Yolanda recovery, rehab plan budget cut by P10B

ILOILO CITY, Philippines — Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Sr. said that the original budget of P27 billion for the proposed recovery and rehabilitation plan over damages inflected by typhoon Yolanda in the province was drastically reduced to only P17 million.

Defensor said the P10 billion reduction in the budget was arrived at after validation and review of the actual number of homeless families.

Under the new plan, the number of beneficiaries in the program was cut to 8,027 from the previous 43,000 households.

Apart from this, Defensor said the fund was also allocated for the infrastructure sector, which will have the biggest share of P 7.3 billion to include repair of damaged roads, bridges, irrigation facilities, health and education programs.

Other allocations will be for agriculture with P 2.3 billion, social services with P 2.8 billion, resettlement with P2.4 billion and livelihood with P2.5 billion.

The budget will be injected into 12 heavily-affected towns, namely Ajuy, Anilao, Balasan, Banate, Barotac Nuevo, Barotac Viejo, Batad, Carles, Concepcion, Dumangas, Estancia and San Dionisio, said the governor.

Defensor added the plan has already sought endorsement from the Cabinet Cluster on Rehabilitation and will be forwarded to the office of President Benigno Aquino III for final approval. (FREEMAN)