No more Yolanda bunkhouses – Ping

MANILA, Philippines - The government will no longer build bunkhouses for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda and will instead give them construction materials to build their own transition shelters.

“(Public Works) Secretary Babes (Rogelio Singson) and I have conferred on this matter already that we’ll do away with the bunkhouses. We will just give construction materials to those victims who want to build their own transition shelters,” presidential adviser for rehabilitation and recovery Panfilo Lacson told a news briefing in Malacañang yesterday.

“They will be relocated anyway eventually once the government finds relocation sites and all of these housing units are finished,” he added.

Lacson also clarified reports on overpricing in the construction of bunkhouses or temporary shelters for Yolanda victims.

“We sent our civil engineers to check and take a look at the standard specifications prepared by DPWH (Department of Public Works and Highways). There was no overpricing, and this is what Secretary Singson said, and we agree,” he said.

He admitted, however, that there were “substandard materials and under specifications,” which did not comply with those set by the DPWH.

Singson earlier confirmed “shortcomings to the actual implementation” or the “actual construction.”

“The good thing that happened here was that they were made aware of our vigilance, that this cannot be,” he said.

Lacson said Singson also made it clear that the contractors will not get paid.

Multi-donor fund

Lacson also broached the idea of putting up a “multi-donor fund” that will be managed and administered by private corporations who want to continue the rehabilitation efforts beyond the Aquino administration.

He said donations continue to pour in from both foreign and local companies and organizations. He cited a private Swiss group that raised $42 million, but its members are clueless on what to do with it.

“Let’s take advantage of this world attention because if another disaster hits other countries, then that will be my biggest nightmare. The attention will no longer be here,” he said.

Vertical structures

With horizontal structures like roads and bridges no longer a major problem, Lacson said he expects the construction of vertical structures to go full swing.

“We hope in the coming weeks… we are egging the private sector, especially the development sponsors, to put up vertical structures soonest,” he said.

Lacson said rehabilitation work in the affected areas had been divided into 24 areas of intervention. He said many from the private sector agreed to be sectoral sponsors.

He said his office also proposed to private companies to “adopt” and start constructing structures in affected areas.

“They are top corporations. Some of them are deep in their planning and have a timetable to follow in rehabilitation work,” he said.

10 politicians

Meanwhile, Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr. yesterday challenged Lacson to identify the 10 politicians who allegedly benefited from the construction of substandard bunkhouses in Tacloban City.

The politicians allegedly pocketed 30 to 35 percent of the commissions.

Lacson earlier said he has the names of the politicians involved in the kickback.

Revilla said now is not the time to withhold the names of persons who victimize those already victimized by the typhoon.

Emergency employment

Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz yesterday said the Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) regional offices have started a P14-million emergency employment program for sugar workers from the areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda.– With Mayen Jaymalin, Christina Mendez, Rainier Allan Ronda