MANDATORY
Founded July 2019
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT, PLEASE CALL (062) 9555360 or (0995) 5202358
P10
November 2-8, 2020
‘Wearing of face shields, masks in public places now obligatory’
F
OLLOWING THE surge in Covid-19 cases in Zamboanga City and the unabated violations by many residents of quarantine and health guidelines in preventing the spread of the deadly respiratory disease, the local government has strictly ordered the implementation of mandatory wearing of face mask and face shield in public places. This was also con- to all local governments “All persons are tained in the order of the throughout the country mandated to wear face Department of the Interi- in an effort to contain the masks and face shields Continue on page 3 or and Local Government spread of the Covid-19.
Senior citizens, vulnerable sector to benefit from ‘Executive Budget’
Mayor Beng Climaco speaks to a child during the Measles Rubella supplemental immunization drive. (Bong Serondo)
Bienvenidos a Zamboanga, AirAsia! MAYOR BENG CLIMACO has welcomed AirAsia to Zamboanga City following its maiden flight from Manila. Continue on page 3
Mayor Beng Climaco welcomes AirAsia executives to Zamboanga City following the airline’s inaugural flight from Manila to Zamboanga City on October 27, 2020. (Bong Serondo)
Mayor Beng Climaco
ZAMBOANGA CITY’s elderly and those in the vulnerable sector will largely benefit from the proposed 2021 Executive Budget amounting to P 4.38 billion which Mayor Beng Climaco said is a unique configuration of fiscal plans which assimilate all the previously identified needs of the City and the new challenges brought about by Continue on page 2
Road-clearing operations resume THE DEPARTMENT of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has ordered the resumption of the road-clearing operation (RCO) in the country and gave local governments 60 days to comply with the Presidential directive. Continue on page 3
Mayor Beng Climaco
First Standard Finance Corporation Zamboanga City 0995-5202358
FOR SALE P790,000
Subaru XV
FOR SALE
P2.3 Million
Toyota Fortuner
FOR SALE P750,000
Toyota Altis
2
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
Senior citizens, vulnerable sector to benefit from ‘Executive Budget’ Continued from page 1 the Covid-19 pandemic. The Chief Covid-19 fighter said her main priorities remain the same since even before she became mayor in 2013 and these are security, health and education. “This budget encompasses all of our social and health-related needs during this crisis. It aims to feed the hungry and heal the sick, hence let us listen to the needs of our people and find it in our hearts to see that this is more than a fiscal plan – it is our roadmap to health and recovery from the global challenge, that is Covid-19,” Climaco said. She said some P26 million are also appropriated for the “birthday” benefits of senior citizens and P1 million for octogenarians or person who is from 80 to 89 years old; nonagenarians or those who are 90 to 99 years old; and centenarians or those who are 100 years old and above; and another P5 million for people with disabilities. “Since our society’s patriarchs and matriarchs are in need of these social protection programs, now more than ever, as well as our PWDs and other vulnerable sectors, we have included twenty-six million pesos million appropriation for the birthday benefits of our elderly people, and one million pesos for the Octogenarian, Nonagenarian and Centenarian; and five million (pesos) for PWDs,” the mayor stressed, adding, other social programs included in the budget are the P187 million “Largo Vida” Program, which is expanded to include not only the distribution of medicines to elderly people and other vulnerable members of the communities, but also vitamins and health supplements. And the P65-million “Ayuda La Vida Program” intended to provide community livelihood projects for various sectors including the night market and
