PH's 1st post-disaster accountability journalism held in Bohol.

Vera Files and International Media Support (IMS) in partnership with the Center for Community Journalism and Development (CCJD) gathered some members of the Bohol media and civil society organizations (CSOs) for the country's first post-disaster accountability journalism held in Tagbilaran City on Oct. 25-26. 

Over the past five years, IMS has developed the concept of accountability journalism (AJ) to address reporting gaps especially in the recovery and reconstruction phases following natural disasters. The objective is to promote accountability by enabling local media to act as a watchdog during the reconstruction phase.

The post-typhoon Odette situation in the Philippines provides a relevant context for the AJ project to gain acceptance and take root given the country's vulnerability to natural hazards, especially typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanic eruptions.

While national and local media covered the disaster and its immediate aftermath, they have not reported much from the affected areas in recent months, the organizer said.

It was clear that countless accountability stories are waiting to be told: the failure to rebuild schools and communities, relocation to areas and buildings that affected people cannot afford, "no budget to rebuild," etc.

Organizers said that as experienced elsewhere, good AJ could help to inform people, manage their expectations, giving affected communities a voice, and hold authorities and relevant agencies to account. There are also bigger dimensions that warrant coverage, including other disasters and climate risks, national disaster preparedness, and psychosocial support structures and mechanisms, among others.

The two-day seminar was attended by Rey Anthony Chiu, Ric Obedencio, Anthony Aniscal and Allen Doydora of dyRD/Bohol Chronicle, Weng Vallecer and Cesar Capangpangan of dyYR, Cooper Resabal of Vera Files and Leo Udtohan. 

On the first day, Andreas Sugar of IMS and Jesper Nymark of Danwatch, an independent media and research center specialized in investigative journalism on global issues, talked about AJ and how it works.

Qaris Tajudin of Tempo Institute via Zoom shared his Indonesia experience covering disaster. He shared techniques and models that can be shared to help journalists everywhere make reporting on government and civic affairs more effective.

Warren Ubongen, former United Nations (UN) Habitat Project Manager of Rebuilding Marawi shared about a UN perspective on early recovery.

The gains and challenges of typhoon Odette early recovery, rehabilitation in Bohol was explained by Anthony Damalerio, the provincial disaster risk and reduction management officer.

Francis Bernard Batoy of Bohol Alliance of Non-Government Organizations (Bangon) also tackled about community response to typhoon Odette which devasted the province.

Jun Sepe of ABS-CBN and Che delos Reyes of IMS also shared their insights on disaster preparedness reporting. 

Lawyer Jun Amora, chief of staff of Gov. Aris Aumentado also gave his inspirational message. He said the media and the provincial government are serving the same community. 

The working sessions on the second day were facilitated by Red Batario and G Sevilla Alvarez of CCDJ and were designed to unearth what the participants needed to champion accountability journalism.

The AJ project in the Philippines will be implemented initially as a pilot which could subsequently be scaled up and converted into a longer-term effort through the IMS country program. Its main implementing partner is Vera Files that will be working closely with local and national media organizations such as the CCJD, civil society groups and networks as well as relevant UN and other international agencies.

The project aims to promote and build capacity of community journalists and news organizations for post-disaster AJ, strengthen links between local and national media, civil society, relevant UN agencies, and other monitoring groups using an eco-system approach, produce Accountability Journalism content for various news media platforms, and pave the way for longer-term AJ engagement through IMS country program.

The consultation and interfacing workshop on building Media-CSO coalition for AJ in Bohol is the first phase of the Philippine project.

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Taking risks to deliver the news

Just like the rest of frontliners, Rey Tutas of dyRD and Dave Charles Responte of dyTR are some members of Bohol media who risk life and limb to deliver the news for you. 

At times like this, media is crucial in bringing life-saving information.

Like the other frontliners (medical workers, policemen, security guards, barangay officials, et al), members of the Bohol media also take risks oftentimes at the expense of their loved ones.

They are being challenged like never before to cover an all-encompassing, relentlessly complex and fast-moving story.

Their task is to deliver the stories, especially updates on the raging virus, right into your home. 

In telling the stories of frontline workers and keeping government officials’ feet held to the fire, they’ve become frontline workers themselves.

Among them are Rey Tutas of dyRD and Dave Charles Responte of dyTR. They do it the normal way, still very visible in the field gathering facts for news. 

They wake up early to come to the stations. Rey comes from Lila town, at least 28 km from the capital city, while Dave lives in nearby Dauis town. 

While inside their respective studios, they have to wear face masks while on air. They also practise physical distancing and use alcohol and hand sanitizers nearby. 

Lately, Rey and Dave have purchased face shields to protect them while in the field. 

We have also seen how journalists use their own social media accounts for real-time news updates.  Rey has a “Facebook show” called "Kumbati Sa Serbisyo" to keep his viewers and followers updated. 

Othern frontliners are dyRD's Jun Gutierrez, Allen Doydora and Willie Maestrado and dyTR's Joshua Fullido, Ern Pahayahay and Lordina Vergara. 

