Palace: Yolanda rehab on time despite unsigned master plan

By: Kristine Angeli Sabillo - 10 years ago

MANILA, Philippine—An unsigned rehabilitation master plan shouldn’t be a cause of worry for the public since rehabilitation of areas hit by Super Typhoon “Yolanda” is still on track.

“Linawin lang natin: Hindi nabalam; hindi naantala; hindi nahadlangan ‘yung pagbibigay ng kalinga, ‘yung pagpapatupad ng mga proyektong puwede nang ipatupad,” Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. told Palace reporters on Tuesday.

THE DESIRE to rise from the destruction wrought by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” manifests itself in the form of makeshift homes that have been built around a ship that was swept inland by storm surges in Anibong, Tacloban City. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

(Let’s just clarify: the care for typhoon victims, the projects that could already be implemented weren’t delayed or hindered.)

“Sabi nga ng Pangulo nais lang niyang matunghayan ‘yung mas detalyadong timetable para makapagbigay na ng go signal sa lahat ng ‘yan,” he added.

(As the President said, he just wants to see the detailed timetable so he can give a go signal for everything that needs to be done.)

During his visit to Leyte on Monday, President Benigno Aquino III revealed that he is only waiting for a detailed timetable before he signs the rehabilitation master plan submitted by Secretary Panfilo Lacson last August.

Coloma said more than a hundred out of the 171 affected local government units have already submitted their post disaster needs assessment, which is required for the finalization of the master plan.

“You will understand how painstaking it is because 171 LGUs were affected; and each of them is striving to complete their post disaster needs assessment, which is a first in the history of the country,” he explained.

He said the plan itself is 8,000 pages long, divided into eight volumes.

Nevertheless, he said that each of the five clusters – infrastructure, resettlement, social services, livelihood, and support – is already being addressed by the government. He pointed out that rehabilitation of the affected areas started in July, which was four months earlier compared to other countries devastated by natural disasters.