“ukay-ukay” stall holders; P50 million for the “Cuida Vida Program” (Soup Kitchen Program) - a mobile feeding initiative to sustain the daily meals of the marginalized and most affected families of the Covid-19 pandemic. She said the budget also has P50 million for “Salva Vida Program” which is intended to provide food packs and family hygiene kits to low-income families in disadvantaged rural and urban communities; P15 million for the outreach services to all of Zamboanga’s 98 barangays; and P100 million for “Socialized Housing Programs”. “As evident in our plans and programs, the beneficiaries of this budget are not limited to a privileged few. This budget, by all intents and purposes, is for all the compueblanos of Zamboanga because as the Mother of this City, I will always be driven by my instinct to protect and nurture my children from the economic turmoil and ill effects of this pandemic,” Climaco said. And because of that, she said her administration provided the needed funding to ensure surge capacity management of health personnel and health facilities. She added that P112 million are provided in the budget for Covid-10 contact tracing programs, and P14.7 million as additional aid to all barangays for Covid-19 related activities of their Barangay Health Emergency Response Teams; and P358 million for drugs and medicines, which includes P 200 million for the procurement of coronavirus vaccines. Climaco said there is also P42 million for the “Medicare Para Sa Masa Program” to increase PhilHealth (Philippine Health Insurance Corporation) coverage and number of sponsored members from 8,900 beneficiaries to 11,823; and P100 million for construction and rehabilitation of hospitals
and health centers plus P110 million for the construction of multi-purpose buildings and P11 million more for the construction of emergency quarantine facilities. The mayor said the local government continues to provide monthly allowances to about 7,812 public school heads and teachers, and also 1,878 members of the Philippine National Police, the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology and the Bureau of Fire Protection. “This is a simple token and in recognition of the valuable support and contributions of our fellow public servants,” she said. “Moreover, we have increased the honoraria of 460 barangay health workers, 90 barangay nutrition scholars, 350 day-care workers and 980 barangay tanods from two thousand pesos to three thousand pesos per month, since we acknowledge their courage and endless dedication in their field,” Climaco explained. Aside from those, the Climaco administration also provides aid to non-government entities such as the Boy and Girl Scouts of the Philippines, Philippine Red Cross, Cooperatives, drug rehabilitation center, farmers and fisherfolks and even the Reception and Study Center for Children, among others; and also to national government agencies – litigation courts and national high schools and others. She said the budget - for the economic aspect, includes P12 million funding as utility subsidy for 6,000 registered micro, small and medium enterprises; P50 million for “Siembra Vida Program” which is intended to provide training, livelihood and caravan projects, including activities of the agri-fishery sector; and a total of P 906 million for investments in infrastructure and developmental projects. (Zamboanga Post)
Earn More, Be an Advertising Agency! Do you want to earn more? Be an ADVERTISING AGENCY and DEALER for The Zamboanga Post and earn hefty commissions. Apply now. This offer covers Zamboanga Peninsula, Basilan, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi provinces. ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE: 3rd Floor, JLC Building, Don Alfaro Street, Tetuan Phone: 062-9555360 Mobile: 0995-5202358 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
New contact tracing app now on beta testing
Mayor Beng Climaco gets a briefing from Ateneo de Zamboanga University on the new smart phone application called ‘CoMPASS’. A NEW smart phone application called “CoMPASS” or the CoVID Mapping Platform for Attribution and Spatial Survey is currently being tested in Zamboanga City as part of the government’s contact tracing efforts. The project is jointly developed by the Ateneo de Zamboanga University which is taking lead in the software development; the Zamboanga City Medical Center and the local
government. City Planning and Development Coordinator, Engineer Rodrigo Sicat, said the app shall have global positioning features and has the capabilities to snap photographs aside from other data it can capture. All information from the app shall be temporarily stored in Android phone and sent to Cloud once Internet service is available. The City Data-
base Operation Center can download the data. Each data has a unique identifier tagged to the person and the contact tracer is also registered. The program is date and time stamped so the local government can know when the data was captured. If the app passes the beta testing, the local government will formally introduced and launch the app. (Zamboanga Post)