Bob Galero is regularly anchoring his programs at both stations. 

Veteran journalist Ric Obedencio is busy doing the round in Bohol for big news breaks. So does Helen Castano. 

The senior anchors have been enjoined to stay home most of the time. They opted to do remote broadcasting on selected dates (including dyRD's veteran broadcasters Chito Visarra and Fred Araneta and dyTR's veteran broadcasters Pedi Bolanio and Ardy Araneta). 

Rey is pinch-hitting for Fred Araneta, the senior host of the "Inyong Alagad" with Tibbs Bullecer every Monday and Tuesday. 

Dave is also pinch-hitting for Lito Responte, anchor of dyTR's "Tomorrow's News Tonight". 

As frontliners, they carry on and do the work they think Boholano people deserve.

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A ‘high voltage’ experience in Leyte

The last time I looked, the mountain of Leyte was showing itself in full magnificent glory, breathtakingly beautiful.

That was last January when I covered the swim of Atty. Ingemar Macarine a.ka. Pinoy Aquaman in Canigao Channel. Although, we stayed there for only thirty minutes in Barangay Guadalupe in Maasin City, the mountain of Leyte awed me.

And last week, I saw her again.  The mountain transfixed me in awe as we arrived in Leyte for a facility familiarization tour and power transmission briefing by the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP).

Mary Hope Arcenal receives a warm hug from Mayor Richard Gomez.

  Courtesy: Ric Obedencio

Our group — Lito Responte (dyTR), Mike Ligalig (Bohol Tribune/Agence France-Presse), Angeline Valencia (Bohol Chronicle/PNA/Freeman), Ric Obedencio (Bohol News Today/Freeman), Andy Nalzaro (Bohol Balita Daily News), Fred Amora (Radyo Jagna), Frony Narisma (Bohol Tribune), Jessa Agua- Ylanan (DA 7 Bohol media liaison officer), Maryknoll Joan Porpor (Magic  92.7 FM), Ern Pahayahay (dyTR), Mary Hope “Dice” Arcenal (Bohol Light Company, Inc.), Rey Anthony Chiu (Philippine Information Agency –Bohol) and Janet Lim Villarojo (Effective Development Communication Unit)— was the latest batch to be invited by Betty Martinez, spokesperson of NGCP –Visayas who, we soon found out, was an energetic multi-tasker who could talk about power supply as fast as she could shuttle from one project/meeting to another.

We took an early trip to Cebu City. Travel time was two hours. At Cebu Pier, Maam Betty accosted us and made things easy for us to the next level of our sea travel. We took the 11 a.m. boat going to Ormoc City. The three-hour trip gave us the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of Leyte from a distance. It also gave us breathless feeling when we saw islands/islets.  

At the Ormoc City port, we were reminded that Ormoc City is part of Leyte.

Leyte is divided into two provinces: Leyte and Southern Leyte.

  

Asked in jest if we had time to see Ormoc City Mayor Richard Gomez, the city’s main tourist attraction, Maam Betty (so casual and so unpretentious that’s why she’s so easy to love) said, “We will find time!”  And she did find way to arrange our courtesy call to Mayor Gomez.

From the pier, the group proceeded first to the NGCP’s Leyte Area Control Center where the group had an NGCP Power 101 briefing. 

It was an opportunity for us to know how the facilities operate and how power interruptions takes place.

We all know that the province of Bohol is fully dependent on Leyte for power. And our visit was timely after Bohol had experienced the 21-hour total power outage in December last year.

Ormoc City Mayor Richard “Goma” Gomez 

warmly welcomes the members of the Bohol media and 

NGCP personnel. Courtesy: Ric Obedencio

We learned that NGCP is a privately owned corporation in charge of operating, maintaining, and developing the country's state-owned power grid, an interconnected system that transmits gigawatts of power at thousands of volts from where it is made to where it is needed.

Its network of interconnected transmission towers and substations serves as the highway where electricity travels from various energy sources to the smaller thoroughfares of distribution utilities and electric cooperatives until it reaches the households.

NGCP's task is to ensure that the country's transmission assets are in optimal condition to convey safe, quality, and reliable electricity. NGCP does this through regular inspection and repair of lines and substations, clearing of Right-of-Way obstructions, and timely restoration during and after natural disasters.

Reliability of power is the company's utmost priority so it closely monitors the grid and immediately responds to any system disturbance. NGCP acts as System Operator that balances the supply and demand of power to maintain the quality of electricity that flows through the grid.

Bulk of the NGCP Ormoc Substation (Visayas Operations District 1) supply is primarily from geothermal power plants plus latest sources from solar.

Bohol has a declared maximum capacity supply of 90 megawatts from Leyte to Bohol via Ormoc-Maasin-Pitogo-Ubay submarine cable.

The actual power supply to Bohol ranges from 55-56mw, while the average supply at night is at 60mw.

The personnel of the NGCP told us that Bohol’s competitive edge as an investment destination is negatively affected until Bohol can find alternative power sources.

