Electronic scoreboard urged for ‘Yolanda’ rehab progress

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines—Senator Alan Peter Cayetano asked the national government to come up with an “electronic scoreboard” to identify the progress of work conducted in areas hit by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.”

He said he was surprised to find out that local officials did not know that Malacañang had already ordered the repair of damaged structures in their area.

“If you recall, more than 300 structures were approved for repair by the government. But until now, whenever I talked to the mayors about it, they don’t know how to respond,” Cayetano said in an interview during his visit to Tacloban on Friday.

Budget Secretary Butch Abad earlier said more than P32 billion had been released by the government for the rehabilitation of areas hit by Yolanda, the  strongest typhoon to make landfall in recent history.

Cayetano, however, said the local officials and the people didn’t know how the money was spent.

He said that the people can follow the progress of the rehabilitation work and where the money is going through an electronic scoreboard on the Internet.

Cayetano said the Aquino government had been transparent on the funds received from foreign countries for Yolanda victims.

“People don’t know, so I ask for more transparency,” Cayetano said.