MANILA, Philippines — On the fifth anniversary of Super Typhoon Yolanda tomorrow, Sen. Panfilo Lacson reiterated that the government appropriated “very little budget support” to help the victims in 171 cities.
Lacson, who served as presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery in the past administration, yesterday said his office crafted an eight-volume, 8,000-page Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) with P167-billion budgetary requirement.
“Unfortunately, while the CRRP was approved by then president (Benigno) Aquino (III), very little budget support was appropriated to help the typhoon victims in the affected areas,” Lacson said in a statement.
“Most of the projects like hospitals, housing units, school buildings… came from donations from the private and business sectors,” he pointed out.
Yolanda, the strongest typhoon to hit the country, left thousands of people dead or missing across central Philippines.
Then president Aquino created the Office of the PARR and tapped Lacson as rehabilitation czar.
As PARR from December 2013 to December 2014, Lacson said he received a lot of help from non-government organizations as well as the private and business sectors, international organizations like the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United National Development Program (UNDP), Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), European Union (EU) Commission, the McKenzie & Co. consulting firm.
“Ironically, very little, if not negligible, support from the national government, we put together and crafted the CRRP,” he said.
Lacson noted the CRRP document consisted of a detailed and elaborate description of rehabilitation plan to accomplish a build-back-better vision for 171 cities and municipalities devastated by Yolanda (international name Haiyan).
“In sum, Haiyan is one chapter in my public service career I will never forget –extremely difficult, many times frustrating, yet satisfying only because I worked with very competent staff and consultants who didn’t mind the limitations imposed by our own government in all aspects,” Lacson said.
“If not for the technical support and assistance provided particularly by the USAID, UNDP, JICA and World Bank, I do not know how we could have accomplished our task,” he added.
Commemoration
In Tacloban City, there will be masses during the Yolanda commemoration, including at a shipwreck in Anibong that has become a marker to remind people of the tragedy.
Local artists will also perform during a program that will be highlighted by a wreath-laying ceremony at the Astrodome Memorial.
The traditional simultaneous candle lighting along the streets of the city will be held at 6 p.m.
Classes in public and private schools as well as work in government and private offices were suspended to pave the way for the commemoration.
Leyte Rep. Yedda Romualdez thanked the Senate led by Sen. Sonny Angara for approving Senate Bill 6591, counterpart of their House Bill 6591, declaring Nov. 8 as a non-working holiday in Eastern Samar. The proposal has yet to be signed into law.
For 59-year-old Rolando Perdilan, difficulties continue years after Yolanda as his two sisters remain missing.
Perdilan said they would still get nervous every time a storm or typhoon would pass and expressed hopes for better implementation of projects.
In Tolosa, Leyte, 45-year-old vendor Rosita Darantinao said it was hard to move on as her four children died in the typhoon.
Darantinao just came back for the observance of Yolanda after they migrated to Dumaguete to escape the pain and trauma brought about by the typhoon. “I (do not know) if I can still go back,” she said.
Maritess Caibio, one of the beneficiaries of the National Housing Authority’s projects, said they left Ridge View Park resettlement area due to substandard construction of houses and lack of water supply.
“We have no choice but to leave our housing unit…we need to start anew,” Caibio said. – With Miriam Desacada, Delon Porcalla