Groups helping typhoon-devastated towns seek support from nat’l gov’t

CEBU, Philippines - Local and foreign donors, as well as private groups, involved in the provincial government’s efforts in rehabilitating typhoon-devastated areas in Northern Cebu are now frustrated on the lack of involvement from the national government.

This was articulated yesterday by Mae Ybañez, executive director of the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry, after the meeting of Task Force Paglig-on at the Capitol.

The CCCI heads the livelihood and commerce cluster of the task force created by Governor Hilario Davide III to respond  to the needs of victims of super typhoon Yolanda last November.

Ybañez said that though a lot of things have happened in the site level, not all activities are coordinated resulting to a gap due to the absence of synergy.

“We understand (the) national government. Sometimes their hands are tied because of the kind of the program that they have,” she told reporters.

But Ybañez stressed that the resources of the national government should be unplugged to help them out.

“What is frustrating is we cannot tap all the resources of the national government, it cannot be made available,” she added.

During the meeting, Ybañez said the international groups said that “if there is no harmony between the local and the national, they will move  away or shy away.”

“There’s a gap because the people and the government  are not yet talking to each other,” she pointed out.

Capitol information officer Ethel Natera however, said that the national government is now doing the validation of data submitted by the local government units.

Natera said that the need to coordinate more was emphasized during the meeting yesterday.

“There is just a need to improve on something, wala man mag-ingon nga dili na gyud,” Natera said.

Task force chairman Baltazar Tribunalo confirmed the national government has yet to release any funds to the LGUs.

Tribunalo said that Davide is set to meet the regional heads of the national government agencies involved in the rehabilitation program on Friday.

“Cebu is trying to do some self recovery,” he said, adding that the provincial government is maximizing the P22 million funds available now.

Congressman Benhur Salimbangon, representative of the fourth district which LGUs are all badly damaged by typhoon, reported that the rehabilitation effort of the national government has not yet started even if the lower house has already approved the P14.6 billion fund plus another P20 billion under the 2014 budget.

“I wrote a letter to Lacson requesting him nga mapahibawo unta ta unsa nay plano,” said Salimbangon at the 888 News Forum at Marco Polo Plaza yesterday.

Former senator Panfilo Lacson is the appointed rehabilitation czar of President Benigno Aquino III.—(FREEMAN)