P4-B public infra grant OK’d for typhoon areas

TANAUAN, Leyte , Philippines   â€“ President Aquino has approved the P4-billion grant for the reconstruction of public infrastructure destroyed by Super Typhoon Yolanda here.

Interior and Local Government Secretary Manuel Roxas II said the President has approved the release of funds for the reconstruction of public markets, civic centers and municipal halls devastated by the typhoon.

Roxas told local government officials and residents here yesterday that the funds for the 171 local facilities is an indication of the commitment of the President to help the local government units (LGUs) in Yolanda-ravaged areas to get back on their feet.

The funds are in the form of a grant, not a loan, to allow the LGUs to spend their money on other pressing needs, he said.

“Public markets, civic centers and municipal halls are the centers of activities of the people for their livelihood, so we want to immediately reconstruct them,” Roxas said.

“The LGUs can use their money for other pressing needs while the reconstruction of public markets, civic centers and municipal halls will be shouldered by the national government,” he added.

Roxas led local officials with Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Corazon Soliman and National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) chairman Eduardo del Rosario in visiting some of the areas destroyed by Yolanda.

The first stop was the Tanauan municipal hall where Mayor Erwin Cinco briefed them on the progress of the rehabilitation effort in the town.

Roxas said the P4 billion for local governments was part of the P40-billion rehabilitation cost as estimated by the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) for the entire region.

Roxas said the public infrastructure to be rebuilt will now be stronger to ensure that they will withstand strong winds and storm surges.

A group called Kusog Tacloban (Strong Tacloban) has been formed to monitor the government’s rehabilitation and rebuilding projects in the region.

The group was formed following an online petition calling for the accountability of local and foreign donations.

Blue and white tarpaulins

Roxas and Soliman flew to Tacloban from Manila early yesterday and boarded military helicopters for an aerial survey of Tacloban, Palo and Tanauan.

Roxas and Soliman noted the thousands of blue and white tarpaulins dotting the landscape.

“We saw the need for permanent shelters (for the evacuees). What we have seen was like polka dots of blue and white tarpaulin. We in the national government are doing everything we can to address their concerns,” he said.

For her part, Soliman said the DSWD has enough supply of food for the victims of Yolanda until March.

“We have enough food for them until March after which we will assess who among the victims need more assistance and who have their own means of livelihood,” she added.

A job fair organized by various recruitment agencies opened in Tacloban to offer overseas employment for the victims displaced by Yolanda.

Officials of the May Bukas Foundation said they chose to launch the job fair in Leyte and other provinces in Eastern Visayas to help the victims gain decent and permanent employment to help them rebuild their lives.

The Department of Agriculture, on the other hand, distributed rice seeds to allow the crop to be harvested by March.

Soliman added they also started distributing relief goods to some 280,000 families that would last for two weeks.

She said the increase in the amount of relief goods would allow residents to use their time in planting vegetables or other activities for their livelihood instead of lining up waiting for relief goods.

“About 190,000 food packs have been sent out since the middle of December… so they can use their time in other activities like the cash for work program of DOLE, DA, UN agencies, and NGOs,” she added.

During their visit at the Tanauan public market, Soliman and Roxas had a chat with Mary Joy, a vendor of native woven mats, and told her that the DSWD would buy her mats to distribute to the typhoon victims.

Soliman said the DSWD has been giving the victims plastic mats.

Roxas and Soliman also went to the town of Palo to inspect the conditions of the evacuees.

Soliman promised the evacuees to work for their immediate transfer to bigger and more comfortable structures.

A mother told Soliman and Roxas that their place is not enough for their family since they have eight children.

The peace and order situation in Leyte was much better, according to a police official here.

“Peace and order situation here has stabilized and only petty crimes and drunken fights were reported to the police. No major crime incidents involving Yolanda victims, just petty crimes. Those crimes targeting Yolanda victims are no more,” said Chief Superintendent Henry Losanes, Eastern Visayas police director.

Losanes said the concern of the local police now is the reconstruction of the damaged police headquarters in the region.

“Some police stations now have roofs and the money came from our savings, help from some NGOs and the (Philippine National Police) headquarters. We are trying to make do with what is available,” Losanes said.

According to Losanes, they are helping their colleagues who lost their homes to Yolanda.

“I have 1,140 policemen whose houses were destroyed, while 1,800 personnel had their houses damaged by Yolanda. We are helping them,” he said.

He said 60 other policemen lost their loved ones in the typhoon.

“Another officer, the deputy chief of police in Biliran, lost his wife and two children; we are helping them,” Losanes said. – With Mayen Jaymalin, Jaime Laude