Italy, US vow to continue help to rebuild Tacloban

TACLOBAN CITY—The government of Italy has allocated $3 million for the construction of permanent shelters and livelihood for survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

Rosario Centola of the Italian Embassy, who visited Tacloban City and Tanauan town last week to assess the condition of the two areas severely damaged by Yolanda, conferred with local government officials on where to construct the permanent houses they intend to donate.

“What we want is to build something that will last. So we’re trying to find, together with the mayors of Tacloban and Tanauan, an area suitable for shelters,” Centola said.

Meanwhile, the United States will continue to provide assistance to the Philippines to rebuild areas hit by Yolanda, according to Denise Rollins, United States Agency for International Development (USAID) acting assistant administrator for Asia, during her visit to Tacloban last Monday.

During the launching of the USAID Rebuild, Rollins said the US-funded reconstruction and recovery program would “provide access to schools and health facilities, and help through newly constructed buildings and livelihood.”

Size

Centola could not say how many houses his government would donate but estimated that these could be in the hundreds. The house, which would measure 56 square meters is a two-story unit, he said.

The construction of these permanent shelters would immediately start once the local government finds the area, as he stressed that the work should be completed before the year ends.

“We have to have the commitment from the local governments on the development of the land. We would prefer to have partners like the local governments developing the land and providing water and power, and the Italian government to build the permanent shelters,” Centola said.

The Italian government also plans to provide help to fishermen by giving pump boats.

Rollins, in her launching speech, said eight classrooms would be constructed at the San Fernando Elementary School at a cost of P21 million.

She added that 165 classrooms and 10 health facilities would be constructed under Rebuild. Thirty “critical infrastructures” supporting agriculture and fisheries, including public markets, boat landings, trading centers, warehouses and grain dryers will be built, and planting and aquaculture materials distributed in Tacloban and Leyte.

She also announced that the program would benefit 1,000 sari-sari store owners in Tacloban.

With the Rebuild Program, the US government’s total financial assistance to the Philippines has now reached $142.5 million, Rollins said. It earlier provided $87.7 million in assistance to the country.

Secretary Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery, and Leyte Gov. Leopoldo Dominico Petilla and Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, who were also around during the program’s launching, expressed their gratitude for the continued support of the US and Italian governments to the country.