Secretary Panfilo Lacson. KRISTINE SABILLO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines – “We are right on track.”
That was Secretary Panfilo Lacson’s confident announcement on Wednesday as he reported on the government rehabilitation efforts in provinces devastated by Super Typhoon “Yolanda.”
Six months after the tragedy left thousands dead and homeless, the Presidential Assistant for Recovery and Rehabilitation (PARR) said concerned agencies worked well to address the needs of the typhoon survivors.
“Walang malawakang kagutuman na nangyayari. Wala namang epidemya. Wala namang breakdown ng law and order,” Lacson explained.
(There’s no widespread hunger. There’s no epidemic. There’s no breakdown of law and order.)
“Siguro ‘yung mga nagugutom na lamang ‘yung mga tamad dahil, in the first place, ‘yung area na ‘yon talagang historically ito ‘yung one of the poorest if not the poorest region in the country,” he added.
(Perhaps those who experience hunger are the ones who are lazy because, in the first place, that area is historically one of the poorest if not the poorest region in the country.)
Relatively quick
The former senator compared their work with the experience of other countries.
He said it took eight years for areas affected by hurricane “Katrina” in the United States to recover. Eight years also elapsed before Banda Aceh recovered from the devastation of the tsunami that hit Indonesia.
“Haiti, four years after, has yet to see their road to recovery. Tayo six months after marami na pong nangyari doon sa ‘Yolanda’ avenue, and considering the vastness of the area and the extent of devastation ay mukhang hindi naman talaga nahuhuli, at tayo ay sinisikap pa nating mas madaliin pa,” he said.
(Haiti, four years after, has yet to see their road to recovery. After six months, a lot has already happened to areas affected by Yolanda. And considering the vastness of the area and the extent of devastation, it seems we are not that far behind and we’re persevering to further speed up the pace.)
216,966 new houses
Lacson said 216,966 shelters will have to be constructed for the resettlement of affected families who are living in high risk zones.
“Ito ‘yung ina-address ng ating gobyerno. Ang pinakamalaking challenge dito ‘yung resettlement sites. Kulang ang lupa ng gobyerno. Ang na-identify pa lamang natin, out of the 216,966 na housing units na kailangang itayo dahil ito ay talagang nasira, 26,000-plus pa lamang ang pwedeng magkasya doon sa lote na na-identify,” he said.
(This is what the government is trying to address. The biggest challenge here is the resettlement sites. The government land available is insufficient. Out of the 216,966 housing units needed, since those are the number of houses totally destroyed, only 26,000 can be accommodated in the lot initially identified.)
He emphasized that while it is easier to reconstruct, their task is to “build back better.”
Joining Lacson during the Palace press briefing were Social Welfare Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman and Trade Undersecretary Zenaida Cuison-Maglaya.
Soliman said that at present, 3,455 families are in a total of 265 bunkhouses – 20 in Region VI and 245 in Region VIII. Shelter kits, which include reconstruction materials, were given to 10,795 families. Meanwhile, emergency shelter materials, mostly tents and tarpaulins, were made available to 571,206.
Livelihood and business
Soliman reported that the Department of Social Welfare and Development already distributed 3.5 million 3- or 6-kilogram food packs and 713,047 25-kilogram food packs.
Meanwhile, Lacson noted that farmers in Western Samar were able to harvest crops after the distribution of seedlings from the national government..
“Sa Tolosa (Leyte), meron ding 40-hectare vegetable farm na kung saan nakapag-harvest na rin sila. Sa iba’t ibang lugar gumagalaw na ‘yung ekonomiya,” he said.
(In Tolosa, Leyte, there is also a 40-hectare vegetable farm that was also harvested. In other areas, the economy is moving forward.)
A total of “7,367 individuals were provided with cash-for-work [amounting to] P2,534,431,” Soliman said, adding that many of the survivors were involved in food preparation and debris cleaning as part of the program.
Majority of businesses, on the other hand, have recovered. In Region VII, 95 percent of businesses are again operating, including Bantayan Island’s poultry and egg industry,” Maglaya said.
For Region VIII, only 50 percent of small and medium enterprises are able to operate but the number is increasing each week.
Maglaya said many fishermen in Eastern Samar have benefited from the motor engines supplies by the government though Leyte’s retail market has yet to recover. She said 30 to 40 percent of the public markets have reopened.
Challenges
Lacson, however, pointed out several challenges he is facing as rehabilitation czar, including his lack of authority to implement projects.
He said he wanted to do many things and do it fast but “that’s not within my authority to get things done the way it must be done,” as he is limited by his mandate under Memorandum Order no. 62, which created the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.
The former senator also revealed there were two or three fellow secretaries who have been giving him a hard time because they were not coordinating with him.
“Merong mangilan-ngilan na dedma. Parang walang pakialam (There are some who seem apathetic. Like they don’t care),” he said.
He said he will raise the issue with President Benigno Aquino III, though he prefers to resolve the problem within the Cabinet.
Despite these impediments, the rehabilitation process continues, he said.
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