Escudero seeks special audit of ‘Yolanda’ funds

Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero. RYAN LEAGOGO/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO

Sen. Francis Escudero on Thursday called for a special audit of all funds that had been used for relief, recovery and rehabilitation efforts in communities affected by Supertyphoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) two years ago.

The Commission on Audit (COA) can conduct a sectoral audit as the recovery effort involves different national agencies, he said in a statement.

“More than half of the required funding has been released but we have yet to see the results of the projects, programs and activities  supposedly funded by this amount,” said Escudero, a vice presidential candidate in the national elections next year.

Not even halfway

The government has released P89 billion of the P167.8 billion needed for the Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan prepared by the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.

“From the looks of things, we’re not even halfway through with rehabilitation two years after Yolanda,” he said.

Escudero, who visited Tacloban City last month, pointed out that thousands were still living in transitional houses and waiting for livelihood assistance from the government two years after Yolanda struck.

“If the P89 billion has been released but the situation has not improved for many families, then something must be wrong somewhere,” he said.

Short of target

Citing government reports, Escudero said that in 2014, the government targeted the repair of 278 health facilities and 6,624 classrooms but only one rural health unit and 860 classrooms were fixed. Of the 1,982 classrooms planned for construction in the same year, only 101 were completed.

Of the target 1,129.6 linear meters of bridges that required repair and rehabilitation, only 158.5 meters were fixed, while 26 km of the target 56.7 km of roads were repaired.

Some 2,100 permanent housing units out of the 3,000 target units were built in 2014.

According to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM), the money for Yolanda rehabilitation came from several sources: the 2012 and 2013 Calamity Fund; 2013 and 2014 regular budget of agencies; 2014 and 2015 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund; 2014 and 2015 Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program; 2014 supplemental appropriations; and 2013 and 2015 unprogrammed funds.

Funding shortfalls

The P89 billion was given to local government units, state colleges and universities and 26 implementing agencies.

The DBM said some funds for Yolanda aid were being used to “support rehabilitation efforts in other disaster-affected areas, such as those stricken by the Bohol earthquake and other typhoons.”

A United Nations special rapporteur who visited the Philippines in July expressed concern that “funding shortfalls and political challenges, including inadequate cooperation between national and local governments, are delaying processes toward achieving durable solutions.”