BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – The massive infusion of government resources for the rehabilitation of cities and municipalities hit by super typhoon “Yolanda” is now in the pipeline, announced former senator and now Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Panfilo “Ping” Lacson.
Lacson, together with provincial officials of Iloilo headed by Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr., led the formal turnover of housing units to typhoon victims in Brgy. Jolog, Estancia town yesterday.
One to two weeks from now, Lacson said, the national government will start implementing a massive rehabilitation of 171 typhoon-hit cities and municipalities.
He said four areas in the Visayas – Cebu, Leyte, Western Samar and Tacloban City – will be the first to get rehabilitation fund since they were the first to submit rehabilitation plans.
The said plans had already been presented to the Cabinet and will be submitted to President Benigno Aquino III next week for approval.
Based on Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA), the rehabilitation czar disclosed, the government had allotted a total of P104.644 billion for distribution to 171 typhoon-hit areas or the so-called “Yolanda corridor.”
Iloilo, Negros Occidental and Aklan have already submitted their rehabilitation plans but the Cabinet has yet to go over them.
Lacson explained that rehabilitation plans have to go through a Cabinet review to reconcile discrepancies in figures.
BIG CHUNK FOR WV
Of the total P104. 644 billion rehabilitation fund, Lacson said Western Visayas will get a big chunk.
Without mentioning the exact amount, Lacson said Region 6 was also greatly devastated by the super typhoon, thus deserving of big aid.
Initially, according to Lacson, the government had poured resources to local government units (LGUs) to start up rehabilitation.
He cited the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) which infused funds to LGUs for the repair of town halls, civic, centers, public markets and among others.
He added that the National Housing Authority (NHA) had turned over shelters to typhoon victims; and that the Department of Education had also received funds for the rehab of some destroyed schools.
Meanwhile, if he were to gauge by inspection, Lacson said the Yolanda corridor is at least 25 percent rehabilitated.
He attributed this to the joint efforts of the private sector and the national government.
One fine example, according to him, is Ayala Land Inc. which built housing units in Estancia for the typhoon victims of Sicogon Island in Concepcon town./PN
