Post-Yolanda Updates on Tolosa

What’s brewing in Tolosa, Leyte?

Two and a half years after the devastation wrought by  killer typhoon Yolanda,  Tolosa, Leyte, a 5^th class municipality with an estimated population of 18,000, together with the adjacent towns of Tanauan, Palo, and Tacloban City, is still hobbled by unemployment and poor agricultural productivity.  Household incomes  are mainly sourced from Tolosa’s two largest employers— the local government and Tacloban Oil Mills. 

While the town’s economy is mostly dependent on coconut farming and fishing, its manufacturing and services sectors are slowly gaining ground.  Wilmar Edible Oils, Phils., is eyeing to build a P500-million copra milling facility and a new restaurant—Haiyan Foodstop, is about to open shop. 

The public market is being modernized into a two-story building. Express money remittance Palawan Express and Chooks-to-go each has a branch in Tolosa.

A new cooperative called Tindog Tolosa is running a small supermarket. According to Mr. Noe Anthony Palana, president of Tindog Tolosa, the cooperative intends to generate employment through new businesses.  Tindog Tolosa currently has provided 20 boats to fishermen, built 12 two-story houses for beneficiaries. It is also setting its sight to build cold storage facilities for fish and meat products and tourism projects.

Government buildings are also given a facelift through some help overseas such as the Korean government.  Construction for the expansion of Tolosa National High School and a multi-purpose covered basketball court is  on-going. Meanwhile, the Bureau of Fishery  and Aquatic Resources, has approved a Fish Landing Project (a small fish port), but construction has not yet started.

The local government of Tolosa is also scouring for partners for its Hilapad coral reef tourism project at Brgy. Telegrafo, which was spared from Yolanda’s fury, and cold storage facilities.

A small town in Quezon stands tall

A small town in Quezon stands tall

Big things can indeed come in small packages. 

Home to a population size of  less than 100,000 (Pop:  91,000), the Municipality of Lopez in Quezon Province is brimming with big developments.  A first class municipality mainly devoted to agriculture and fishing, its economy is now boosted by its industry and services sectors. 

The town’s sole manufacturing plant—the Philippine Flour Mills in Brgy. Hondagua— imports wheat from the US and Canada and converts it into hard and soft wheat flour for distribution all over the Philippines. 

Moreover, it aspires to be the education capital in southern Quezon and northern Bicol. Already, several state universities have set foot on the town: Polytechnic University of the Philippines (offering accountancy, engineering and nursing courses), Laguna State Polytechnic University (marine and agri-related courses), Philippine Normal University (for teachers), and Technological University of the Philippines (engineering and techno-vocational courses). There is also a a private university, Eastern Tayabas College (offering education courses). 

Non-formal schools such as Mission Care International (courses in caregiving) and ACEBA Systems Technology Institute (computer-related courses) offer sought-after courses. The economic effects of a network of schools are evident. Demand for various goods and services, and hence businesses, usually increases when there is a vibrant environment of schools. 

The signs of fast urbanization are apparent. Owing to the influx of students and travelers, private homes have been converted into boarding houses and dormitories. More and more tricycles are plying the streets, convenience stores and small groceries have mushroomed around schools, and new lodging houses and restaurants cater to travelers bound for Region V (Bicol) and Region VIII (Samar, and Leyte).

Strong consumer demand is evident in new business establishments such as Jollibee, Mercury Drugstore, South Star Drugstore, LBC, and 7-11 Convenience Store. Motorcycle dealers (e.g. Yamaha, Kawasaki) are aplenty to cater to brisk demand for motorbikes. 

Money is not short in circulation with the presence of PNB, LandBank atm, Universal Rural Bank, and Quezon Capital Rural Bank and non-banking institutions  (e.g., Western Union, Cebuna Lhuillier, H. Lhuillier, and LBC Remittance). 

The local government is hopeful that more private investments may well be coming to Lopez with the completion of the 9-km diversion road by middle of 2016. The new road is expected to decongest traffic within the municipality and cut travel time to and from Bicol by almost 30mins.