Noy finally approves P167.9-B Yolanda rehab plan

MANILA, Philippines – President Aquino approved on Wednesday the P167.9-billion Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP), solidifying the government’s commitment to rebuild areas in Eastern Visayas devastated by Super Typhoon Yolanda last year.

In a statement, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said yesterday the CRRP was recommended by former senator Panfilo Lacson, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, and endorsed by the National Economic and Development Authority.

The 8,000-page CRRP outlines the government’s commitment to implement over 25,000 specific rehabilitation and recovery plans and programs and activities.

Coloma said the plan was envisioned to facilitate the recovery of the 171 affected cities and municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions known as the “Yolanda corridor,” based on the “build-back-better” principle.

The recovery plan focuses on long-term and sustainable efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen the capacities of communities to cope with future hazard events, he added.

The rebuilding efforts require a total amount of P167.9 billion aimed at restoring infrastructure, settlements and basic community facilities, livelihood and the resilience of vulnerable communities, Coloma said.

The P167.9 billion is broken down into P35.1 billion for infrastructure; P26.4 billion for social services; P75.7 billion for resettlement; and P30.6 billion for livelihood.

According to the Office of the Executive Secretary, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released P51.98 billion from November 2013 to the present, sourced from the national budget as authorized by the General Appropriations Act for the rehabilitation plan.

One of the main challenges in rehabilitating Yolanda-affected areas is the identification of lands where the National Housing Authority can build permanent residences for the survivors.

“We have the funds for that. Again, the issue here is always on the local government side. They have to identify the land where to build all these permanent housing structures. Again, because of the storm surge issue affecting that area, we have to make sure that they will not be hit and also to make sure also that the housing structures can withstand a Yolanda-strength typhoon,” presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda said in a press briefing.

Lacson earlier said the government was aiming to complete about 85 to 90 percent of the rehabilitation of areas devastated by the typhoon before the end of President Aquino’s term in 2016.

Lacson said construction activities in Eastern Visayas cities and towns damaged by Yolanda were expected to scale up based on the master plan that the President would approve.

He said a total of 18,400 rehabilitation projects are being undertaken in the devastated areas with the recommended budget of P167 billion.

He assured the people that the budget could be monitored through the website his office created to promote transparency and monitoring of all the projects in the Yolanda-stricken areas.

President Aquino tapped Lacson to “act as the over-all manager and coordinator of rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction efforts of government departments, agencies and instrumentalities” in Yolanda-hit areas including Samar, Leyte, Negros, Cebu, Bohol, Capiz, Aklan, Antique, Iloilo and Palawan.

Last week, Aquino said the master plan in a general aspect had been approved but “I want to deliver everything that has to be delivered as quickly as possible” and thus he asked for specifics – the time frame of a project to be undertaken, the beneficiaries and the costing. –-Aurea Calica (The Philippine Star) with Mayen Jaymalin, Cecille Suerte Felipe