03 DECEMBER 2013
| IC pushes for immediate and swift release of insurance claims Agarang Proseso Program launched |
| Right after super typhoon “Yolanda” left the country greatly devastated, the Insurance Commission, together with industry stakeholders, immediately approved and implemented the program, “Agarang Proseso, Benepisyo ay Sigurado” to address the victims’ urgent need of any relief available. With the joint efforts of all industry stakeholders, Agarang Proseso established on-site Claims Action Centers (CAC), namely: CLIMBS General Life and Insurance Cooperative CAC in Tacloban City, CLIMBS CAC in Ormoc City and CLIMBS CAC in Cebu City. Another CAC will be set up by CLIMBS in Tacloban City which will be operational on December 8, 2013. The IC was invited to participate and observe how Microinsurance providers process payments after catastrophic events. Meanwhile, the traditional non-life insurance providers have committed to deploy their personnel to strategic areas in the Visayas in the first week of December 2013 to further expedite the processing and release of the insurance proceeds to the covered victims. A Claims Action Center in Tacloban City Hall is expected to be launched on 13 December 2013. Immediately after the launch of the “Agarang Proseso” program, Microinsurance providers have already released substantial amounts of claims for covered fisherfolks, farmers, vendors and members of the marginalized sector in Tacloban, Ormoc, Samar Southern Leyte and Biliran and in other affected areas in the Visayas: § Php83,641,400.00 – for non-life claims § Php811,000.00 – for death claims § Php680,000.00 – for relief assistance Through its efforts, an active industry player facilitated the release of insurance claims of at least 8,000 insurance policyholders amounting to Php60,000,000.00. Microinsurance providers have additionally approved PhP110,000,000.00 for release to more than 19,000 beneficiaries and claimants in the affected area. This amount is expected to be released in the first week of December 2013. In furtherance of its mandate and to provide an even much faster relief to “Yolanda” victims, the Insurance Commission pushes further for a quicker insurance claims processing. The Insurance Commission has called upon the industry players to process and release payments to the affected insuring public without the necessity of an actual claim filed before them. Moreover, the Insurance Commission is seriously entertaining the possibility of requiring insurance providers to release insurance proceeds to covered “Yolanda” victims without relying mainly on traditional documentary proofs and notices of loss. Extensive discussions on “satellite imaging” and “crisis mapping” as basis for the payment of property insurance proceeds, in lieu of the traditional and actual documentary proof and professional adjustment, have already been made. If implemented, the processing and release of property insurance claims would be even quicker and more expeditious. Agarang Proseso program is a collective effort and undertaking of the Insurance Commission and all industry stakeholders. Ongoing coordination with the industry stakeholders is being made to ensure proper and prompt actions of all concerned. The affected policyholders, planholders, beneficiaries and other concerned persons are advised to visit the Insurance Commission’s website at www.insurance.gov.ph for updates and other announcements the Commission may issue from time to time. |
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| PDIC sold assets for P72.07-M at Housing Fair of HUDCC |
| The Philippine Deposit Insurance Corporation accepted offers to buy four properties resulting to a sale amounting to P72.07 million during the recently-concluded 8 th Housing Fair organized by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and held at the SM Megamall, Mandaluyong City last October 25 to 27, 2013. The assets included three residential properties located in the cities of Antipolo, Bacolod and Tacloban; and a commercial property measuring 2,011 sqm. situated along Taft Avenue in Pasay City. Three of the sold properties were owned by closed banks under PDIC liquidation. The Pasay City property is a PDIC-owned asset. The Corporation’s Real and Other Properties Acquired (ROPA) Disposal Committee approved the offers to buy last October 29, 2013 on installment basis up to seven years, at 6% interest rate. PDIC offered up to 20% discount from the minimum disposal price for offers to buy in cash and 10% discount for installment purchases. The PDIC reported that a total of 67 potential buyers registered during the three-day Housing Fair. The PDIC offers for sale properties through public biddings, negotiated sale, and housing fairs. Interested buyers are invited to access and use the PDIC’s Property Finder located in the PDIC website, www.pdic.gov.ph to access information on the various properties and assets being offered for negotiated sale. The participation in housing fairs, along with the regular conduct of public biddings and the provision of the Property Finder, is in line with the PDIC’s strategic direction to expeditiously dispose non-financial assets, as outlined in its medium-term Roadmap to 2016. As Liquidator of closed banks, PDIC disposes assets acquired from closed banks to benefit the uninsured depositors and creditors by way of helping enhance recovery of their deposits and investments. |
