Ormoc nangandam na alang sa ika-duhang hugna sa ESA

ANG lokal nga pangagamhanan misumiter na sa Department of Social Welfare and Development Region 8 (DSWD-8) sa Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) nga gipirmahan ni Mayor Edward C. Codilla alang sa pagpanghatag sa ikaduhang hugna sa Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA).

Sila City Administrator Francis Pepito ug City Legal Officer Ivan Verallo personal nga mitunol ni OIC Regional Director Nestor B. Ramos sa MOA. Nahilangkob sa maong MOA nga ihatag na ang balanse nga P14,286.75 ngadto sa mga nanag-iya og balay nga “totally damaged.”

Kahinumdoman nga ang Ormoc gigahinan og P689,369,934.25 isip bahin niini sa Comprehensive Rehabilitation Recovery Plan (CRRP). Bisan pa sa kadako sa maong kantidad kulang lang gihapon kadto tungod kay nadugangan ang ihap sa mga pamilya sa master list gikan 40,673 ngadto sa 52,325.

Resulta, naibanan og katunga ang benepisyong nahatag sa mga na-“totally damaged.” Inay nga P30,000 ang ila untang nadawat, nahimo na lang kini og P15,713.25 sa pasalig nga trabahuon ang paghatag sa balanse.

Sa paghuman sa pagpanghatag sa ESA niadtong niaging buwan, mihangyo si Mayor Codilla og pagtugot sa Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP) niadtong Oktubre 19 nga mu-entra na pag-usab og kasabutan sa DSWD alang sa ikaduhang hugna sa ESA. Gibutang sa MOA nga maghatag ang DSWD-8 og P414,087,162 kinatibuk-ang kantidad, igo paghatag og P14,286.75 matag usa.

Apan sa pakigpulong sa Committee on Social Welfare sa SP niadtong Nobyembre 9, miingon si Ramos nga P289,840,000 lang ang mahatag sa DSWD-8 nga igo lang para sa P10,000 matag usa. Hatagan pud og siyam ka sin ang mga benepisyaryo isip hulip sa napahak nga kantidad,.

Miingon pa si Ramos nga kung mupugos gyud sa P14,286.75 ang mga tawo, P10,000 lang ang ilang makubra. Mao nga mitambag siya nga dawaton na lang ang mga sin nga siguradong anaa na kaysa maghuwat pa sa napahak nga kantidad nga walay kasiguroan kung mahatag ba gyud.

Tungod niini, sila Konsehal Benjamin Pongos ug ingon man si Vincent Rama nga nangulo sa maong komitiba nagmando sa buhatan sa mayor sa pagsumiter og laing MOA diin nakabutang nga P15,000 ug siyam ka sin ang ihatag sa matag usa ka benepisyaryo.

Apan sa sesyon niadtong Nobyembre 19, ang pirmerong MOA nga giendorso ni Mayor Codilla diin ang P14,286.75 maoy ihatag ang giaprubahan sa konseho. Mao kadto ang MOA nga gidala nila Pepito ug Verallo sa DSWD-8 niadtong Nobyembre 24.

Miesplikar si Ramos nga mipabor siya sa paghatag og P10,000 ug sin tungod kay wala pa silay kuwarta niadtong panahona. “At that time wala pa mi additional allocation sa CRRP. After (na-) balance (na ang) tanan, (nasuta namo nga) may puwede pa namo i-allocate,” ingon siya.

Ang balanse nga gipasabot ni Ramos mao ang P492,652,903.75 nga savings sa CRRP gikan sa tibuok Sinirangang Bisayas. Tungod niini, iya kunong tun-an kung ang P414,087,162 nga gikinahanglan alang mahatag ang tibuok P14,286.75 mahimo bang kuhaon sa maong savings sa CRRP.

Kung gali matuman kini, ang Ormoc maoy makadawat og pinakadakong alokasyon sa CRRP nga mukabat og P1,104,099,997, labaw pa og 36.5% sa P700 milyones kapin nga nagasto sa Tacloban nga maoy nagrabehan og pagmaayo sa bagyong Yolanda diin sobra sa 10,000 ang namatay kumpara sa 35 lang dinhi.