 At 5 p.m., we hurriedly went to Ormoc City Hall. Goma is running the 110 barangays.

The people of Ormoc have seen the kind of work that Lucy and Goma have been doing. “Maayos at matino,” said a staff.

The mayor’s office staff said that Goma’s work ethic that he learned in showbiz in his work as a public servant is timeliness.

“Pag sinabing we start work at 8 o’clock, dapat before 8 o’clock ready na kami,” said another staff.

Members of the Bohol Media and personnel of the National Grid Corporation 

of the Philippines and Energy Development Corporation at Tongonan Geothermal 

Plant in Ormoc City. Courtesy: Ric Obedencio

Goma’s three priority projects are:

“No 1 is peace and order. No. 2 is tourism. No 3 is for Ormoc to be business-friendly,” said Goma.

“Ginagaya nga namin yung Bohol because you are one of the places na very successful ang tourism program ninyo,” Goma told members of the Bohol media.

He added, “Our thrust in Ormoc is to promote tourism, because we believe that ‘pag tourism, walang masyadong kalaban where you welcome people. You make them happy and at the same time, when people come sa isang lugar, you want them to spend money.”

                                                                                                

What can tourists see in Ormoc?

“One of them is our Lake Danao, parang Taal Lake. It’s very beautiful.”

Other attractions in Ormoc City are the Lake Kasudsuran, Lake Janagdan, Punta dela Reina, Ormoc’s oldest bridge, and sugar cane and pineapple plantation.

“We are aiming Ormoc to be a tourist destination. Maybe we are not as beautiful as Bohol but we have some areas that we can be proud of like Lake Danao,” said Goma.

While Goma was talking to us, I’d noticed that the women attentively  listened to him with sparkling eyes!  Goma, afterall, is still a hunk who is making women — and other creatures besides — swoon.  

Daghan na-dalaga og balik! Ha! Ha! Ha!

We were billeted at Ormoc Villa Hotel where we had a sumptuous dinner together with Ormoc-based media — Robert Dejon (PDI/GMA News), Lalaine Marcos-Jimenia, publisher of the Eastern Visayas Mail, Elvie Roa, et al.

The following day, we attended the briefing of Energy Development Corporation (EDC) facilitated by NGCP particularly on geothermal power plant.

The EDC personnel explained that since the Philippines is found in the Pacific Ring of Fire, the common heat source is magma, which transfers the heat from the earth’s core, where temperatures reach over 5,000 C.

The presence of water must be positive in a geothermal system. The water beneath the earth turns into that all-important steam used as geothermal energy.

They said that geothermal developers must take care of the forests because without trees, water will just run off to the rivers and seas and leave geothermal reservoirs empty.

From EDC Building, we went to visit the Tongonan Geothermal Reservation.  We missed the visit to the Tongonan Hot Spring National Park. Maybe next time.  The Tongonan Hot Spring National Park has a medicinal pool, a geyser that spurts hourly, and formations exuding sulphuric vapors. We were told that wild pigs, monkeys, deers and birds are also fund in the park.

Of course, we didn’t leave Ormoc City without buying pineapples and moron, and visiting the Saints Paul and Peter Parish Church where Leyte Rep. Lucy Torres and Mayor Goma tied the knot in 1998.

At past 1 p.m., we left Ormoc for Maasin City. We dropped by at the Albuera Town Hall and had photo ops with Mayor Rosa Meneses.  The town rings a bell? We had a stop-over in BayBay City to see the Visayas State University (formerly Visayas State College of Agriculture). It has a total land area of 1, 479 hectares that extends from the shores of Camotes Sea to the top of Mt. Pangasugan.

The group arrived in Maasin City at around 5 p.m., and proceeded to the NGCP-Maasin Substation, where Bohol province gets its power supply via Pitogo island-Ubay.

The NGCP has upgraded the second line, or Line 2 to the Leyte-Bohol grid that supplies electricity to Bohol through submarine cables.

“Line 2 has been in place to ensure continuous power supply in the future,” said Engr. Giovanni Torralba.

Hitches in Leyte grid clutched the whole Bohol to another total power outage on Dec. 4, 2016 which lasted for 20 hours. And we got irked for that.

We stayed at Villa Romana Hotel. We capped the night with a sumptuous dinner together with Ormoc-based journalists- Jani Arnaiz (Inquirer), Monching Buyser and Frank Bandibas of dyDM-AM Maasin.  Others went to the city to buy slippers, while others had a video-k session.

Unfortunately, we spent barely 24 hours in Maasin City and proceeded to Bato, Leyte for our trip back to Bohol.

So much to see, so little time!

From the boat going to Ubay, I took a fleeting glimpse of the mountain of Leyte glittering in the summer sun. It seemed to bid us goodbye, inviting us to visit again. Paging Maam Betty! Ha! Ha! Ha!

 Thank you NGCP for the great experience. Thank you Maam Betty! Thank you Ms Michelle Visera! Thank you Ms  Ma. Edna Legaspina!

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