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| DOTC to expedite bidding for improved P65-B LRT-1 Cavite Extension Project |
| Contrary to recent reports of delays in the re-tender of the country’s largest railway Public-Private Partnership (PPP) project, the Department of Transportation and Communications (DOTC) is expediting the bidding process for the improved P 65 Billion Light Rail Transit Line 1 Cavite Extension (LRT-1 Cavex) Project. “The only delay was in the schedule of the NEDA Board meeting. Otherwise, we are still following the same 4- to 6-month timeline from obtaining approval to set the bid submission deadline,” said DOTC Spokesperson Michael Arthur Sagcal. “In fact, we are expediting it. We will adopt the single-stage bidding process, and we will set the bid submission date in the earlier part of Q2 2014,” Sagcal added. The single-stage bidding process means that interested groups will submit their qualification documents simultaneously with their technical and financial proposals, instead of having a separate pre-qualification phase. This will do away with the two-stage process, effectively cutting the entire period by around two (2) months. After the original bid for this project failed last August, the transport agency improved certain economic terms in the concession, which required NEDA Board approval. These involve government absorbing the obligation to pay real property taxes (RPT), ensuring the integrity of the facility’s structure for a two (2)-year period, permitting a five-percent (5%) fare increase upon completion of the project, and allowing the submission of negative bids. The said improvements were approved last November 21. The LRT-1 Cavex project retains the major components of the original scope of works, namely the operation and maintenance of the entire LRT-1 system for a 32-year concession period, and the construction of an 11.7-kilometer southward extension from the Baclaran station to Bacoor, Cavite. It entails the construction of eight (8) new stations, plus two (2) future stations, in Parañaque City, Las Piñas City, and the province of Cavite, opening up more convenient, efficient, and faster access to education and employment opportunities in Metro Manila to a total of around four (4) million people who live in the area. Pursuant to the Build-Operate-and Transfer (BOT) Law, the DOTC will publish its invitation to bid for the improved LRT-1 Cavex project for three (3) consecutive weeks during this month of December, beginning tomorrow. |
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| Ukraine gov’t, int’l medical group among latest foreign donors |
| Mactan City, Cebu – The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) has received over the weekend the donation of Ukraine government for Typhoon Yolanda victims. These include 15,390 blankets; 8,338 water purification filters; 6,144 tins of stewed beef; 3,456 disinfectant tablets; 500 mattresses; 500 pillows; and, 21 electric generators with lighting equipment and cable network. Butrymovych Mychailo Konstyantynovych, Deputy Director of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, flew via an Ilyushin II-76 cargo aircraft from Kiev to Mactan Air Base in the city to personally bring the relief items. Likewise, the International Medical Corps (IMC) has given US$28,470- worth of medical supplies consisting of water purification tablets, water bags, and other medical items. “Part of the donations were provided by our partners such as the MAP International, Heart to Heart International, and AmeriCares,” Marin Tomas, Global Logistics Manager of IMC, said. Tomas added that IMC is also purchasing medicines locally to supplement those that they brought in. The group has also sent medical teams to Tacloban City and Tanauan in Leyte, Guiuan in Eastern Samar, and Roxas City in Capiz as well as to evacuation centers in Cebu to attend to victims needing medical help. “This is in partnership with Medical Teams International, Stanford University and Harvard University,” he continued. |
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| Moving on after ‘Yolanda’ |
