Metro Manila rehabilitation to take years

MANILA, Philippines – Malacañang believes the rehabilitation of Metro Manila and nearby provinces will take several years and billions of pesos.

Presidential economic spokesman Gary Olivar said the size of the problem is of national concern as displaced families from calamity-hit areas and those living in flood-prone areas must be permanently relocated.

“Clearly there’s an immediate need to resettle people displaced from their homes and at the same time if you bring them back to places they should not be in because they could be hit by new calamities, then we’re not doing them any good either in the long term,” he said.

“We need to help them in the long term… and it will take time to build up this kind of living arrangements, so there is a period of dislocation and we don’t know how long that will take.”

Deputy presidential spokesman Anthony Golez said local governments must also come up with their own long-term rehabilitation plans that would take into account future disasters.

Most local officials have now been provided with hazard maps, he added.

Golez said permanent relocation is not just a matter of finding a place for displaced families.

The relocation sites must be checked thoroughly to ensure that they are not flood-prone or at risk to other calamities, he added.

Golez said those relocated, especially the poor, must also be given some form of economic opportunities to allow them to rebuild their lives.

Re-zoning, amending building and safety codes, and urban planning would take a lot of time and billions of pesos to implement, he added.

Golez said these things cannot be solved overnight.

“Depending on what the LGUs can submit, we can say a lot will be accomplished before the President’s term ends but if you talk about the permanent measures, that will take time (and) should continue in the next administrations,” he said.

Flood control projects, dredging, construction of dikes, and bridges alone could cost “tens of billions of pesos or more,” Golez said.

Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita said yesterday President Arroyo wants Congress to allocate a P10-billion supplemental budget for the victims of tropical storm “Ondoy.”

Speaking at a Senate hearing, Ermita said Mrs. Arroyo might call for a special session of Congress if lawmakers will not be able to pass it before they go on recess next week.

“Of course, we will have to do that with our allies as usual. With (House) Speaker (Prospero) Nograles,” he said.

“Like what you said, we might need to call for a special session. There’s always a way. Our procedure in lawmaking, not only budget, always has a way of trying to remedy certain situations when there is time lacking and therefore as you said the President may call for special session.”

Ermita said he had transmitted Mrs. Arroyo’s desire for the supplemental budget to the Senate and House of Representatives.

“No original budget was approved yet,” he said.

“Before they approve original submission, the President was able to submit her request for P10 billion supplemental budget.”

Ermita said he would seek advice from the presidential legal counsel and legislative liaison officers if Congress would need a certification from the President that the measure was urgent.

“I think all members of Congress are aware of the devastation caused by Ondoy,” he said.

“So (the certification will only be) procedural but if needed, it would not be difficult (to do) if that is necessary.”

Golez said Malacañang is studying whether to totally lift the declaration of a nationwide state of calamity.

“Because disaster management is a very technical field whereby it would need criteria in order to lift such a issuance,” he said.

Golez said Mrs. Arroyo is taking into consideration the recommendation of Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. to make a selective lifting of her declaration.

“Of course we cannot fast-track the recommendation from the NDCC because we need to be specific and at the same time thorough in our recommendations,” he said.

Golez said more than 45,000 barangays, 1,500 cities and municipalities, and 70 provinces have disaster coordinating councils.

“So they must be consulted because they would need to use their calamity fund if they are badly hit so they (NDCC) need to be thorough and specific,” he said.

Olivar said the declaration of a nationwide state of calamity was aimed at controlling prices, especially of basic goods.

“If the declaration of the state of calamity is nationwide, you cannot arbitrage, if you will, on the tragedy and misfortune of others and therefore they (traders and businessmen) are subject to the discipline that is intended to help the victims who need price protection,” he said.

Topographical re-engineering

Defense Secretary and National Disaster Gilberto Teodoro Jr. wants local governments to make a topographical re-engineering of areas within their territories before granting permits for residential subdivisions.

“Who would think that this thing would happen at Provident Village and in other upscale residential areas hit hard by the flooding,” he said.

The National Disaster Coordinating Council chairman said areas prone to landslides and flood should declared as danger zones and excluded from the development plans of local governments.

They should take advantage of the present situation to assess their plans for development, he added.

Permanent bathrooms for evacuees

The Department of Public Works and Highways plans to construct permanent bathrooms for evacuees in Metro Manila, Central Luzon and Rizal province.

Public Works Undersecretary Rafael Yabut said the bathrooms would remain in use in evacuation centers after the evacuees have returned home.

“There is a need to provide additional toilets and bathrooms in the evacuation centers because of the influx of people who have taken temporary shelter in these areas and we are concerned with the sanitation of these areas,” he said.

Yabut said it would only take three days for the DPWH to build the cost effective bathrooms.

“The walls and the ceiling would be made of galvanized iron sheets, the septic tank and the flooring would be made of cement and that they would install porcelain toilets,” he said.

“We also have empty drums wherein we can store clean water for the people to use. The DPWH district offices would also be assigned to refill the water in the morning and in the afternoon everyday.

“But it would be the people in the evacuation centers who would handle the maintenance of these toilets and bathrooms.”

Meanwhile, the National Constructors Association of the Philippines is willing to waive its 15 percent fee in repairing roads, bridges, dikes, and school buildings damaged by tropical storm Ondoy and typhoon “Pepeng.”

NACAP is made up of 10,000 small and medium contractors from all over the country.

Troops ready for rescue mission

Troops in Northern Luzon are ready for rescue missions in Pangasinan, Ilocos Norte, Cagayan and Benguet provinces in case Pepeng brings heavy rains.

Maj. Rosendo Armas, Armed Forces Northern Luzon Command spokesman, said in a phone interview that they have pre-positioned their disaster response units and have received reports that flooded roads leading to Lingayen are impassable to light vehicles.

“Our disaster rescue and response units have been alerted and are now coordinating with local disaster authorities for their actions,” he said.

Armas said that they have also pre-positioned troops and vehicles, mostly six by six trucks to Baguio City for possible landslides.

In Cagayan, rains have started pounding the province, although the local governments have already evacuated residents, he added.

Residents evacuated in Marikina

In Metro Manila, Marikina Mayor Fernando ordered the evacuation of residents from low lying areas and the riverbanks in case the volume of water rises along the Marikina River.

Malabon Mayor Tito Oreta has deployed military trucks, troops and placed a rescue team on standby,

In Caloocan City, Mayor Enrico Echiverri set up a tactical operation center and conducted comprehensive risk assessment of residential structures.

In Pasay City, the Department of Social Welfare and Development has established a National Resource Operations Center as drop off point for relief goods.

Police and military forces in Metro Manila are also on alert and ready for missions to rescue and evacuate residents and maintain peace and order.  –-Paolo Romero (The Philippine Star) with Jaime Laude, Evelyn Macairan, Aurea Calica, James Mananghaya, Marvin Sy