DILG completes repair of 308 facilities in ‘Yolanda’ stricken regions  

MANILA, Philippines – Nearly three million households will benefit from the repaired municipal facilities damaged or destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said on Wednesday.

Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said the 308 facilities, repaired for P1.278 billion, were covered by the DILG’s first batch of Recovery Assistance for Yolanda (RAY) program.

The repaired / refurbished facilities include 98 civic centers, 103 municipal halls, 106 public markets and one DILG regional field office.

“With the completed municipal facilities, we are very optimistic that our new sets of municipal leaders in the Yolanda-affected areas can now provide normal government services to their constituents,” Año said in a statement.

Año said the repaired public markets will also further spur the economies of concerned local government units.

Año said RAY Batch 1 covers the rehabilitation of damaged municipal facilities to improve government services and economic activities in Yolanda-hit areas in Central, Western and Eastern Visayas, Bicol and Mimaropa regions.

Of the 308 completed projects, seven are in the Mimaropa region, one in the Bicol region, 127 in Western Visayas, 28 in Central Visayas and 145 in Eastern Visayas.

Año also clarified that the DILG is involved in housing programs for “Yolanda” victims and survivors. /gsg