| Almost a month after Supertyphoon Yolanda battered the Visayas, affected families are finding ways to achieve normalcy in their lives. While recovery and rehabilitation efforts are being planned out, many chose to leave, temporarily or even permanently, their battered hometowns hoping to start life anew. Others opted to stay and manage to live with what is left of their belongings. Starting anew in Cebu City Reo and Mechie Cagabhion are among those who left Tacloban City for Cebu via a C-130 of the Philippine Airforce. “We came here just wanting to escape the scenes of death and devastation in Tacloban City and to start again,” the couple stated. Despite their traumatic experience, the Cagabhions are grateful that they are all alive and together. They are now staying in an evacuation center in Barangay Tinago, Cebu City. The couple and fellow survivors expressed their gratitude to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)-Field Office VII, the Local City Social Welfare and Development Office (LCSWDO) of Cebu, and the Barangay Council of Tinago headed by Chairman Joel Garganera. “They are all very accommodating, going out of their way to provide for our basic needs and making us feel comfortable at the evacuation center,” the couple said. They feel like they must have been right about their decision to move to Cebu City because Reo found a new job here. Reo, who used to work as an optical technician in an optical shop in Tacloban City was hired by its Cebu branch. His employer looked for and recommended him to the manager of the Cebu branch. He started to work last November 27. Cherry, 9, the eldest of Reo and Menchie, said she still wanted to go back to Tacloban as she is eager to attend school again. The couple, however, has decided to stay in Cebu for some more months just to make sure that their children have recovered from their trauma. Hopeful in Tacloban City Unlike the Cagabhion family, the Del Monte family, a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary, chose to remain in Tacloban City. Flora, the mother, expressed that they are used to being poor. Thus, they are sure to survive even if ‘Yolanda’ has taken so much from the little things they have. The Del Monte couple has seven children, but their third child drowned during the typhoon. “Kakayanin namin ito. Malaking maitutulong ng aming cash grant mula sa Pantawid Pamilya para makapagsimula ulit (We will survive. Our cash grants from Pantawid Pamilya will be a big help for us to start again),” Flora said with much hopefulness in her voice. In fact, she said, her husband Nilo, has started to look for materials to reconstruct their house. They are grateful to everyone who has offered help especially to DSWD from whom they received their first relief goods that included rice and water. “If not for DSWD, we would have starved,” she expressed. Gemarie, 12, one of her daughters, while washing their clothes, shared how she and her two other younger siblings enjoyed the play therapy session conducted by the DSWD staff at the Leyte National High School where they evacuated. She remarked, “The other children said they also lost their houses but we had fun playing and drawing.” On the other hand, 10-year old Kim Joseph Umlang, also a Pantawid Pamilya beneficiary from Bgry. 36, Sabang, Tacloban City, and the other children at the evacuation center at Kapangian Central School gamely joined the play therapy session conducted by social workers. The children, whose innocence, optimism, and high spirits have not been dampened by ‘Yolanda,’ even asked for school supplies so they could go back to school and do writing, reading, and drawing again. |
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| DFA Spokesperson Explains Philippine Foreign Policy to Palawan Students |
| 30 November 2013 – As part of the Department of Foreign Affairs’ (DFA’s) efforts to give the public a better understanding of its functions, DFA Spokesperson, Assistant Secretary Raul S. Hernandez delivered a lecture on Philippine foreign policy before 160 students of Palawan State University (PSU) and other schools in Puerto Princesa. The lecture was held on November 29 on PSU’s Puerto Princesa campus. The Spokesperson explained the various functions and initiatives under the three pillars of Philippine foreign policy, such as passport and assistance-to-nationals services, economic diplomacy initiatives and the arbitration case based on the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), among others. Living in a province with a long coastline facing the West Philippine Sea, the students and faculty members paid particular attention to the first pillar, the protection of our national security. Spokesperson Hernandez assured them that the Government is doing its best to preserve our country’s territorial integrity and the resources that rightfully belong to the Filipino people. He underscored the country’s adherence to the peaceful settlement of disputes and the rule of law as demonstrated by the case filed against China, which he described as an “open, friendly and durable approach” to dispute settlement. “Sa mata ng international law, pantay-pantay tayo (In the eyes of international law, we are all equal). Even in our relationship with other countries we are guided by the principle of daang matuwid,” he remarked. The Spokesperson also encouraged the students to take part in the DFA’s pursuit of our national interest by joining the Foreign Service and “to strive for and live by the principles of excellence, integrity and patriotism.” The lecture was attended by Puerto Princesa Vice Mayor Luis Marcaida III, PSU President, Dr. Jeter Sespeñe, PSU Vice President, Dr. Lorna C. Gelito, Dean Gabilyn G. Orilla of PSU’s College of Arts and Humanities, Social Science professor Jose Homo, DFA Public Information Services Unit Principal Assistants Sharon Johnnette Agduma and Alvin Malasig, and DFA Puerto Princesa Officer-in-Charge Liza Jane Estalilla. This is the fifth in a series of lectures on Philippine foreign policy conducted by the DFA in a provincial city this year after Baguio, Cebu, Dumaguete and Marawi. |
