Yolanda-devastated Tacloban needs P3B for rehabilitation

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  - About P3-billion is needed to support programs that will rehabilitate this city, the area worst hit by typhoon “Yolanda” last November.

Maria Adelaida Cea, regional head for United Nations Habitat, said the programs are detailed in the city’s proposed recovery and rehabilitation master plan.

“Based on our initial computation, it’s going to take about P3 billion but that can be adjusted given the different resiliency features we want to introduce in the projects,” Cea said in a press conference Tuesday evening.

Cea said the amount only covers projects that have to be bankrolled by the city government and does not include those to be shouldered by the national government like airports and highways.

“There are other self-recovery initiatives that can be supported by national government and international NGOs (non-government organizations) to lower the cost,” Cea said.

“But for the city to do its role, it needs about P3 billion,” she added.

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said they are willing ti seek  loans to fund the projects.

“If the city can avail of a nice loan package that can give us good rate and grace period of three to four years, that will definitely help the city pick up right away,” Romualdez said.

Other funding sources include donations and the local government budget, he added.

Tacloban City’s recovery and rehabilitation master plan identifies four core drivers namely social, economic, infrastructure and environment.

Social drivers include housing, access to land, electricity, water, education and health services while economic drivers refer to programs related to livelihood, agriculture, trade and commerce and services.

Infrastructure drivers refer to roads, bridges and public buildings while environment drivers include initiatives like waste management, water sources and protected zones.

Housing needs require significant amounts of resources as “Yolanda” damaged a total of 54,231 houses in the city.

The master plan noted that 42 of the city’s 1,388 barangays are in coasts and lowlands considered as danger zones, most of them occupied by informal settlers.

The proposed solutions include the construction of temporary shelters for 4,853 families in high-risk areas; 5,855 permanent shelters for the same families plus 1,002 others who were moved to bunkhouses; and 39,798 shelter kits for families living in partially damaged houses or those in low-risk areas.

About P3.3-billion is needed for housing needs alone. The figure, however, was not reflected in the master plan because it included the costs to be shouldered by the national government such as the development of lands and donations.

“This (shelter) will definitely be a program of the city in the next five to 10 years. Whatever help we can get, we will use,” Romualdez said. 

“We look at it as an investment in our own people so we can ensure that the next generation can continue and be productive in the city.”

The master plan also cited the need to revitalize the economy of the city, considered a regional trading hub of Eastern Visayas. 

It noted that only 3,340 out of the 16,473 registered businesses or 20 percent have renewed their licenses because of the typhoon’s impact.

A total of 72 companies filed for temporary closure while 115 others filed for retirement closures.

To stimulate economic activity, the master plan recommended the provision of soft loans to local businesses, establishment of an investment promotion and coordination help desk, and the giving of equipment or seedling subsidies to farmers and fishermen.

It also suggested the restoration of affected public markers, slaughterhouses and fish ports, provision of skills trainings for construction, industry, agriculture and aquaculture, and the rehabilitation of private sector rice mills, warehouses, cold storage facilities, boarding houses and dormitories.