No truth to slow ‘Yolanda’ rehab work, says Lacson
Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacsons signs a Memorandum Of Agreement for the rehabilitation of typhoon-devastated Visayas. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines—Rehabilitation czar Panfilo Lacson on Saturday defended the government against critics who said that the administration was not doing anything to fast track the rehabilitation in typhoon-devastated Visayas.
“Do not believe these nasty rumors that the government is not doing anything,” Lacson said.
“So many things have already happened and many things are happening,” he added.
Lacson made the statement during the signing of three memoranda of agreement (MOA) for the rehabilitation and disaster preparedness of areas devastated by super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan).
The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (Oparr) signed a MOA with Future Farms Group (FFG), Meteo Group (Meteo) and
Microdata System Management, Inc. (Microdata).
FFG is a communications equipment dealer which would provide the use of four mobile trunked broadband systems that will link Oparr to the “Yolanda”-devastated areas in order to monitor live activities related to rehabilitation and recovery.
Meanwhile, weather forecasting group Meteo will collaborate with Oparr to link a weather tracking system to its website. This alert map will be posted in Oparr’s website to provide more detailed weather forecasts, weather warnings and weather station measurements to the public.
Microdata, on the other hand, will allow the use of an Incident and Event Management System (IEMS) that will effectively raise the alarm for any type of emergency.
“We are heeding the message of the president to build back better that is why we are partnering with these companies,” Lacson said.
According to Lacson, the partnership would also ensure transparency in monitoring government projects.
He assured that the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has enough budget for the rehabilitation plans of the government.
“According to DBM, there is money,” he said, citing P104 billion would be needed for the implementation of the comprehensive rehabilitation plan to rebuild the Visayas.
He said a signing of rehabilitation plan from local government units would be on May 30 and would then be presented to President Benigno Aquino III for approval.
He said the implementation of the rehabilitation plan would start on June 15 or early July.
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