Senate to probe where Yolanda donations went

LAOAG CITY, Philippines – The Senate is set to look into how donations from local and foreign sources for victims of Typhoon Yolanda were defrayed and spent, Sen. Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced here yesterday.

Marcos said huge amounts of money poured into the country after Yolanda devastated several areas in the Visayas, particularly Tacloban City and other towns in Leyte.

He said it is necessary to find out where the money went and how much remained unspent.

Marcos’ mother, former first lady Imelda, was raised in Tacloban.

His cousin, Tacloban Mayor Ferdinand Romualdez, earlier figured in a spat with Interior and Local Government Secretary Mar Roxas for his alleged reluctance to assist typhoon victims.

Apart from local groups and individuals, foreign governments and organizations extended volumes of relief and financial assistance for residents in areas worst-hit by Yolanda.

30,000 new houses for Yolanda victims

The National Red Cross and Red Crescent societies all over the world have agreed to build at least 30,000 new houses in Yolanda devastated areas in Eastern Visayas.

Philippine Red Cross (PRC) chairman Richard Gordon said most of these houses would be for the residents who would be relocated, due to the 40-meter no-build zone that would be implemented from the coastline of the affected communities.

“Our plan is to build 30,000 new homes, but we will try to make it 50,000, hopefully within the year. Aside from that, we’ll also be repairing some 100,000 damaged houses to help the residents get back on their feet again,” Gordon said.

Yesterday, the PRC, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and International Committee on Red Cross (ICRC) met in Manila to discuss long-term recovery plan for the Yolanda victims.            – With Sheila Crisostomo