President Rodrigo Roa Duterte discusses the pressing concerns of the country during a dialogue with Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo at the Malacañan Palace on September 11, 2018. VALERIE ESCALERA/PRESIDENTIAL PHOTO

In a one-on-one interview with his chief legal counsel on Tuesday, President Rodrigo Duterte assured the public that his economic managers are addressing the issue of high inflation rate in the country.

“The economic managers are working on it already, we have a Cabinet meeting right after this and then I’ll also have the chance to ask questions,” he said.

The inflation rate in the country rose from 5.7 percent in the month of July to 6.4 percent in August 2018.

This is the highest inflation rate reported by the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) in nine years.

However, the Chief Executive said that no country is immune to inflation.

Duterte had earlier blamed US President Donald Trump’s tariff policies for the high inflation rate in the Philippines. — Rosalie Coz

Tags: duterte, inflation, sal panelo

Transitional shelters for families affected by Typhoon Urduja in December 2017

After eight months of living in a tent in Biliran, 50 families who lost their homes to Typhoon Urduja in December 2017 have finally moved into sturdier transitional shelters.

They have long suffered the camp-like conditions that many of them still get emotional every time they remember the tragedy that hit them.

“Ug way nagsuplay sa amo wa mi tagaig bugas lisod gyud wa may pangwarta wa mibuhion nangamatay among mga manok among baboy naanod… dakong pasalamat namo nga gitagaan mig bahay (Had no one helped us or given us rice supply, we would have really suffered. We have no income. Our chickens and pigs were swept away. We are very grateful that we were given these shelters) said Armogina Labesto tearfully as she recounted the day the sea swept away their home and livestock.

Armogina Labesto still gets teary-eyed every time she recalls their ordeal.

Roel Amparado is also among those who were left homeless during the onslaught of Urduja. He said they were unable to save anything because the sea quickly swallowed everything they had.

“Di na man mapuy-an an amon gipuy-an didto kay naabot na man sa dagat maoy hinungdan nga gidala mi didi sa gipapuyo mi sa tent pagkahuman didto gibalhin pud mi dinhi (The sea was already reaching our house. It wasn’t safe to stay anymore, so we were relocated to the tent city),” he said.

The shelters were made of concrete with sawali (woven split bamboo mats) walls and a galvanized iron roof.

These will serve as temporary dwellings while waiting for the government to finish the housing project designed for them.

The initiative was made possible by the partnership of various government agencies and non-government organizations.

“After Urduja, we identified that housing is the most important need of the affected communities,” said Rotary Club Executive Director Troy Bumabat.

Affected families were not only provided with temporary shelters, but also with livelihood opportunities.

“We have graduated a total of 76 beneficiaries for the construction related qualification,” said TESDA Provincial Director Elizabeth Garcia. “This is a concrete example of a public private partnership.” — Archyl Egano

Tags: Biliran, Typhoon urduja

FILE PHOTOS: Filipino well-wishers gather outside the Palace Hotel in Tokyo on Tuesday, October 25, 2016, as they wait for the arrival of President Rodrigo Duterte. Karl Norman Alonzo/PPD

The overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Japan eagerly await President Rodrigo Duterte’s report in his third State of the Nation Address.

Despite being busy in their respective jobs in Japan, they are still very much interested in what’s happening in their beloved country, the Philippines.

They also appealed to the government and fellow Filipinos to work together in unity. For this year’s SONA here are there expectations, admonitions and concerns:

Marjorie Casis said, “Bilang isang OFW, dapat sana lahat tayo bilang Pilipino, dapat sana magkaisa tayo hindi yung nagkakahiwa-hiwalay tayo, kasi bilang Pilipino, walang magmamalasakitan kundi tayo.”

(As an OFW, I hope that we as Filipinos can be united because who else will be there for you but your own countrymen.)

“Dapat pagtuunan din ng pansin yung mga manggagawa natin sa Pilipinas, dahil sa endo… tapos yung mga infrastructure natin tsaka lalo na yung sa mga magsasaka natin,” OFW Calvin Macutay added.

(The government must also focus on the welfare of workers in the Philippines against illegal contractualization. They should also work on building infrastructures and taking care of farmers.)

“Kailangan po na yung pagtitiwala sa gobyerno, mag-uumpisa po sa sarili natin. Kasi kung wala tayong pagtitiwala sa gobyerno, ang mangyayari nun, wala tayong pagbabago,” OFW Jaime Miedes said.

(Faith in government should start within ourselves. If we don’t trust our government, we will not achieve progress.) — Ryuji Sasaki / UNTV News & Rescue

Tags: duterte, SONA, State of the Nation Address