https://www.sunstar.com.ph/ |
- Displaced Marawi residents, groups urge fast rehabilitation as Duterte heads for final Sona
- Eastern Visayas Covid-19 cases rise to 35,000
- Soldier kills self in Samar
| Displaced Marawi residents, groups urge fast rehabilitation as Duterte heads for final Sona Posted: 25 Jul 2021 07:35 AM PDT A NETWORK composed of displaced Marawi residents and civil society groups has urged the national government "to accelerate its efforts on rebuilding the City of Marawi by prioritizing the immediate, safe and dignified return of the displaced families back to their places of origin" as President Rodrigo Duterte is heading for his final State of the Nation Address (Sona) on Monday, July 26, 2021. "In our view, the rehab efforts are a dismal failure. For one, the government has backtracked on its promises and failed at consulting relevant stakeholders on implementing the programs for rehabilitation. Until now, hundreds of Marawi IDPs (internally displaced persons) remain in temporary shelter communities," said Amenodin Cali, Chairman of the Kalimudan sa Ranao Foundation and one of the leaders of Marawi Advocacy Accompaniment (MAA). "They are showing the outsiders a new and beautiful Marawi but the reality is they are rebuilding the Islamic City the wrong way without being mindful of our culture, tradition and beliefs as a people. They are constructing large-scale infrastructures that the people of Marawi don't actually need," added Professor Tirmizy Abdullah, another MAA leader from the Institute for Peace and Development in Mindanao-Mindanao State University. In their "State of Marawi Bakwit' on Saturday, July 24, the group also handed down their verdict on the efforts of the government to rehabilitate Marawi and unveiled a makeshift plaque "to symbolize the bakwits disgust over the government's handling of Marawi's rehabilitation." "...Four years after the siege, most of the government's promises including providing just compensation for the damages of livelihood and properties of the affected families and the immediate return of the displaced back to Marawi remain unfulfilled," MAA said in a statement to Sunstar Philippines. Citing data from Mindanao Displacement Dashboard of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, MAA said a total of 25,355 families (126,775 individuals) are still reportedly displaced in various parts of Lanao province and Marawi City in the aftermath of the 2017 siege. "If this government values transparency and accountability in governance, then if necessary, heads must roll. They need to conduct an independent probe on what really happened in Marawi and how the budget for rehabilitation of the city has been spent since 2017. The people have the right to know how their taxes are being spent," said Abdullah. In a statement, MAA said that "truth, justice and accountability must be pursued within a transitional justice framework to comprehensively address the roots of the conflict that took place in Marawi four years ago." According to the group, they have been advocating for a truth-telling process on the missing and dead civilians during the Marawi siege and documentation of the dead in the mass grave near Marawi's most affected areas since 2017. MAA maintained that "the delays in the Marawi rehabilitation coupled with the neglect of the voices of communities in the city's 'ground zero' contribute further not only to the trauma still being endured by the 'bakwits' due to the Marawi siege but also on the century-old narrative of marginalization, discrimination and social deprivation." Earlier this month, Task Force Bangon Marawi chief and Housing czar Eduardo del Rosario warned critics to spare Marawi's rehabilitation efforts from "vicious politics and vested interests." "If you mean well as alleged Maranao leader, be part of the solution and not be part of the problem by spreading unfounded and deceitful public statement. Instead, let us unite for Marawi to rise as a prosperous and peaceful city again," the official said. The national government expressed confidence that Marawi "will be completely rebuilt" at the end of Duterte's term. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Eastern Visayas Covid-19 cases rise to 35,000 Posted: 25 Jul 2021 03:56 AM PDT EASTERN Visayas logged a total of 35,000 cases of coronavirus disease (Covid-19) since the pandemic started last year, the regional health department reported Sunday, July 25, 2021. As of Sunday, the region also recorded 33,201 (94.86 percent) total recoveries and 419 (1.20 percent) total deaths, bringing the total active cases to 1,380 (3.94 percent). The regional health department said a total of 158 new cases were recorded out of 934 laboratory samples tested in three Covid-19 laboratories in Eastern Visayas on Sunday. The result represents a 17-percent positivity rate. The 158 new confirmed cases were from Tacloban City (17), Ormoc City (30), Leyte province (52), Southern Leyte (3), Eastern Samar (12), Northern Samar (27), Samar (11), and Biliran (6). Meanwhile, two new deaths were reported on Sunday. They were identified as patient EV24669, an 81-year-old female from Julian, Eastern Samar who died on July 24, 2021, and patient EV32878, a 52-year-old male from Sulat, Eastern Samar who died on July 15, 2021. "With the high number of cases in Eastern Visayas, the Department of Health continues to appeal to the public to keep following and keep practicing the minimum public health standards all the time and in all settings. Be part of the solution in ending this pandemic," the regional health department said. (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
| Posted: 25 Jul 2021 03:56 AM PDT A 28-YEAR-OLD personnel of the Philippine Army died due to an apparent suicide in Calbiga, Samar. Authorities said the victim, an active member of the 20th Infantry Battalion based in Las Navas Northern, Samar, was found hanging on the wooden beam of his house using a nylon cord around 1:40 p.m. Saturday, July 24, 2021. The victim, a resident of Calbiga, had a live-in partner. According to the victim's brother, the 28-year-old soldier had been uttering some suicidal attempts before the incident. The body of the victim was brought to Calbiga Rural Health Unit for proper disposition. Meanwhile, Dr. Christian Gloria, former Department Chairman and Associate Professor of Public Health at Hawaii Pacific University and a Balik Scientist of the Philippine Department of Science and Technology, said there is a need to destigmatize mental health in the country. "We should highlight the resources and help available. Encourage conversation at home, in school, and at work. If someone is struggling, help them find help," he told Sunstar Philippines. Amid the ongoing pandemic, Gloria said that "problems and quality of life in the Philippines are only getting worse, so we have to expect that mental health problems are likewise getting worse." "Don't glorify or romanticize the suicide, or it might encourage others. Frame it as a symptom of a societal problem," he said. *** Individuals suffering from depression and needing such assistance may call HopeLine Hotlines at (02) 804-HOPE (4673); 0917 558 HOPE (4673); and 2919 (toll-free number for all GLOBE and TM subscribers). (SunStar Philippines)  This posting includes an audio/video/photo media file: Download Now |
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