134 of 145 government structures, destroyed by Yolanda, restored

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines – A total of 134 out of 145 government structures—municipal halls, civic centers, and public markets —destroyed by typhoon Yolanda in November 2013, have been restored and are now being used by the people.

Regional Director Pedro Noval, of the Department of Interior and Local Government-Region 8, said the restoration of the government edifices in Eastern Visayas was carried out thru the Recovery Assistance on Yolanda, or RAY projects of the national government.

Noval reported a 92-percent completion of the repair of the damaged public buildings in the region, and only 11 more are now undergoing restoration until early next year. "I am determined to restore completely all local public buildings in the region the soonest possible time," he said.

Noval also disclosed that another P973.5 million was released by the DILG national office this month, for the repair and reconstruction of 1,649 public facilities in 1,211 villages in Eastern Visayas. These are barangay halls, day care centers and auditoriums that Yolanda also destroyed.

Under the RAY project, the DILG-8 office exercises supervisory and quality control functions over local government units by reviewing and monitoring repair and rebuilding works of the damaged structures. The DILG also facilitates for the fund transfer and deploys its team of engineers to monitor compliance and ensure proper use of funds.

Noval added that the public can view the status of the projects by accessing www.ray.dilg.phwebsite. (FREEMAN)