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| P3.38-B to buttress relocation for Metro ISFs' Abad: Funding to relocate ISFS out of danger zones |
| As the prospect of heavy rainfall and torrential storms continues to prevail until the end of the year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) announced the release of P3.38 billion to the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the continued implementation of the Housing Program for Informal Settler Families (ISFs) Residing in Danger Areas in Metro Manila. The fund release will cover the deficit and cash requirement for the construction and completion of off-city housing projects for the months of September to October. This includes the development of a total of 3,086 housing lots and construction of various housing units. “The Aquino Administration still prioritizes the implementation of housing projects and the relocation of ISFs from pre-determined danger areas , especially because we continue to experience the effects of the rainy season and the risks associated with storms and weather disturbances. The fund release to the NHA will allow the Administration to address the perennial flooding in several problematic areas in Metro Manila, by relocating ISFs to safer areas,” DBM Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said. “At the end of the day, the primary goal is to prevent the potential loss of property and lives caused by flooding, primarily through the provision of safe housing alternatives to our informal settlers,” he added. The P3.38 cash funding, sourced from FY 2011 savings, was transferred to the NHA from the Bureau of Treasury (BTr), where the cash component of the total P10 billion allocation for the housing program is parked. As of August this year, the NHA has successfully disbursed P3.82 million that the DBM had previously released to it to develop a total of 12,941 off-city lots, of which 12,291 housing units have been constructed. More important, a total of 6,511 family beneficiaries have been relocated from danger areas in Metro Manila to various off-city relocation sites. Funding for the relocation program also supported land acquisition and development, as well as provision of community facilities. The completion of the whole Housing Program in 2014 would give way to the complete construction of 24,851 new housing units. |
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| DA, FAO unite for typhoon victims |
| Agriculture Undersecretary and National Rice Program Coordinator Dante S. Delima (right) and Food and Agriculture (FAO) resident representative ad interim Rodrigue Vinet (left) jointly announce on December 2, 2013 that the DA and FAO are set to provide rehabilitation and recovery strategies as soon as total damages incurred by Visayas areas due the havoc of Supertyphoon Yolanda in November is validated. Once the correct and confirmed data and figures are gathered, the two agencies will strengthen agricultural livelihood and provide technical advise and assistance with long-term benefits. “This new normal, calls for new interventions and strategies,” Delima said. |
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| PHL to host biggest food show in ASEAN, gets full D.A. backing |
| The Department of Agriculture has expressed its full support to the staging in the Philippines in June 2014 of what could be Southeast Asia’s largest food exhibition. It is an opportunity for the country’s food, agriculture and agribusiness industries to pitch their export products to the world. “SIAL or Salon International de l'Agroalimentaire (SIAL) is coming to Asia next year via SIAL ASEAN, and DA is proud to support and take part in it,” said OIC-Asst. Sec. for Marketing and concurrent Agriculture Agribusiness Marketing Assistance Service (AMAS) director Leandro Gazmin. He made the announcement on Friday’s Stakeholders’ Appreciation Night organized by AMAS to honor key collaborative partners from the country’s agribusiness sector at the Philippine Army Officers’ Club in McKinley Hill in Taguig City. Assistance from DA will be in form of sponsorship, Director Gazmin said in an interview after the program. Filipino farmers and fishers – who provide the raw materials for the exporters and processors – stand to benefit from the trade and networking activities that will take place throughout the duration of the four-day affair.Holding it in the Philippines offers a chance for more local participation among local exporters, processors and other agribusiness