By BOY RYAN B. ZABAL
KALIBO, Aklan — The P8-billion rehabilitation plan for Aklan municipalities that super typhoon “Yolanda” devastated is now in the hands of the national government.
It is part of the P170.9-billion Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP), said Engr. Roger Esto, provincial planning and development coordinator.
CRRP aims to rebuild damaged infrastructures, resettlements, livelihood, local facilities, and social services in the provinces.
Aklan is one of the 14 provinces in Visayas heavily affected by the super typhoon in November last year.
“Yolanda” killed 14 people and injured 572, and damaged some P2.811 billion worth of infrastructure and agricultural products.
Included in the recovery plan that Aklan submitted to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) on July 21 covered the reconstruction of bridges, classrooms, roads, and flood control facilities, rechanneling of river systems, and replacement of agricultural facilities, Esto said.
After the super typhoon, the province held a post-disaster needs assessment and prepared a rehabilitation plan with the help of OPARR’s technical staff.
Of the P170.9-billion CRRP, the national government will use P137 billion this year, while the remaining amount will be divided to 2015 and 2016.
On August 1, OPARR chief Panfilo Lacson submitted the comprehensive rehabilitation master plan for all “Yolanda”-hit communities to President Benigno Aquino III.
Aquino earlier announced in his State of the Nation Address that he has already approved the P96-billion rehabilitation blueprints for “Yolanda”-ravaged Tacloban City, Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Iloilo, and Eastern Samar.
The President approved in principle in May the post-“Yolanda” rehabilitation plan but asked the Cabinet to fine-tune some items of the plan aimed to help the typhoon victims recover from the tragedy. (With reports from Aklan Forum Journal/PN)
