Officer-in-Charge Director Elizabeth P. Pilorin, Stakeholders Relations Services of the Department of Public Works and Highways shows the perspective of the construction of bunkhouses in Tacloban City, Palo, Leyte, Basey and Marabut in Samar as temporary shelter for the families affected by typhoon Yolanda at the agency head office in Manila on Tuesday. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Malacañang has assured the survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” that the administration remains focused on the rehabilitation efforts that the typhoon devastated, a statement said.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said that they expect the government’s rehabilitation fund to increase through the passage of the supplemental budget amounting to P14.6 billion and the expected approval of the 2014 national budget.
Coloma said that the government is rushing the construction of 159 bunkhouses that could accommodate 3,816 families in Tacloban and different towns in Leyte and Samar before Christmas.
He added that Secretary Rogelio Singson, Department Works and Highways Secretary, reported to President Benigno Aquino III that all damaged bridges after the Bohol earthquake have been repaired.
Remembering ‘Pablo’
The Communications secretary added that the government are also addressing the needs of the residents in Compostela Valley, Surigao del Sur, and Davao Oriental that typhoon “Pablo” devastated December last year.
“The National Housing Authority and the DPWH are the two agencies under Task Force Pablo focused on the rehabilitation,” Coloma said in a radio interview. “President Aquino tasked Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras to take charge of Task Force Pablo to make sure that the concerned departments are working together to speed up the rehabilitation.”
The government allotted P10.53 billion for rehabilitation efforts for typhoon “Pablo” with P8.49 billion allocated for housing projects of the NHA and P1.1 billion for the projects of DPWH.
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