Govt, private sector sign joint disaster recovery pact

The government, the Church and the private sector on Friday sign the three-way agreement for joint disaster recovery and reconstruction effort to address the massive task of rebuilding on the damage left by killer typhoons in the country.

Finance Secretary Margarito, co-chairman of the newly formed Public-Private Reconstruction Commission, Manny Pangilinan of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF) and Cebu Archbishop Ricardo Cardinal Vidal signed the cooperation agreement for harmonized efforts to rehabilitate the areas affected by twin typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng.

“This could be the most important partnership we have ever forged with the private sector in response to the massive task of rebuilding our country after these storms,” Teves said at the memorandum of agreement signing.

For his part, Pangilinan said, “Together, we must ensure that the legacy of a terrible storm is a country that is safer and better prepared for the challenges that are sure to come,”

The government has entered into a cooperation agreement with the PDRF in response to Executive Order 838, which created the Public-Private Reconstruction Commission that will study the causes, costs and actions to be taken in the wake of typhoons Ondoy, Pepeng and Frank.

President Gloria Arroyo created the Public Commission with the secretary of Finance as head and the secretaries supervising the National Disaster Coordinating Council, Department of Social Welfare and Development and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council as members.

Besides rehabilitation and rebuilding, the key tasks of the commission include tapping the resources of the private sector in formulating and implementing the government’s reconstruction strategy.

The commission will also serve as a clearing house for international assistance implemented by donors themselves using the cluster approach.

The officials assured the public that the commission would be transparent in all its activities.

“There will be a weekly meeting among members of the commission and disclosures. The commission will be registered with the Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission,” Teves said.

The length of the foundation, according to Teves, is recommendatory in nature and divided into relief, early recovery and long-term reconstruction stages.

He said, “Relief probably would last anywhere from today to three months, early recovery stage anywhere between three months and six months and reconstruction more than six months. It is a long-term effort to be undertaken by this administration or by the next administration. And that can be determine after the post-disaster assessment report and recommendation in the next three to four weeks.”

In a related development, the Department of Finance said on Thursday that the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) that will determine the extent of damage and loss caused by twin typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng is in the works.

In a joint statement, the government, World Bank, Asian Development Bank and other development partners said the PDNA covers economic and social impacts of the disasters on production and infrastructure, the extent of damage among vulnerable groups as well as calamity preparedness and mitigation.

The ADB and the WB earlier said they were amenable to re-channeling existing loans to the Philippines’ post-typhoon rehabilitation effort apart from issuing reconstruction bonds.

The world’s biggest lenders have quoted an amount of $280 million, but said “they are fine-tuning which among these pre-approved loans could be re-channeled for the purpose.”

The World Bank was willing to extend $200 million, while the ADB was lending $80 million. –Lailany P. Gomez, Reporter, Manila Times