Gihikay nila City Legal Officer Ivan Verallo ug City Administrator Francis Pepito ang mga papeles nga isumiter kang DSWD OIC Regional Director Nestor Ramos kabahin sa pagpanghatag sa ika-duhang hugna sa ESA.

Mayor Ondo allocates P6M for birthday gift to senior citizens

MAYOR Edward C. Codilla ordered the release of P5,934,000 supplemental budget to finance the birthday gift to senior citizens for the period August-December 2015. The appropriation is enough to provide P1,500 birthday gift to 3,956 elderly people as provided for in Ordinance No. 184 of June 20, 2013 otherwise known as An Ordinance Granting Birthday Gift to Bona Fide Senior Citizen Residents of Ormoc City and Appropriating Funds Thereof.

The Codilla administration budgeted P11 million for the birthday gift for 2015 but due to variations in the number of senior citizens who are qualified to receive the benefit, the amount was depleted thus the need for a supplemental appropriation to cover the requirement.

Mayor Ondo Codilla has a soft spot for the elderly.

Anti-trafficking Help Desk at Ormoc port

The Local Committee on Violence Against Women and Children (VAWC) chaired by Mayor Edward C. Codilla inaugurated this week an Anti-Trafficking Help Desk at the Ormoc port ahead of the National Consciousness Day for the Elimination on VAWC on Nov. 25.

The Help Desk is tasked to monitor, detect and intercept human trafficking activities coming in and going out of Ormoc. Rescued trafficked victims will be linked to social workers and agencies that can provide them protective services while suspects will be reported to law enforcers.

The Help Desk is on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week. It is manned by two job order workers of the City Social Welfare and Development Office from 8:00 am to 5:00 Mondays to Fridays. Tourism police officers will take over beyond those hours and on Saturdays and Sundays.

Members of the Local Committee on Violence Against Women and Children get ready to cut the ceremonial ribbon to inaugurate the Anti-Trafficking Help Desk at Ormoc port. From left: Christy Marfil, head of IOM’s Tacloban City office; Romina Sta. Clara, national project development officer of IOM; City Social Welfare and Development Officer Marietta Legaspi; Councilor John Eulalio Nepomucano Aparis; City Health Officer Nelita Navales; 2Lt. Ens Salby Habdulla, acting deputy commander of Ormoc Coast Guard station; acting station commander SInsp. Jundy Mantos; and city administrator Francis Pepito.

Release of cash, GI sheets as ESA decided by DSWD not Mayor Ondo

The 274,240 GI sheets awaiting distribution at the City
Engineering Office. (Photo by Dante Raden)

THE directive to cut the P15,000 benefit from the Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) to P10,000 did not come from Mayor Edward "Ondo" Codilla but from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD). This was made clear by City Legal Officer Ivan Verallo who said that full discretion on the ESA lies on DSWD.

It may be recalled that last June 1, DSWD downloaded to Ormoc P689,369,934.25 which turned out to be insufficient as the number of families rose from 40,673 to 52,325 with the accommodation of more names in the master list, thus reducing the amount received by the beneficiaries.

With the concurrence of the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), it was decided that families whose houses were destroyed will receive P15,000 instead of P30,000, while those whose homes were damaged will get P10,000 instead of P15,000 on the premise that the remaining amounts will be requested from the national government thereafter.

DSWD also sent 274,240 GI sheets to make up for the fund gap. Now that the LGU has completed the distribution of ESA, DSWD announced it is ready to download another P289,840,000 for the second tranche. All that is needed is the authority from the SP to allow the mayor to enter into another Memorandum of Agreement with DSWD.

But because of the limited amount, this will be given only to beneficiaries classified under the destroyed home category. Moreover, instead of the entire remaining P15,000 to be given to the destroyed home beneficiaries, they will get only P10,000 cash and nine GI sheets which is equivalent to the P5,000 fund gap.

“Mao man gyud, napasanginlan ang mayor nga siya maoy nagbuot nga i-deduct [ang kantidad]. Dili gyud ni pagbuot ni mayor kay kita igo ra ta nidawat diri unsay ilang gisulti didto [sa DSWD]. So kami diri, nagsunod kung unsay pamalaod sa DSWD. Dili ni hinimo namo,” Verallo explained.

