Former senator and now rehab czar Panfilo Lacson was guest of honor and keynote speaker at the PMA Alumni Homecoming on Saturday, Feb. 15. / FRANCES MANGOSING/INQUIRER.net
BAGUIO CITY, Philippines — Presidential Assistant on Rehabilitation and Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson said they won’t wait for the National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council to finish its post-disaster assessment to start rehabilitation in areas affected by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan).
“I was told that the assessment will be finished by March, so I told the President (Benigno Aquino III) in one of our Cabinet meetings that we cannot wait that long, especially the people, the survivors cannot wait that long because they continue to suffer,” he told reporters after the Alumni Homecoming at the Philippine Military Academy on Saturday.
He added that they went down to local government units and if they have a ready rehabilitation plan then they would use it “of course with proper consultation agencies.”
“In fact, next week we have scheduled ground breaking ceremonies in the houses and schools we will put up, as well as buildings for livelihood programs,” he said.
On Feb. 16 will be the 100th day since Yolanda hit the Central Philippines last Nov. 8. It is one of the strongest storms to hit land in world record in recent history. It killed about 6,000 people based on government records.
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