mitsui Banking Corp., and witness the signing of a memorandum of understanding for an 850-room retirement community in Cebu City. The President will likewise meet with representatives from Nidec Sankyo Corp. President Aquino will then join fellow ASEAN heads of state at a gala dinner to be hosted by Prime Minister and Madame Abe. He is expected to depart for Manila Saturday night and arrive in Manila early Sunday. PND (jl) |
| |
| DSWD to consider extending distribution of relief goods until next year |
| |
| (TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) Distribution of relief goods especially to vulnerable sectors in calamity-stricken areas of Visayas may be extended until next year, the Department of Social Welfare of Development’s (DSWD) regional office in Eastern Visayas announced. The DSWD previously said their relief distribution efforts would just be until the end of this year, but this could change depending on the agency’s assessment of the situation, DSWD officer-in-charge for Eastern Visayas Nestor Ramos said. “(As) per assessment of our department, the relief distributions will be up to December 30, but we will do another assessment of whether we would continue our relief distribution after December. But definitely, for the vulnerable (sectors), it will continue,” Ramos told members of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) during a meeting here. The DSWD already plans to move into its cash-for-work program beginning January next year and has instructed local government units, through their Municipal Social Welfare Development offices, to prepare a project proposal as for the qualified beneficiaries of the said program. About P533,698,756 worth of family food packs were already distributed by the DSWD for Leyte and Samar provinces alone as of December 7 (Saturday). Cost of assistance for the relief distribution efforts of local government units amounted to P3,938,454. Meanwhile, the DSWD is launching this afternoon its ‘Feel Good’ project to be attended by Secretary Corazon Soliman, in partnership with the Department of Education and private companies like HBC and the Reyes Haircutters. The project will serve as a morale booster to the typhoon survivors conceptualized by DSWD’s partner groups from the private sector in Manila. Some 30 haircutters will be giving free haircut to teachers and volunteers in Palo and Holy Infant College in Tacloban. This will be followed shortly by an activity to decorate the ‘Tree of Hope’. PND (hdc) |
| |
| DSWD to look into allegations of missing relief goods from foreign donors |
| |
| (TACLOBAN CITY, Leyte) The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) will look into reported allegations of missing relief goods from international donors that have generated rage and concern over social media recently, its regional office here said on Monday. Fielding questions from the media, DSWD officer-in-charge for Eastern Visayas Nestor Ramos said they have not yet received information regarding the matter but they will seek clarification from their workers on the ground to address this concern. “The reality on the ground is there are NGOs (non-government organizations) directly distributing relief goods to LGUs (local government units)… (In) every municipality, we have already deployed (teams) to assess whether commodities are being received by our people in the villages,” Ramos said. British tabloid, the Daily Mail, published a report over the weekend quoting an expat source that emergency supplies delivered by military helicopters from the United Kingdom have turned up on the shelves of shops in Makati instead of its intended recipients in calamity-hit areas. Ramos said they will investigate this matter, as well as the alleged hoarding of imported relief goods from international organizations by corrupt local officials to be swapped with local ones hidden inside cadaver bags. “Usually, when there are donations from the international organizations, we just make an inventory of it by box, but we are not opening that box. We immediately dispatch them to the different municipalities. We have a list of distribution plan as to who will be given priority. We do not repack (these relief goods) in our offices,” Ramos explained. Ramos also encouraged members of the media to visit their relief hubs to see for themselves whether the DSWD was indeed keeping these goods inside cadaver bags just to hide them from the public. He also addressed complaints raised by some volunteers who were displeased with DSWD’s rotational policy in line with its food-for-work program. He said rotating the volunteers was necessary so they could give equal opportunity to everyone. “We have to rotate our volunteers because they are being given family food packs. It’s part of the food-for-work program. If they help in the repacking, we give them family food packs, so they can’t stay as volunteers for a long period of time. We have to remember that there are also a lot of people like them, that’s why we have to rotate our volunteers,” Ramos explained. PND (hdc) |
No comments:
Post a Comment