Mayor Codilla was even surprised by the turnout of events. “Even mayor nag-ingon siya: ‘Uy, ngano man ni? Niingon sila nung una libre ni(ng GI sheets). Karon, mao man diay’ Mao sad nay initial reaction pud ni mayor. So magsinabtanay lang tang tanan,” Verallo went on.

“Akong klarohon: mao ni ang giingon sa DSWD, dili gikan sa mayor. Atong huna-hunaon nga ang assistance nga gihatag sa atoa nagagikan sa DSWD, dili gikan sa syudad. So kung unsa ang ilang patakaran, sundon nato diri sa syudad og unsaon pag-distribute ana.

“Kay kung si mayor lang atong pabut-on, ihatag niya sa tanang tawo nga naapektuhan sa bagyo. Dili paibanan, dili pabayran. Pero tungod kay naa tay rules nga gisunod, higot ang mga kamot sa mayor. Kay kung dili musunod ang mayor sa patakaran sa DSWD, naay tulubagon ang atong mayor,” Verallo concluded.

DSWD ready to release 2nd tranche of ESA

THE Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) is ready to download to the local government unit (LGU) the second tranche of Emergency Shelter Assistance for families whose houses were destroyed by super typhoon Yolanda. However, the beneficiaries will receive cash and GI sheets instead of the entire P15,000 due to them.

DSWD Regional Director Nestor Ramos said this arrangement still conforms to the provision of the ESA guidelines as stipulated in Memorandum Circular No. 24 s. 2014 VI (Modality of Assistance) stating that the ESA may be released in cash or in the form of construction materials.

It may be recalled that last June 1, DSWD downloaded to Ormoc P689,369,934.25 which turned out to be insufficient as the number of families rose from 40,673 to 52,325 with the accommodation of more names in the master list, thus reducing the amount received by the beneficiaries.

With the concurrence of the 13^th Sangguniang Panlungsod (SP), it was decided that families whose houses were destroyed will receive P15,000 instead of P30,000, while those whose homes were damaged will get P10,000 instead of P15,000 on the premise that the remaining amounts will be requested from the national government thereafter.

DSWD also sent 274,240 GI sheets to make up for the fund gap. Now that the LGU has completed the distribution of ESA, DSWD announced it is ready to download another P289,840,000 for the second tranche. All that is needed is the authority from the SP to allow the mayor to enter into another Memorandum of Agreement with DSWD.

But because of the limited amount, this will be given only to beneficiaries classified under the destroyed home category. Moreover, instead of the entire remaining P15,000 to be given to the destroyed home beneficiaries, they will get only P10,000 cash and nine GI sheets which is equivalent to the P5,000 fund gap.

The mode of releasing ESA in cash and in kind has been done in other municipalities where vouchers for construction materials were given to beneficiaries. “In Tanauan, P10,000 lang ang sa totally (damaged or destroyed) kay natagaan (sila) og GI sheets,” he explained.

Ramos declined to accede to the clamor for the release of the entire P15,000 on top of the GI sheets. “Dili puwede i-approve ang (GI sheets) on top (of the amount) because I would be opening a floodgate of complaints. The question that will be asked is, ‘Direktor, unsa (ba) ka-importante ang Ormoc sa imoha nga tagaan na og P30,000 plus GI sheets? Asa na ang para amoa?’” he said.

Even if he can answer the complaints, he could not do the same to the Commission on Audit (Coa). “Dili man na siya puwede kay kawawa mi sa Coa,” he said.  The GI sheets were supposed to be delivered to Samar and Iloilo but Ramos agreed to release it to Ormoc as its LGU was willing to pick up the items at its own expense.

If the beneficiaries don’t want to accept the GI sheets, the Ormoc LGU can deliver the items back to the DSWD regional office again at its own expense. But this doesn’t mean the beneficiaries can claim the entire P15,000 as DSWD will still have to request the remaining P5,000 from the national government with no assurance of approval.

“So karon, ready mi i-release ang P10,000. So ang remaining P5,000 mag-request kami og kuwarta. Mao na ang procedure nga ma-adopt nato. Ug pananglitan ma-approve na, I am quite certain na hindi na ma-implement. Time is limited na considering that [the] election ban will take effect on Jan. 29. Dili na ta kalihok ana. Dili na ta ka-disburse og kuwarta,” Ramos concluded.