Still no funds for repair of 33 schools damaged by Yolanda

By: Dona Z. Pazzibugan - 11 years ago

INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—With classes about to resume in a few weeks’ time, 33 state universities and colleges (SUCs) damaged by supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) last November are still waiting for promised funds for rehabilitation.

The Department of Budget and Management has yet to release some P830 million needed for repairs in 26 state universities and colleges (SUCs) in the four regions battered by arguably the strongest recorded typhoon to hit the country.

The 26 SUCs, through the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd), submitted their fund request last March after the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) gave its official damage assessment.

DPWH placed the infrastructure damage sustained by these 26 SUCs at P826.5 million, about half the P1.5 billion damage reported by the schools themselves.

By the DPWH’s official assessment, the 10 most heavily damaged SUCs were Eastern Samar State University in Borongan, Eastern Samar with P217.7 million worth of damage; Eastern Visayas State University in Ormoc City, P125 million; Visayas State University in Baybay City, P113.8 million; Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College in Estancia, Iloilo, P94 million; Capiz State University in Roxas City, P76.9 million; University of the Philippines campus in Palo, Leyte, P26.6 million; Romblon State University in Odiongan, Romblon, P23.6 million; Palompon Institute of Technology in Palompon, Leyte, P21.8 million; University of Antique in Sibalom, Antique, P20 million; and Aklan State University in Banga, Aklan, P18.4 million.

The infrastructure damage report did not include an assessment of damaged equipment and other learning materials.

Aside from these 26, seven other SUCs affected by the supertyphoon are waiting for DPWH engineers to complete their second round of validation.

Meanwhile 20 private colleges and universities reported sustaining damage amounting to P1.05 billion.

At a recent hearing, senators learned that only about P4 billion of the huge rehabilitation fund have been disbursed to the affected areas seven months later.

According to CHEd officials, they submitted the fund request to DBM last March hoping the schools can do major repairs during the summer break before classes resume in June.

After getting no reply for two months, CHEd officially followed up the request on May 6 but was told that DBM was waiting for “guidelines” for the fund release.

The other SUCs with validated damage reports are Oriental Mindoro State University which sustained damage worth P6.6 million; Occidental Mindoro State University, P1.5 million; Palawan State University, P241,110; and Western Philippines University, P2.1 million all in Mimaropa (Region 4B);

Iloilo State College of Fisheries, P16.7 million; Northern Iloilo Polytechnic State College, P94 million; Western Visayas College for Science and Technology, P5.1 million; Guimaras State College, P1.5 million; Technological University of the Philippines, P773,685 all in Western Visayas (Region 6);

Cebu Normal University Main Campus and Medellin Campus, P1.2 million; Cebu Technological University Main Campus and Daanbantayan Campus, P14.3 million both in Central Visayas (Region 7);

University of the Philippines Tacloban campus, P13 million; Southern Leyte State University, P6.6 million; University of Eastern Philippines, P4.7 million; Northwest Samar State University, P233,808; Samar State University, P1.2 million; and Naval State University, P12.1 million all in Eastern Visayas (Region 8).

The seven other Yolanda-damaged SUCs waiting for DPWH assessment are the Marinduque State College, Central Bicol State University, Partido State University, Dr. Emilio B. Espinosa Sr. Memorial State College of Agriculture and Technology, Catanduanes State University, Sorsogon State College and Leyte Normal University.

Meanwhile, 18 other SUCs that were damaged by typhoons last year are also waiting for validation visits by DPWH engineers.

Among private colleges and universities, the biggest damage report came from STI College of Ormoc, which reported sustaining damage amounting to P250 million; Saint Peter’s College of Ormoc, P200 million; JE Mondejar Computer College, P200 million; and Asian Development Foundation College, P100 million.