players, who could take the opportunity to showcase a wider array of their best products and services – all at lesser logistical costs. SIAL ASEAN expects 800 exhibitors – half of whom are international – and 15,000 visitors, the official website reports. Focused on the theme"Best-Kept Secret for Food Business in Asia," the SIAL ASEAN will be held at the World Trade Center Metro Manila on Roxas Boulevard on 11-14 June 2014, in conjunction with the Manila Food and Beverage Expo (MAFBEX) of MAFBEX Events Management, which will be conducted in a separate venue inside the WTC complex. It also coincides with SIAL’s 50th anniversary. Established in 1964 in Paris, SIAL is responsible for the organization of other trade events such as SIAL China, SIAL Middle East, SIAL Brazil, and SIAL Canada. The Philippine hosting of SIAL ASEAN was sealed through a memorandum of understanding between French events organizer Comexposium and MAFBEX Events Management in October this year in Makati. “For a country that derives a significant part of its export earnings from agricultural commodities, SIAL ASEAN is a vote of confidence about the potential and prevailing dynamism of Philippine agriculture,” said DA Secretary Alcala in a separate interview. Data from the Bureau of Agricultural Statistics showed agricultural exports – led by coconut oil, fresh bananas, tuna and pineapple – accounted for nearly 10% (9.62%) of the country’s total exports in 2012. For the first six months of this year, export revenues from agricultural products reached $3.22 billion, accounting for 12.6 percent of total outbound shipments valued at $25.6 billion. During that period, the country successfully slashed its agricultural trade deficit by 70 percent as compared to the same period in 2012, as exports soar while imports dropped. BAS data revealed that farm and fishery exports from January to June expanded by 30.7 percent, while imports fell by 6.27%, to $3.65 billion. The government, under its Philippine Development Plan 2011-2016, has identified investments in food and agriculture as a major imperative as it works to achieve food security, raise quality of life in rural areas, and sustain economic prosperity. |
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| DILG info officers attend new media seminar |
| With the objective of developing the capabilities of DILG Central Office Information Officers coming from the Public Affairs and Communication Service (PACS), as well as the designated DILG Regional Information Officers (RIOs) from the 17 regions, a “Seminar-Workshop on New Media for Effective Communication and Networking Among DILG Central and Regional Information Officers” was held last October 15 – 18, 2013 at Royal Hotel in Angeles City, Pampanga. The activity further enhanced the competence of the Information Officers (IOs) and designated RIOs in communicating and advocating the Department’s programs, projects and activities (PPAs) through the use of new media using the internet, and to establish media presence being the most recent technological expansion of mass communications. In her welcome message, Regional Director Florida M. Dijan of DILG Region III stressed the importance of information particularly in communicating the department’s PPAs down to the line. Resource speakers in the seminar-workshop were Ms. Theresa Gozum and Mr. Alex Villafania who discussed topics such as Digital Landscape 101; New Media Campaign and Analytics; Writing for the Web; and Setting-up and Management of Social Media. There were also workshops on the following: Media Campaign and Strategy with “Media plan utilizing new media campaign in alignment with the ATL (Above the Line or Traditional) initiatives as the Output; Content Management (Photo and Video Stories) with Social Media Accounts and Article on the Social Media Account as the Output; Infographics (What, Why, How to and Tools) with Infographics as the Output; and Audio-Visual Presentation (AVP) Editing with a 1-minute AVP Draft as the Output. Aside from the discussions and presentations, the participants were also briefed on DILG Priority Thrusts and Directions for 2014 by Director Frank Cruz of the DILG Planning Service, who gave a bird’s eye view of the 2014 Annual Operations Plan and Budget (AOPB) in his presentation. This was followed by an orientation on the functions of the PACS which used to be the Office of Public Affairs (OPA) prior to the rationalization on the DILG Central Office. The roles of the RIOs as part of the information and communication team of the Department were also discussed by PACS. |
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| DepEd officials, union members sign joint resolution |
