Roxas: Quake-hit Bohol was never forgotten
Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II hands over to Bohol local government officials, including Governor Edgar Chatto, Vice Governor Concepcion Lim, Tagbilaran City Mayor Baba Yap, the official check of P2.4 billion-worth post-disaster assistance funds. Julliane Love de Jesus/INQUIRER.net
TAGBILARAN CITY, Bohol—The province of Bohol was never forgotten.
This was the assurance of Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as he and Budget Secretary Florencio Abad turned over P2.4 billion worth of disaster assistance fund to Bohol local government eight months after a 7.2-magnitude earthquake brought the island-province to its knees.
“Hinding hindi kayo nakakalimutan ng Pangulo. You were always one of the President and the Cabinet (secretaries)’ priorities,” Roxas said on Friday.
In a press briefing at the Governor’s Mansion in Bohol Capitol with local executives, Roxas clarified that the government had put first immediate needs of Boholañons before it distributed billions-worth of funds to rebuild infrastructures.
Saying it was “unfair” to call the fund distribution to the earthquake-hit province “delayed,” he stressed that the government had “other priorities.”
”We prioritized the people’s shelter, their food, and the restoration of power here,” Roxas said.
More than 200 people died during the 7.2-magnitude quake that hit several towns of Bohol on October 15 last year.
On the orders of President Beningno Aquino III, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) allotted P2,389,499,190 to Bohol local government units (LGUs).
Roxas pointed out that the fund was basically for the reconstruction and rehabilitation of government offices and public infrastructures here.
“If we would look at the calendar, yes, it’s eight months late. But it is unfair to say that the (fund distribution) was delayed because we had other priorities,” Roxas said.
“It was a question of sequencing rather than of just a delay per se,” he added.
In an attempt to simplify his explanation, the Interior Secretary likened the government’s response in Bohol to rushing a badly injured person in a hospital emergency room.
“If the patient suffered lacerations on his stomach and broke his arms at the same time, we would tend to his stomach first,” he said. “Aayusin mo ‘yan kasi mas critical at internal ‘yan.”
Roxas and Abad handed over the check to Bohol Governor Edgar Chatto during the Provincial Congress on Disaster Preparedness organized by the Liga ng mga Barangay-Bohol Chapter at Bohol Cultural Center.
The rehabilitation fund covers the budget for reconstruction of city and municipal buildings at P150,329,500, for public markets at P137,770,800, for civic centers at P149,174,000, for barangay facilities at P288,934,000, for provincial and municipal bridges at P101,710,000 and for waterworks systems at P195,370,000.
More blessings to come
During the turning over of funds before more than 1,000 Bohol local government officials, Abad assured the Bohol LGUs that there would be “more blessings to come.”
“On behalf of the President, we assure you, hindi lang ‘yung biyaya niyo ngayon, marami pa po kayong matatanggap dito sa Bohol (That (P2B) is not the only blessing you will receive, you will receive more here in Bohol),” Abad said.
Part of Abad and Roxas’ Bohol visit was the transfer of P1 million incentive funds for good governance for each of the LGUs in the Visayas province.
Municipalities of Alburquerque, Antequera, Baclayon, Balilihan, Bilar, Buenavista, Calape, Catigbian, Clarin, Corella, Danao, Garcia-Hernandez, Jetafe, Guindulman, Inabanga, Jagna, Lila, Loboc, Loon, Maribojoc, Panglao, Sagbayan, San Miguel, Sevilla, Trinidad and Valencia received the Performance Challenge Fund (PCF).
Under the PCF program of the DILG, provincial governments are entitled to P7 million while cities and municipalities receive P3 million and P1 million, respectively.
The budget secretary also expressed gratitude to Bohol officials, represented by Governor Edgar Chatto and Vice Governor Concepcion Lim, for supporting the Aquino administration.
“We are happy that we, Secretary Roxas and President Aquino, get your cooperation,” Abad said.
Roxas, meanwhile, challenged the local government officials to be true to their promises back when they were wooing voters during the election.
“As front liners especially at times of disaster, I appeal to all of you and challenge you to commit to your promises to the people,” he said.
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