Ping: Yolanda rehab in full swing next week

MANILA, Philippines - Rehabilitation and recovery work in Typhoon Yolanda-devastated areas will be in full swing by next week after President Aquino approved the rehabilitation plans for five provinces and Tacloban City. 

In an interview with dzMM yesterday, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery Secretary Panfilo Lacson said he would submit to the President the complete rehabilitation plan on Aug. 1 to construct about 205,128 houses in safe zones for Yolanda victims in 14 provinces “so the release of the funds can be done simultaneously.”

Aquino announced the approval of the rehabilitation and recovery plan during his fifth State of the Nation Address last Monday, as he urged Congress to help fast-track the release of funds for it.

“We have already approved the LGU rehabilitation plans for Cebu, Iloilo, Samar, Eastern Samar, Leyte, and Tacloban City,” Aquino said. 

Lacson said, “There is a P169.7 billion fund for the rehabilitation for Yolanda-devastated areas. We cannot allow even a percent of leakage since a percent is about P1.69 billion na mawawala sa pondo (that will be lost from the fund),” he said.

At present, Lacson said the Department of Science and Technology and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are continuously checking some areas suitable as resettlement sites.

“The DENR has identified 4,600 hectares of government land with presidential proclamation, which can be used for relocation,” Lacson said.

“The biggest challenge is to look for areas suitable for resettlement – free from storm surge, floods, erosion, landslide, fault line, volcanic eruption, and soil liquefaction.”

Lacson said they have disregarded the 40-meter distance, no-build zone from the coastline, which he said is not practical since many affected families are living near the coastline. Instead, he said they would just make sure there would be mitigation measures in those areas.