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
MANDATORY
3
‘Wearing of face shields, masks in public places now obligatory’ Continued from page 1 in all public transportation, supermarkets, public markets, malls and in all venues where gover nment-initiated meetings and critical government services are being conducted or provided, or such other protective equipment which can effectively lessen the transmission of Covid-19, whenever they go out of their residences, pursuant to existing guidelines issued by the national government subject to fair and humane penalties or punishment imposed,” the DILG said. Chief Covid-19 frontliner Mayor Beng Climaco, in her Executive Order 607-2020, also imposed curfew from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m., but exempted from this are government workers who are on duty during the curfew hours, and medical doctors and veterinarians, public util-
ity workers conducting construction or emergency activities; those who are attending a wake of a family member, and authorized persons out of residence.” A liquor ban is now in effect Monday through Sunday and drinking in public places such as roads, alleys, open spaces and other similar places is strictly prohibited. All city and national government celebrations and festivities, anniversaries and parties are also cancelled throughout the year. Private parties celebrated at home to mark personal family milestones are encouraged to be kept simple and there is now a strict prohibition on videoke, video singko and karaoke inside private property due to online class of students. Climaco said only quarantine pass holders shall be allowed to get out
of their houses to access basic needs such as food and medicines, and other acts now allowed under the Modified General Community Quarantine guidelines set by the national government’s Inter-Agency Task Force on Emerging Infectious Diseases. One passenger and 1 driver are only allowed for ordinary motorized tricycles while 1 driver and 2 passengers are allowed for bigger Piaggio or Bajaj tricycles. Despite the strict implementation of the MGCQ guidelines by the local task force against Covid-19 headed by Climaco, police and military, and enforcers of local ordinances continue to apprehend hundreds of violators daily. Most of the Covid-19 cases here are due to community transmission. In a recent data re-
Bienvenidos a Zamboanga, AirAsia!
Continued from page 1 “Bienvenidos a Zamboanga, Air Asia,” said Climaco as she welcomed airline executives led by AirAsia Philippines Chairman of the Board, lawyer Jomar Castillo and AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla. Climaco was joined by Vice Mayor Rommel Agan, Department of Tourism Assistant Secretary Myra Abubakar, City Tourism Officer Sarita Hernandez, Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines Manager Antonio Alfonso and Zamboanga Chamber of Commerce and Industry Foundation representative Pedro Rufo Soliven. “AirAsia’s presence in Zamboanga sparks hope and brings in more reasonable and bud-
get-friendly options in air travel that will help businesses recover with all the impacts brought by the pandemic. Enhorabuena y muchas gracias por el confianza y el deseo para sirvi con el maga Zamboangueños,” said Climaco, who praised AirAsia’s commitment to providing world class service to the people of Zamboanga. She said amid the health crisis, AirAsia has fulfilled its promise to serve Zamboangueños because of the City’s potentials and strong governance. It also cemented Climaco’s efforts in attracting traders and businessmen to put up investments in Zamboanga City despite the pandemic. For his part, Isla said: “We are excited to celebrate this milestone as
we paint Asia’s Latin City’s skies red. As the second largest city in Mindanao and the sixth most populous in the Philippines, this new destination will pave the way for expansive connectivity, bringing Filipino families closer together, and providing more opportunities across provinces in support of the local government’s vision to be the Asean economic hub in Southwestern Mindanao.” Isla also thanked Climaco, saying “all of this would not have been possible without the initiatives of the Zamboanga City Government, who took on a decisive role in discussions with us to establish this route. For this, we are truly grateful.” (Zamboanga Post)
leased by the local government, the number of active Covid-19 cases went down from nearly 800 to just under 700 with
recoveries nearing 2,000. Zamboanga’s Covid-19 deaths is only 105 since the pandemic began in March.
