'Governator' coming to RP

MANILA, Philippines - California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to visit Manila early next month to help in the Philippine government’s multibillion-peso reconstruction program in the wake of powerful typhoons that have hit the country since 2008.

Butch Meily, executive director of the Philippine Disaster Recovery Foundation (PDRF), told a news briefing in Malacañang that Schwarzenegger is expected to arrive on Feb. 7 and stay for a week. He will also meet President Arroyo.

The PDRF is the private sector arm of the Special National Philippine Reconstruction Commission (SNPRC) that is mandated to undertake a study of causes, costs and actions to be taken in the wake of typhoons “Frank,” “Ondoy” and “Pepeng”; to seek aid to fund the reconstruction, tap the resources of the private sector, recommend to the President reconstruction and rehabilitation projects for funding; oversee and periodically report the implementation of the reconstruction program, and act as a clearing house for international assistance implemented by the donors.

Meily said the PDRF has invited some experts to give inputs on the P208-billion reconstruction program.

He said Schwarzenegger would be accompanied by experts on disaster management and rehabilitation but admitted that he could not give other details as he was not directly involved in the popular California governor’s trip.

“Our (PDRF) only involvement is we’re also helping one member of that delegation (of experts). He’s (expert) with the Obama administration on housing and urban development, a Filipino-American,” Meily said.

“I think he’s (Schwarzenegger) having a meeting with a number of people, and we’re hoping to have a meeting with him at PDRF. We will be talking to him about the disaster recovery plan,” he said.

Schwarzenegger was the star of the futuristic movie “Terminator” and several other films before he became California governor in 2003.

During the same briefing, SNPRC secretary-general Ricardo Saludo said foreign creditors have agreed to extend loans totaling $877.58 million or about P40 billion to help fund portions of the rehabilitation projects for the year.

Of the total loan amount, $590 million will come from the Japan International Agency, $250 million from the World Bank, and $3.58 million from the Instituto de Oficial de Credito-Deutsche Bank.

He said the SNPRC would implement P50-billion worth of infrastructure projects this year. The government is still trying to find out where to get the remaining P10 billion.

Saludo said the SNPRC is also asking the Commission on Elections (Comelec) to exempt the urgent projects from the election ban.

There is a need to complete the projects, including irrigation and relocation as well as repair of school buildings, before the onset of the rainy season and the planting season.

“We have to move a lot of people before the opening of classes, the planting season and the floods that may come during the rainy season,” he said.