| PASIG CITY – Following several months of negotiations, the Department of Education (DepEd) Management and the DepEd National Employees’ Union (DepEd-NEU) signed the Collective Negotiation Agreement (CNA) on November 29. The main signatories were DepEd Sec. Br. Armin A. Luistro for the the Management side, and Atty. Domingo B. Alidon for DepEd-NEU. Also present during the ceremonial signing were Undersecretary for Legal and Legislative Affairs Alberto T. Muyot, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Development Jesus R. Mateo, DepEd-NCR Assistant Regional Director Rizalino T. Rosales, Administrative Service Director Robert M. Agustin, and members of the DepEd Union Panel. The NEU is duly-accredited as the sole and exclusive collective negotiating agent of all non-academic rank-and-file employees of DepEd. Through the CNA signing, the Department affirms its commitment to promote employee welfare, and support to the right of employees to self-organization. The CNA highlights the rights to union recognition, employee economic benefits, and welfare programs among others. This agreement is the first of its kind to be signed in the entire history of DepEd. DepEd Sec. Br. Armin Luistro reminded the attendees of the purpose of the CNA: "Maaari na ang ating lalagdaan ngayon ay isang dokumento lamang... ngunit higit pa sa pakikipaglaban para sa ating mga karapatan ay ang tunay at mas maigting na tanong: ano ba ang epekto nito sa mga bata na ating pinangangalagaan? At the end of the day, we have to ask ourselves: ito ba ay nakakatulong sa kabataan at sa kalidad ng edukasyon?" Atty. Alidon extends his earnest gratitude to the two Panels for finally finding the middle ground between DepEd-NEU and the Management. “Rest assured, we will follow the CNA; because, at the end of the day, we serve and we follow the real reason why we established public sector unionism: towards quality public service. Higit sa lahat, ang unyon ay para sa bata.” Under Executive Order No. 180, the CNA must be posted in at least two conspicuous places in the principal address of the agency and its regional offices seven days before ratification. It must be ratified by the majority of the rank-and-file employees in the negotiating unit, and registered with the Civil Service Commission – Personnel Relations Office thirty (30) calendar days from its execution. |
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| DOE to conduct workshop for biofuels database in East Asia |
| The Department of Energy (DOE), with the support of Japan’s New Energy Foundation (NEF), will host a workshop promoting the utilization of a biofuel database in the East Asia region. The 6th Asia Biomass Energy Workshop, one of the activities under the Biofuels Database Project in East Asian Countries will be held from December 4 to 6 at the Seda Hotel, Bonifacio Global City in Taguig City. The event will serve as an avenue for member-countries involved in making the database for exchanging technical information, experiences and best practices on the use and promotion of biomass energy (biofuels, biogas, etc.). In 2009, the Biofuels Database Project established the East Asia Biofuels Cooperation Website (http://www.asiabiomass.jp/biofuelDB/). The project is one of the activities identified under the Japan Cooperation Initiative for Clean Energy and Sustainable Growth and part of the Energy Biofuels for Transport and Other Purposes work stream of the East Asia Summit Energy Cooperation Task Force (EAS-ECTF) in its goal to promote the preparation and collection of biofuels information in each EAS member-country. The East Asia Biofuels Cooperation Website contains the basic energy information, biofuels policy, biofuels and feedstock supply potential, present status of utilization, markets and future outlook of member-countries, among others. The online database also provides information on the good practices on biofuel utilization and to share the knowledge of successful case histories in each country. To date, thirteen countries have shared their database reports in the said website, namely; Australia, Cambodia, India, Indonesia, Japan, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, New Zealand, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, and Vietnam. The Philippines is the lead country for the project with support from NEF that established the website. |
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| The Legal Service of the Department of Labor and Employment, through its Legal Research and Assistance Division (LRAD), yesterday said that its Public Assistance and Complaints Unit, or PACU, has assisted a total of 284, or 100 percent, of its walk-in clients for the period of 29 October to 25 November 2013. In a report to Labor and Employment Secretary Rosalinda Dimapilis-Baldoz, DOLE Legal Service OIC-Director Atty. Sherilyn G. Malonzo, said that this record continues to demonstrate the PACU’s commitment of delivering fast, efficient and up-to-date services to the public. Out of the 284 walk-in clients assisted by PACU, twenty (20) of whom were assisted for the period of 29 to 31 October 2013. While the two hundred two hundred sixty-four (264) walk-in clients were assisted for the period of 04 to 25 November 2013 as follows: one hundred eighty-eight (188) of whom were provided with free legal advice; thirty-eight (38) were assisted and referred to the NLRC’s Regional Arbitration