Climaco has repeatedly appealed to residents to strictly follow the health and safety protocols. (Zamboanga Post)
Road-clearing operations resume Continued from page 1 The DILG was following President Rodrigo Duterte’s order to clear all roads of blockades or obstruction to ease the flow of traffic and movement of people. Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said that with the improved quarantine classification in many areas, the road-clearing will officially commence on November 16 until January 15. “Sisimulan na po ulit ang road clearing starting November 16. We hope that the LGUs, despite the Covid-19 pandemic, will show the same enthusiasm and positive results that they were able to achieve last year as we aim for safer and accessible roads free from illegal and potentially hazardous encroachments. Despite the January 15 deadline, we wish to remind the LGUs that RCO is year-long endeavor, kaya kailangan natin ang kanilang commitment at pakikiisa,” Año said. In the DILG Memorandum Circular 2020145, Año said though that the resumption of RCO will vary, in different degrees, depending on the quarantine classification of a certain area. “We may
have resumed RCO, but we acknowledge the threat posed by Covid-19, hence, we still take into consideration the quarantine classification of the LGU.” He said that full implementation of the RCO will be enforced in areas under Moderate General Community Quarantine and the New Normal or Post-Quarantine Scenario. And partial implementation of the ROC will be executed by local governments under General Community Quarantine, but suspended in areas under Moderate Enhanced Community Quarantine and Enhanced Community Quarantine. Año said that partial implementation in areas under GCQ is limited to the actual removal or abatement of road and sidewalk obstructions that are considered dangerous to motorists and pedestrians and road clearing for the purpose of establishing bike lanes. He said full implementation in MGCQ areas and below requires the local governments to adopt all components of the RCO as provided by DILG Memorandum Circular 2020-027. “We maintain the same resolve and principle as when we started this
campaign. Ito po ay para sa kaginhawahan ng ating mga mamamayan and we expect the LGUs down to the barangays to deliver,” he said. According to the memorandum, road obstructions such as vehicular terminals except in areas designated by the local governments, vending sites, house encroachments that obstruct the right-of-way, debris, waste materials, and other junked items, among others must be cleared off roadways. But parked ambulance and public emergency vehicles, checkpoints established by Inter-Agency Task Force, local governments, police and military and temporary obstructions caused by the establishment of bike lanes are exempted from being removed or apprehended. The banning of motorized pedicabs and tricycles on national roads and highways must be implemented by the local governments notwithstanding the rules and guidelines set by the Department of Transportation on the operation of tricycles during the community quarantine period. (Zamboanga Post)
Villamero’s Enterprises For all your newspaper publications or subscription to The Zamboanga Post and The Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper, please call or text Villamero’s Enterprises at these numbers (062) 955-8677 and 0917-1223496. Located at Campaner Street, Zamboanga City and serving Basilan, Sulu and Tawi-Tawi.
4
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
Zamboanga Pictures in the News Local government of Zamboanga City at work. This is where your taxes go. (Photos by Bong Serondo, Eugene Elnar, Carlo Ezer Camins, and Giana Andrion)
November 2-8, 2020
The Zamboanga Post
5
Zamboanga Pictures in the News
6
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
Across : 1. Fire remains 6. Slugger’s need 9. Mama sheep 12. Respond (to) 13. Batter’s stat 14. Coffeepot 15. Gent (sl.) 16. Modified 18. Asparagus unit 19. Willie and Ozzie 20. That thing’s 22. Sixth sense (abbr.) 23. Welcome mat locale 28. Browning’s “always” 31. Hearing organs 32. Employ 33. Indian robe 34. Enjoy the slopes 35. Intensified 37. Look over 40. Raced 41. Football player 45. High-minded 49. Dancer Fred ___ 50. Pointer 51. ___ bag 52. Make a knot 53. Down East 54. Conger 55. Dejected 56. Daisy’s kin
The Zamboanga Post
An Edition of the Mindanao Examiner Regional Newspaper
Maritess Fernandez
Publisher/Executive Producer (On Leave)
Al Jacinto
Acting Publisher/Editor-in-Chief
Graphics/Video Editor
Mindanao Examiner Productions Web Master
REGIONAL PARTNERS Mindanao Daily Business Week Mindanao Star
ADVERTISING Jeng Fernandez (0917) 7930652 Zamboanga Peninsula
Answer to last week’s crossword:
Down : 1. Dog’s sounds 2. Leak 3. Healthy 4. Creamy pastries 5. Commences 6. Fiber source 7. Skilled 8. Name 9. Italian, e.g. 10. Tiny bird 11. Purposes 17. Curvy turn 21. Wall support 23. ___ Moines 24. Acorn dropper 25. Asian 26. Compass reading
Reynold Toribio
(abbr.) 27. Look closely 29. Byron’s “before” 30. Free (of) 33. Spanish women 36. Canal country 38. Positive vote 39. Gives forth 41. Not punctual 42. Words of understanding (2 wds.) 43. Diva’s forte 44. Want 46. Englishman, for short 47. Unescorted 48. Wide-spouted pitcher
Weekly Sudoku:
Richard Suarez
(0910) 7348600 Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera sts., Gatas District, Pagadian City, Zamboanga del Sur
The Zamboanga Post
is published weekly in Mindanao, Philippines.
