Lacson to encourage private firms to invest in Visayas rehab

Former Sen. Panfilo Lacson. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Newly appointed rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson is looking to tap the private sector in rebuilding more climate-resilient communities in typhoon-ravaged Eastern Visayas as he hoped to avoid delays due to “bureaucratic red tape.”

Handpicked by President Aquino to lead the rehabilitation effort, Lacson, a former senator and police chief, said he would reach out to top Philippine corporations to do their share as part of their respective corporate social responsibility programs.

“The role of the government, my role, is as an enabler, to monitor and oversee, to look at funding gaps that could be filled through other donations,” said Lacson, speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Chinese Embassy reception in Makati City Tuesday night.

“As for the private sector, they will initiate, develop, fund. We’re reaching out to the top private corporations here, because all of them has corporate social responsibility. They are obligated, they have the funds, and that’s privately managed,” said the official.

He said involving the private sector would allow a speedier implementation of the rehabilitation project, and avoid delays usually seen in the disbursement of public funds.

“My reason for that is if we use government funds, puro bureaucratic red tape ang aabutin natin ‘dyan (we will have to deal with bureaucratic red tape), so how fast can I respond to the destruction?” said Lacson.

Malacañang earlier announced a P41-billion outlay for the rehabilitation effort, majority of which would be allocated on building new houses and major infrastructure such as roads, bridges and sea and airports. It would also cover the restoration of livelihood and education systems in typhoon-hit areas, among others.

But Lacson said he would rather not immediately tap this amount, adding that such funding would not be enough.

He said he has received an “overwhelming” response from foreign donors and the private sector soon after his appointment was announced.

“I’m relying more on the private sector as much as possible. I have received overwhelming pledges. [For example, if my appointment] was announced yesterday then this morning it was in the papers. From early morning through the whole day, I got calls from foreign, domestic [donors],” said Lacson.

Still yet to find an office, Lacson said the blueprint for the rehabilitation was already being drafted. He could not give a timeline, however.

“The task is to rehabilitate the whole place but my goal is, it should be one level up. It’s just not restoring, because if you restore to the original, when another typhoon hits the area, this will happen again,” said Lacson.

He said rebuilding houses would involve both relocation and improving building design, particularly moving homes and other structures farther from the coastline.

“It’s not just relocation. But based on the building code, we must improve the building design, [do] rezoning. According to those who are knowledgeable, the experts, [houses] should be 40 meters up from the coastline,” said Lacson.

He continued: “Houses should have a floodline allowance of about four meters. So houses or whatever that is will be at least two stories and the ground floor is vacant… That’s your allowance for the water [in case it reaches the place].”

The Philippine government has received P531 million of the roughly P22 billion in foreign aid pledges as of Wednesday (Dec. 4), according to Malacañang’s Foreign Aid Transparency Hub (FAiTH).

This amount includes initial pledges for reconstruction, particularly a $20-million (P875.14 million) official development assistance from South Korea for rehabilitation efforts from 2014 to 2016.

Other countries, including the United Kingdom, the United States and China, have expressed the intent to provide long-haul aid for the country as rebuilding efforts begin.

China, in particular, has offered to share its experience in rebuilding Sichuan province in Western China, an area hit by a 7.9- magnitude quake in 2008. From the rubble, the province was completely rebuilt after three years.

“They’re willing to help. There are NGOs (non-government organizations) they can tap to help,” Lacson said.

The United Nations is also set to issue a renewed flash appeal for aid this month, expected to raise its call for $348-million in funding for continuing relief and recovery efforts across the country.

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