Sen. Gordon turning over certificate of occupancy to Atty. Filemon C. Fernandez, Brgy. Chairman of Aliputos, Numancia and Mayor Elverita T. Templonuevo.
In Aklan, the Philippine National Red Cross (PNRC) Chairman and Sen. Richard Gordon (Ind.) led in the turnover of 603 Red Cross homes to beneficiaries in the Province of Aklan on Monday, July 20. The homes turned over are in addition to the more than 15,000 already turned over by the PNRC to people who had lost their houses during natural disasters. The house recipients in Aklan are victims of typhoon Frank.
"Our mission is to bring help to the most vulnerable and bring an end to the cycle of poverty and disaster. It is our hope that by providing shelter to those who have lost their homes, we can help people rebuild their lives and become productive again," said Gordon in his speech. The turnover ceremonies was held in Brgy. Aliputos, Numancia, Aklan.
Barely a month after Typhoon Feria swept across, a large number of people may be coming to term with its aftermath. The NDCC reported that 13,273 families or 63,021 persons were affected by the tropical storm from the provinces of Pampanga, Batangas, Cavite, Quezon, Romblon, Occidental Mindoro, Albay, Masbate, Camarines Sur, Antique, Cebu, Leyte, Biliran, Western Samar, Eastern Samar, and the National Capital Region.
A total of 758 houses were totally damaged while 6,665 were partially damaged by storm. Gordon said that providing shelter to those who may have lost their homes should be prioritized.
The Red Cross under Gordon’s leadership has completed a total of 15,012 homes, of which about 6,634 families benefited from full shelter kits and the remaining 8,378 were from roofing kits given by the PNRC.
The PNRC had been in the forefront of helping the victims of major disasters and emergencies that hit the country such as Ginsaugon, Southern Leyte landslide, typhoons Reming, Milenyo, Winnie, Yoyong, Unding, Violeta and the on-going Mindanao conflict.
The PNRC had been in the forefront of helping the victims of major disasters and emergencies that hit the country such as Ginsaugon, Southern Leyte landslide, typhoons Reming, Milenyo, Winnie, Yoyong, Unding, Violeta and the on-going Mindanao conflict.
Apart from raising funds for the acquisition of housing materials, Gordon secured the assistance not only of the international aid agencies and other foreign governments but also of the Philippine and US military in transporting the materials. In partnership with the Australian Aid (AusAid), Cruz Roja Española (Spanish Red Cross), European Com-mission Humanitarian Aid, Agencia Española Coope-racion Internationale and International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, the PNRC was able to provide shelter to the most vulnerable.
The largest numbers of Red Cross homes were built in several towns in the province of Camarines Sur, which totaled to 5,600, of which 3,360 families were given full shelter kits and 2,240 others with roofing kits.
A total of 2,640 homes were built for victims of Typhoon Yoyong. A thousand families who lost their homes in the towns of Bacacay, Legaspi, and Manito in Albay were provided with 600 full shelter kits and 400 roofing kits; another one thousand families in the towns of Bato, Virac, and San Andres in Catanduanes were provided with 600 full shelter kits and 400 roofing kits.
A total of 822 Red Cross homes were also built in Aurora Provinces, 827 homes in Isabela, and 802 in the towns of Mulanay and San Francisco in Quezon Province.
About 500 homes were likewise built in Casiguran, Prieto, Diaz, and Gubat, Bacon in Sorsogon; 802 in Baco, Bulalacao, Calapan, Naujan, and Victoria in Mindoro Oriental; 802 in Buenavista, Mogpog, Sta. Cruz, and Torrijos in Marinduque; and eight out of the initial 24 housing units in Lanao del Norte.
Gordon Urges Tourism Stakeholders Take Active Role
In Improving RP Tourism
Sen. Richard J. Gordon (Ind.) urged tourism stakeholders to take an active part in improving the country’s tourism industry by getting involved in the crafting of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR) for the Tourism Act of 2009.
"What needs to be done is to get the tourism business organized. You all know what the industry needs and you must act now and take the bull by the horns," said Gordon, who is the principal author of the tourism law.
"All of you in the tourism industry must work together and draft an IRR. Go to the provinces and look for potential enterprise zones and create tourism packages. You have to organize the industry. Do not let the others dictate the pace for you; you must dictate the pace yourself," he urged.
Gordon said, "the tourism law, which was signed into law in Cebu, states that representatives from different sectors of the tourism industry shall be part of the Tourism Promotions Board (TPB) and the Tourism Infrastructure and Enterprise Zone Authority (TIEZA) Board".
"A Tourism Related Industry Congress (TRI-CON) will be convened so that tourism stakeholders can choose the people who are going to occupy – not for title, but for development of the industry – positions in the Tourism Promotions Board and the TIEZA," Gordon, a former tourism secretary, pointed out.
The TPB shall be responsible for marketing and promoting the Philippines domestically and internationally as a major global tourism destination, highlighting the uniqueness and assisting the development of its tourism products, with the end in view of increasing tourist arrivals and tourism investments.
Meanwhile, the TIEZA Board shall supervise and regulate the cultural, economic and environ-mentally sustainable development of tourism enterprise zones, which are areas that will be developed to lure domestic and foreign investors and tourists.
"The government and the tourism stakeholders must work hand in hand to make the tourism law effective. With the faithful implementation of this law, the nation can have a better institution to regulate and promote tourism and install the necessary infrastructures to make our country truly world-class," Gordon said. /MP
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