Lack of ‘power’ frustrates Ping

CEBU, Philippines - “I don’t have implementation authority, I don’t have budget, three consultants under government payroll, no capital outlay, no MOOE (Maintenance and Other Operating Expenses), and probably the only czar of its kind. A superman, if you will, without power.”

This was what former senator Panfilo Lacson, the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR), said during a turnover ceremony of classrooms to four Yolanda-hit towns in northern Cebu yesterday.

Lacson admitted that “frustrations” keep on building up while handling the role as rehabilitation czar. He pointed out the mandate of his office that is very limited, thus, hampering him from performing better.

“I must now confess. This is the only job I ever had that every single day of my life, I am thinking of resigning,” he said.

Memorandum Order 62 provides that PARR will be the overall manager and coordinator of rehabilitation, recovery, and reconstruction efforts of government departments, agencies, and instrumentalities in the areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda on November 8 last year.

“God knows I want to do better and accomplish more and I am certain that I could have done better and accomplish more,” he added.

He, however, recognized the private sector and non-governmental organizations that motivated him to work despite the limitation of his power and assisted in all rehabilitation efforts in the affected areas.

“We still do whatever limitations and restrictions… My main existence is just on coordinating with the national government agencies but you know we must learn how to improvise,” he said.

Lacson also gave updates on the rehabilitation efforts for the affected areas, saying the Department of Budget and Management has released P50 billion, so far, to fund the rehabilitation effort in all Yolanda-hit provinces in the country.

He said P39 billion has been front-loaded to different national agencies while another P11 billion has just been released on Monday to the National Housing Authority for its housing project.

He, however, said the full rehabilitation could not yet be achieved due to lack of funds considering that it would still need around P120 billion.

Cebu Province still needs around P7 billion for its P12-billion rehabilitation and recovery plan.

Lacson also said the P260 million would-be “savings” of the National Treasury has been seen as solution to address the funding for Yolanda rehabilitation. But he added this could not be declared as saving yet in adherence to the ruling of the Supreme Court that declares the creation of savings prior to the end of the fiscal year and the withdrawal of these funds for implementing agencies as “unconstitutional”.

“We can see light at the end of the tunnel. Basta’t ma-declare na saving ‘yon puedeng ibuhos sa Yolanda rehabilitation and other projects. Ang kailangan na lang sa Yolanda is mga P120 billion na lang. We are hoping na mapadali ‘yung pag-declare ng savings natin,” he said.

Meanwhile, around 11,300 students will now have a normal environment again after RAFI formally turned over yesterday 229 classrooms and day-care centers to the Yolanda-battered towns of Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe.

RAFI, in partnership with the Department of Education and the local government units, was able to repair 95 classrooms and eight day-care centers in Daanbantayan, 67 classrooms and four day-care centers in Bantayan, 42 classrooms and eight day-care centers in Madridejos, and five classrooms in Santa Fe. This is part of its School Rehabilitation Program.

The new classrooms were built and designed to be more disaster-resilient, said Anthony Dignadice, executive director of the RAFI Education Development Unit.

He added the school building design of RAFI includes stronger columns and beams, improved sloping, elevated roofing, lavatory and water closet per classroom, roof insulation and natural ventilation, two solid panel doors and jalousie windows per classroom, concaved blackboards, and two ceiling fans per classroom.

The project cost P218.95 million. Of the amount, P27.55 million was given by RAFI’s local and international partners, namely the International Rescue Committee, American Jewish Joint Distribution Committee, She Entrepreneurs Organization, Let’s Help Philippines, Christ Leather Foundation, Pesch Family, Calligaro-Mueller Family, Sacred Heart School-Alumni 85, Portraits Artists Society of the Philippines, Art Association of the Philippines, St. Clare’s Foundation and St. Clare’s Hospital.

The construction and repair of Santa Fe’s classrooms totaling P4.5 million was funded in partnership with the League of Municipalities of the Philippines-Cebu, which provided the “skilled workers” and equipment, while the International Labor Organization took charge for “non-skilled workers” funded through its cash-for-work program.

Lacson spearheaded the turnover ceremony held at the Bantayan Central Elementary School along with RAFI President Roberto Aboitiz, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III, and DepEd Undersecretary Mario Deriquito.  —/BRP (FREEMAN)