Tag: Yolanda

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Ping, Masaya para sa ‘Yolanda Graduates’ Na Malaking Tulong sa Mga Komunidad na Nasalanta ng Bagyo

Karamihan sa mga development at community planning officers sa Visayas na nakatanggap ng scholarship grant mula sa Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) noong 2014 ay kasalukuyang tumutulong na sa mga komunidad na nasalanta rin ng kalamidad tulad ng Bagyong Odette at Agaton.

Ang scholarship grant na ito na nagkakahalaga ng US$10-million ay mula rin sa United States Agency for International Development (USAID) sa pakikipagtulungan ng OPARR noong pinamunuan ito ni Senador Ping Lacson na dating nagsilbi bilang Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery.

Sa kanyang pagbisita sa Ormoc, Leyte nitong Miyerkules kasama ang kanyang ka-tandem na si Senate President Tito Sotto, nakausap nila ang ilan sa mga planning officers na naging scholars ng nasabing programa.

Related: Seeing ‘Yolanda Graduates’ Making a Difference vs Calamities in Ormoc Makes Lacson Feel Fulfilled
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Seeing ‘Yolanda Graduates’ Making a Difference vs Calamities in Ormoc Makes Lacson Feel Fulfilled

Many of the development and community planning officers in the Visayas who received scholarship grants from the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) through the US$10-million technical support and assistance extended by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) after their areas were devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda are now helping their communities deal with similar disasters like Odette and Agaton – and independent presidential candidate Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson is very proud of them.

Lacson, who as Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery facilitated their schooling eight years ago, met with some of the planning officers during his and vice presidential bet Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III’s visit to Ormoc, Leyte on Wednesday.

“Parang fulfilling. Of course tinamaan na naman ng Odette, tinamaan na naman ng Agaton. And we take pride in one of our legacy projects na nabanggit ko kanina, nagpa-scholar kami ng 162 planning officers who are now giving services sa kanilang respective municipalities (It was very fulfilling to see some of the 162 planning officers who underwent training via scholarships now giving services to their respective municipalities and dealing with the effects of recent cyclones like Odette and Agaton),” Lacson said.

Related: Ping, Masaya para sa ‘Yolanda Graduates’ Na Malaking Tulong sa Mga Komunidad na Nasalanta ng Bagyo
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Lacson: Gov’t Should be Open to Criticism, Private Sector Efforts on Year Two of COVID Response

As it faces more challenges in the second year of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the government should be more open to constructive criticism as well as the efforts of the private sector, Sen. Panfilo M. Lacson said Saturday.

Lacson also said the government should evaluate the actions it has taken so far and sustain the strengths while addressing the weaknesses of its response.

“Now is the time for an evaluation, what the government did right and what it did wrong,” he said in an interview on DWIZ radio.

“Instead of rejecting constructive criticism, it should accept it as part of their planning and continuing assessment. Our aim is to call their attention to things they may not realize. No one has a monopoly of wisdom and knowledge,” he added.

Continue reading “Lacson: Gov’t Should be Open to Criticism, Private Sector Efforts on Year Two of COVID Response”

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Commending the TOYM 2020 Awardees

I’d like to add my voice in honoring the TOYM of the Philippines for 2020. Let me cite in particular Atty. Lesley Cordero who used to be my undersecretary in the OPARR, tasked to integrate the recovery efforts of the government for Super Typhoon Yolanda, one month after the strongest tropical cyclone ever recorded in history made landfall, damaging 171 cities and municipalities in 14 provinces of the five regions of the country, killing more than 6000 people and affecting 11 million others in central Philippines.

Without Undersecretary Cordero being seconded to the OPARR, I could not imagine how we could put together an eight-volume, 8,000-page Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan in record time of under eight months.

Walang pondo, walang sweldo sa loob ng apat na buwan, wala kaming reklamong nagtrabaho upang mapagaan ang buhay at kalagayan ng ating mga kababayan na matinding pinahirapan ng bagyong Yolanda. Nakatayo ako sa bulwagang ito, mahal na pangulo, upang pasalamatan at pahalagahan si Atty. Cordero, sampu ng kanyang mga kasama sa TOYM of 2020. Maraming salamat po Mr. President.

*****

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Ping: Partisipasyon ng Pribadong Sektor, LGU sa Vaccination Program Palakasin

Ituring na katuwang ang pribadong sektor at mga lokal na pamahalaan sa programang pagbabakuna ng pamahalaan laban sa COVID-19, sa halip na tratuhin sila bilang kakompetensiya.

Kasabay nito, nanawagan si Senador Panfilo Lacson na mas palakasin ang partisipasyon ng pribadong sektor at mga lokal na pamahalaan sa naturang programa sa pamamagitan ng pagluluwag sa mga ito na makaangkat at maisagawa ang proseso ng pagbabakuna.

Ang kailangan lamang umano ay matiyak ang regular na koordinasyon ng mga ito sa mga mangangasiwa sa programa, ang Department of Health (DOH) at National Task Force Against COVID-19.

“One common mistake that every administration commits is treating the private sector as competitors through over-regulation instead of partners especially during the time of crisis such as this pandemic that we are confronting now,” banggit ni Lacson.

“Let’s face the reality that the private sector does not go through the same bureaucratic delays that their counterpart in the public sector suffers from,” obserbasyon ng mambabatas.

Related: Lacson Pushes Greater Private Sector, LGU Participation in Vaccination Program
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