Duterte wants Robredo to finish ‘Yolanda’ housing

Supertyphoon Yolanda left almost nothing untouched when it hit tacloban City on November 8, 2013.
(Inquirer.net)

President Rodrigo Duterte on Tuesday said he wants housing aid for victims of supertyphoon “Yolanda” to be completed soon, as he directed his housing czar Vice President Ma. Leonor “Leni” Robredo to make sure that the shelters will be finished on time.

Speaking during the commemoration of Yolanda’s onslaught in Tacloban, Duterte said he was disappointed with the insufficient housing assistance even three years after the strongest typhoon to ever make landfall in history hit Eastern and Central Visayas.

“I came three years ago when this incident happened, and I was sad. Hindi ako galit (I’m not mad), I’m not offended. Three years after iilang tao pa lang ang nakatira sa (there are only a few who live in) relief houses provided by the government. I don’t want to offend anybody, but I’m not satisfied,” Duterte said in his speech.

“I will be back December. I want this thing completed. Gusto ko makalipat na lahat (I want everyone to be transferred to the relief houses). In the fullness of God’s time, I will be back December,” he added.

Duterte acknowledged the presence of Robredo, chief of the Housing and Urban Development and Coordinating Council (HUDCC), who shared the stage with him and other government officials.

“Nandito si Leni (Leni is here), she’s in charge of housing. Next time you take orders from her … that she’s supposed to finish her job on time,” he said.

“Hindi tayo pwedeng magbilangan. We are so underdeveloped a country that by the nature of laziness and indolence of some idiots, lalo tuloy tayo naging (we continue to be) double the underdeveloped,” Duterte added.

Robredo on Monday said HUDCC was eyeing to complete housing projects for Yolanda survivors by 2018. As of Sept. 30, the agency said 29,661 houses were finished, 20,287 were partially completed and only 4,278 have been occupied.