ZAMBOANGA CITY OFFICE:
3rd Floor, JLC Building, Don Alfaro St., Tetuan, Zamboanga City Phone & Fax: (062) 9555360 Mobile: (0995) 5202358 URL: mindanaoexaminer.com E-mail: mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
Answer to last week:
CEBU CITY G/F Dreamfield bldg, Sanciangko Street, Kamagayan (0923) 1670009
Rodil P. Ybañez
DAVAO CITY Door 2, 402 Nidea Street, Barrio Obrero, Davao City, Philippines (082) 2841859 / (0932) 4323301 / (0997) 3172021
Marilou Cablinda
NORTH COTABATO KIDAPAWAN CITY CENTRAL MINDANAO COTABATO CITY Rhoderick Beñez (0927) 4757936
PAGADIAN CITY
Kismet Cable TV, Aquino cor. Cabrera st., Gatas District, Pagadian City, Zamboanga Del Sur (0910) 7348600
Richard Suarez
ZAMBOANGA PENINSULA BASILAN, SULU, TAWIͳTAWI ΈBARMMΉ
3rd Floor, JLC Building, Don Alfaro Street, Zamboanga City (062) 9555360 / (0995) 5202358 / (0917) 7930652
Jeng Fernandez mindanaoexaminer.com mindanaoexaminer@gmail.com
28 retirees honored! THE LOCAL government paid tribute and honored over two dozen retirees for their hard work and contributions to public service. As a tradition, the local government every year hosts a “Breakfast Salo-Salo” dubbed “Agradecimiento Para Los Retirados de Gobierno” as a tribute to retirees, but due to the
Covid-19 pandemic, Mayor Beng Climaco decided to forego the practice. Instead of a formal ceremony at City Hall, representatives from City Human Resource Management Office visited the homes of the retirees and awarded each of them a Certificate of Recognition and P5,000 incentive from the Zamboanga City Gov-
ernment Employees Association. Climaco thanked the retirees for their services. “To all our retirees, thank you for all the years of dedicated public service, you have been an inspiration to all of us. Enhorabuena desde el Govierno Local. Happy Retirement y Vaya con Dios,” she told them. (Zamboanga Post)
Basilan village dedicates plaza to slain Catholic missionary priest VILLAGERS IN Basilan province have unveiled a garden and a plaza dedicated to a Catholic missionary priest who was slain by the Abu Sayyaf 20 years ago. Barangay Tumahubong in the town of Sumisip unveiled the “Father Rhoel Gallardo, CMF, and Companions Plaza” on October 23. A school building was also dedicated to Father Gallardo. “This is a way of acknowledging the martyrdom of Father Gallardo and his companions,” said Claretian priest Arvin Buenconsejo Bellen, the priest at St. Vincent Ferrer Parish in Tumahubong. Bishop Leo Dalmao of Isabela City, community leaders, both Muslim and Christian, and villagers witnessed the unveiling of the plaza and the garden. On March 21, 2000, the terrorist group attacked Claret School in Tumahu-
7
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
bong and abducted Father Gallardo, the school director and several teachers, including dozens of innocent students. After a month and a half - on May 3, 2000 - Father Gallardo was killed in a crossfire between security forces who tried to rescue the hostages, and the Abu Sayyaf. Father Bellen said the area in front of the village church “was a witness to the pain, struggle, and joy” of the community. “It was where the bodies of those who died were laid and where people cried looking for their abducted relatives,” he said. Father Bellen said the slain Claretian missionary inspired him to become a priest. “When I heard about the abduction of a Claretian missionary on the news, my eyes were opened to the religious life and so I joined the congre-
gation,” he said. Father Bellen said the initiative to rename the village square after the slain priest came from the villagers. “It was not the parish, nor the government, but the community that declared that this plaza should be in honor of Father Rhoel,” he stressed, adding, the decision highlighted the “closeness” of the missionaries to the people, not only to the Catholics, but also to the Muslims and the indigenous peoples in the area. The unveiling of the plaza was scheduled last May 3 in time for the 20th death anniversary of Father Gallardo, but it was postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. “This plaza is now a symbol and a reminder of understanding beyond our religion, our group, our principles,” said Father Bellen. (Marielle Lucenio - LiCAS)
Lunas sa mataas ang uric acid at gout
HEALTH
Ni Dr. Willie T. Ong
Ang sintomas ng gout ay ang matinding pamamaga at pananakit ng mga kasu-kasuan ng mga daliri ng paa, kamay at tuhod. Para malaman kung gouty arthritis ang sakit, suriin ang uric acid sa isang blood test. Kapag mataas ito, gout ang dahilan ng iyong arthritis. Iba ang gamutan ng gout sa ordinaryong arthritis lamang. Bawasan ito: 1. Sa mga gulay, bawasan ang pagkain ng asparagus, cauliflower, mushroom at spinach. Mataas ito sa uric acid.
