The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 1 of 3

The Typhoon called Yolanda, Part 1 of 3 (Day 40)

by Rey Laguda

(This is the 40th day of 50-day journey of DepEd Undersecretary Rey Laguda as being serialized here with his permission, culled from his Facebook account - Blogger/owner)

(I would like to use the next three posts to recount the events during the first few weeks after Typhoon Yolanda, to show the character of the people I encountered then, especially the people from DepEd.)

When Yolanda made landfall on Nov 8, 2013, I was finishing a workshop with some ICT coordinators to revise our existing policies. By the time we ended, Yolanda had hit Eastern Visayas and pummeled through Central and Western Visayas and some parts of Bicol and Mindanao. We were tracking DepEd officials as we monitored the news closely. By Saturday, there were still a few Superintendents who had not reported, including the Regional Director for Region 8. A decision was made to get there, assess the situation and find them. A small team was formed - Jocelyn Saw, Marc Helton Sua and myself - to try to touch base. We were with Fr. IJ Chan-Gonzaga, SJ who happened to be from Tacloban.

Negros Island Region Is Created

More than two decades ago, One Negros Island Region was conceived and now it is being hatched, a dream come true by the virtue of EO 183. "The One Island Region is one way we have fulfilled this promise to our countrymen. This is not just the union of cities, municipalities, and barangays; it is also the union of our dreams. And through your continued trust, we will together realize a safer, more prosperous, and more peaceful One Negros Island Region," said Secretary of Interior and Local Government Manuel Mar Roxas in a statement.

One Negros Island Region

Secretary Roxas is expressing his thanks to Negros Occidental Governor and RDC-6 Chairman Alfredo Marañon Jr., Negros Oriental governor Roel Degamo, and the rest of Negros officials who are instrumental on working with the Implementing Rules and Regulations for full execution of this Order.

The existing administrative regions in the Philippines would have another one as the President recently approved an Order of creating a Negros Island Region (NIR).

As of June 2010, the Philippines has 17 administrative regions. And with recent creation of Negros Island Region, there will be 18 regions in the country now.

The purpose of Administrative Region Creation according to the PH Constitution are as follows:

a. to promote efficiency in the Government
b. to accelerate social and economic development, and
c. to improve public services