Branch; eight (8) were assisted and referred to the DOLE-Regional Offices; twenty (20) were assisted and referred to the NCMB for filing of SEnA Request for Assistance; and the remaining ten (10) were assisted and referred to other offices (i.e., PAO, etc). LRAD also reported to OIC-Director Malonzo that for the period of 29 October to 26 November 2013, a total of five hundred sixty-nine (569) or 100% of its On-Line Legal Queries were promptly answered, while a total of fifty-four (54) or 100% phone-in queries were instantly provided with free legal advice by its assigned lawyers. The PACU is located at the Ground Floor of the DOLE Executive Building, San Jose St., Intramuros, Manila and is open from 8AM to 5PM, Mondays to Fridays. On the other hand, the DOLE’s Legal Query is accessible 24/7 via its website, www.dole.gov.ph, while the DOLE Legal Service phone-in query can be reached at DOLE’s trunk line number 527-3000 local 607, Mondays to Fridays, 8AM to 5PM. |
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| OWWA RWO-6 holds Psychological First Aid Training for Typhoon Yolanda Survivors |
| The Overseas Workers Welfare Administration-Regional Welfare Office 6 (OWWA RWO-6), in partnership with UGAT Foundation, conducted stress debriefing exercises and coping mechanism measures to distraught survivors of Typhoon Yolanda in the region. The activity entitled, Psychological First Aid Training for Survivors of Typhoon Yolanda, was held on Nov. 27, 2013 at the Iloilo Grand Hotel. UGAT Foundation facilitators led by Fr. Roberto Carampatan spearheaded the event participated in by 103 affected family members of seafarers from the municipalities of Calinog, Passi, Estancia, Carles, San Dioniso, Concepcion, Barrotac Viejo, as well families from Aklan, Antique, and Capiz, participated in the event. In venting out their feelings, insights, thoughts and deepest emotions after the onslaught of Typhoon Yolanda, the feeling of helplessness stood out as the common issue raised by most participants. Another sentiment was the need for financial assistance and livelihood to help them rebuild their lives. Proper handling of children who were traumatized by the storm surge experience was also brought up by the participants. The activity ended with the processing session where the participants were taught coping mechanisms and strategies, among them the need for deep breathing. They were also given available networks for linkages and assistance. The active participation of manning agencies like Marlow Navigation, Magsaysay Maritime Inc., Dohle Philman Manning Agency, and NYK Fil Ship Management, as well as the OFW Family Circles from Passi and Calinog greatly contributed to the success of the activity. |
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| PhilHealth Tacloban and Ormoc offices now open to serve; issues policy on fortuitous events |
| In just two weeks after Typhoon Yolanda wreaked havoc in Eastern Visayas, the Philippine Health Insurance Corporation (PhilHealth) announced that its local health insurance offices in the cities of Tacloban and Ormoc are now up and running to serve the health insurance needs of members and non-members alike. PhilHealth fulfilled its promise to open the two leading offices Monday, November 25, after suffering from heavy damage from strong winds and storm surges. "We are back in operation in these two major cities for the benefit of our members and partners, thanks to our resilient and dedicated team in Region VIII" PhilHealth President and CEO Alexander A. Padilla said. PhilHealth earlier assured the public that at least seven of their local health insurance offices and service desks in Southern Leyte, Samar and Biliran are still up and running despite the severe damage and very unusual situation that their employees are in. "These offices can perform membership registration and verification concerns (without online inquiry due to power outage) and receiving of benefit claims and premium contributions, except for the service desks" Padilla said, adding that members and partners can contact their Yolanda Action Center at (02) 441-7425 to 26 for PhilHealth’s disaster recovery, rehabilitation and support efforts in the area. The PhilHealth Chief also said that to institutionalize their response during fortuitous events of such magnitude, PhilHealth has issued a policy that will serve as their template of response to ensure continuing health care benefits during such "acts of God". In its Circular 34, s-2013 dated November 15, 2013, PhilHealth will pay claims of members and non-members and accredited and non-accredited hospitals and professionals during such events. "We will even extend filing period for claims to 120 days from date of discharge, make exemptions to the less than 24-hour confinement rule, and even reimbursement for destroyed claims" Padilla stressed. The Circular also allows for extension of deadline of premium payments and/or existing coverage as prescribed by PhilHealth, among other. |
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