2. Bawasan ang oatmeal at whole grain cereals. 3. Umiwas sa mga lamang loob (bituka, atay, utak, puso at kidneys), sisig, sardines, tunsoy, tamban, dilis, bagoong at tahong. 4. Ang gravy, patis, at lechon liver sauce at mataas din sa uric acid. 5. Umiwas sa pag-inom ng beer at alak kung ayaw mong atakihan ng sakit na gout. Kainin ito: 1. Puwede ang kanin, mais, kamote, berdeng gulay at prutas. 2. May tulong ang strawberries at pineapple sa gout. 3. Puwede ang itlog at gatas. 4. Uminom ng 8-12 basong tubig araw-araw para mabawasan ang gout. Gamot sa gout: Kapag inatake na ng gout, hindi na sapat ang pagdi-dyeta sa pagkain lamang. Kailangan ng
maintenance na gamot para bumaba ang iyong uric acid levels sa dugo. Nag-rereseta ang doktor ng allopurinol o febuxostat tablet bawat araw depende sa taas ng iyong uric acid. Inumin ito araw araw para hindi umatake ang gout. Kailangan po ito. Sa oras ng pagsumpong ng gout, nagbibigay kami ng colchicine tablets, 4 na beses sa maghapon. Kung matindi ang sakit, puwede din uminom ng para sa kirot. Isang mahalagang tip lang po: bawal ang allopurinol tablets habang matindi ang atake ng gout. Inumin lang ang maintenance na allopurinol kapag humupay na ang sakit pagkalipas ng 2 araw. Good luck po.
8
The Zamboanga Post
November 2-8, 2020
November 2-8, 2020
The Zamboanga Post
9
Founded July 2019
ADVERTISING DEPARTMENT, PLEASE CALL (062) 9555360 or (0995) 5202358
P10
November 2-8, 2020
Poor families get aid
S
OME 109 mostly poor families have benefitted from the government’s Livelihood Assistance Grant (LAG) - a program under the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in coordination with the local government. Mayor Beng ClimaEach family received They were also reco together with Maria P10,000 complement- minded to make proper Socorro Macaso, divi- ing the government’s use of the livelihood assission chief of the DSWD’s Covid-19 recovery pro- tance to achieve sustainSustainable Livelihood gram, according to Clima- able income. Program (SLP); and Ma- co. LAG is the finanria Socorro Rojas, chief The beneficiaries cial assistance granted of the City Social Welfare were identified and se- to qualified Sustainable Office, distributed the lected based on the crite- Livelihood Program beneLAG to the beneficiaries. ria set by the DSWD. ficiaries whose livelihoods
SUNDAY REFLECTION by Mayor Beng Climaco
30th Sunday: Jesus’ law of Love of God, neighbor and self! Matthew 22:34-40 “YOU SHALL love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first commandment and the most important of all the commandments. The second is: you shall love your neighbor as yourself. Triple commandments of love. This has its origin from the Shema Yisrael, the Jewish prayer found in the Torah as recited daily. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 Love the Lord your God with all your heart with all your soul and with all your strength! Today’s Gospel teaches us that love needs to have a higher value of loving God by loving our neighbor. Who are our neighbors? The parable of the good Samaritan Luke 10:25-37 shows the help given to a stranger and not
necessarily an ally, a kapamilya nor a kakilala but “others”! In life we can be caught with our self-absorption. Our actions revolve around our own self, el diatun mismo cuerpo. But, Jesus leads the way to transcend outwardly to divine love and that of others. This gives meaning to life. Where does, I love Zamboanga fit in? It is in living out God’s call for me to serve the people. Put the need of others ahead of the self. One evening, I had an urgent call from a father. His son was positive with Covid. They are from Tawi-Tawi. As a high school teacher, I remember visiting him when he was sick. Today, he is now a father and I was struck by his great love for his son and sought medical help. Early on in the pandemic, I learned that LIFE is precious. That’s why I avoid the temptation of looking at figures, instead, I look at people in every Covid positive case because every life matters.
Zamboanga Peninsula
With 19 more months to go in my timeline, gone are the legacy big bulk projects. The pandemic dictates that love for God, means loving people even our neighbors. Appropriating resources that would fight the Pandemic by; lengthening life of Senior Citizens through our Largo Vida Program, livelihood support by Ayuda La Vida Program since 46,000 people’s livelihood are affected. All of these are in our proposed budget for 2021. By following Jesus who fed the hungry 45 million Filipinos of which 15 million Filipino Children are hungry based on latest social weather station survey, so we provide nutritious food through our proposed Cuida Vida program. In this pandemic, we experience disasters such as flood and landslides so we proposed the Salva Vida foodpack and hygiene kits that are needed with Climate change, from dry spell or El Niño to the incessant rains of La Niña, our farmers lost around more than 3 million from the crops they planted with toil and hardwork. We want to help their wives and children through our proposed livelihood intervention - the Siembra Vida program. We look at the problems from the pandemic and with God’s limitless bountiful love respond by contributing to people’s lives. El vida bien precioso so let us contribute. I end with the responsorial psalm: I LOVE YOU LORD MY STRENGTH!
Basilan
Mayor Beng Climaco speaks to the beneficiaries of the government’s Livelihood Assistance Grant during the distribution of cash aid to the beneficiaries. (Bong Serondo) were affected by the declaration of community quarantine. The SLP, on the other hand, is the capability-building program for the poor, vulnerable and marginalized families and communities to help improve their socio-economic conditions through accessing and acquiring necessary assets to engage in and maintain thriving livelihoods. It is one of the core programs of the DSWD providing liveli-
hood assistance during natural or human-induced disasters. The LAG aims to assist the SLP beneficiaries’ recovery from economic losses and can be used as a seed capital to start-up new or enhance existing feasible and viable micro-enterprises, purchase inputs or starter kits needed for the identified micro-enterprise and/or for employment-related activities such as, but not limited to, transportation
or fare expenses. The LAG will only be provided to SLP beneficiary families having at least one member who is a worker in the informal sector, and is displaced by reason of the declaration. The family must be in the master list endorsed by the local government to the DSWD and its eligibility for LAG shall be subject to the assessment of the DSWD. (Zamboanga Post)
FRV to the rescue
A MOTORCYCLE as “First Response Vehicle?” Good idea because FRV as it is called can now quickly respond to any emergency situation faster. And Mayor Beng Climaco showed what FRV is all about during the assessment and evaluation being conducted by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Office of the Civil Defense (OCD). Climaco together with DILG Regional Director Paisal Abutazil and OCD Director Manuel Luis Ochotorena witnessed the demonstration of the rescue motorcycle which can be used to help augment in the pre-hospital care needs in the community. It has the capability to perform first aid until other resources arrive. Equipment in the rescue motorcycle is in the general category of basic life support from assessment tools, oxygen cylinders, immobilization devices, trauma management supplies, among others. Climaco also handed over to Ochotorena, head of Regional In-
Sulu
First Response Vehicles. (Eugene Elnar) ter-Agency Task Force Executive Committee, the local government’s Covid-19 response efforts. (Zamboanga Post)
Tawi-tawi