‘PUSH STORM AID FOR CEBU’ :P3.6 billion gov’t projects lag behind actual need

A house in Bogo City flattened by supertyphoon Yolanda.
(CDN FILE PHOTO)

Capitol officials will have to “squeeze” what it can out of the national government to get  funds for post-typhoon Yolanda rehabilitation.

Three months after the superstorm, national government  agencies reported they had P3.6 billion in projects for typhoon-stricken towns in north Cebu.

However, the amount pales in comparison to the P26.8 billion needed by the Cebu provincial government to implement a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for the whole province.

“We definitely need to ask more because we cannot do it alone,” said Task Force Paglig-on chief Baltazar Tribunalo, after meeting yesterday with representative  of regional line agencies in the Capitol.

The biggest cost of the recovery plan or P23.6 billion is for rebuilding houses and resettlement areas.
Each of ten line agencies reported  what kind of programs and budget they had for Cebu’s storm-damaged areas.

“Somehow, we can say that we are lagging behind in terms of funding from the national government but compared to other affected areas, I think Cebu has a better capacity of rebuilding on its own,” said Tribunalo

For example, there’s P1 billion for the repair of classrooms and infrastructure pledged by the  Department of Works and Highways (DPWH-7) in Central Visayas.
Another P33 million is pegged for wooden bancas for fisherfolks who lost their source of livelihood during the storm and the rehabilitation of seaweed farms in Bantayan Island, a

priority of the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR-7).
There’s P115 million for damaged crops and a cash-for-work scheme for farmers from the Department of Agriculture (DA-7). Another P900 million is specified for repair of classrooms

around the province from the Department of Education (DepEd-7).
Tribunalo said the Capitol needs to squeeze more funding from the national government to fast-track its rebuilding efforts and ‘build better’ within its three-year target.

“Dugay gyud naabot ang pondo apan di kana angay nga makababag sa rehabilitation tungod atong gipahimuslan ang tabang gikan sa private sector and other groups,” said Tribunalo, a  United Nations (UN) disaster management expert appointed by Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III.

(The funds are really taking awhile to arrive but that should not block  rehabilitation efforts because we are making the most out of the help from the private sector and other groups.)

A few days ago, Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry officials and local officials expressed frustration over the slow response of the national government in providing funds to bankroll rehabilitation efforts.

The weekly Task Force Paglig-on meetings are charged to the disaster fund of Cebu province.
No specific commitment has been made by  former senator Panfilo Lacson Jr., who oversees the national government’s rehabilitation efforts.

While the Capitol sent its P26.8 billion rehabilitation plan to Lacson in January, no one has pledged a definite amount for Cebu, said Tribunalo.
He said their last contact was weeks ago when Lacson’s camp sent a team to  Cebu to conduct a post-disaster needs assessment in the 15 towns and  one city  badly affected by “Yolanda” in the province.

“We still do not know how much until now because the team has not finished their report yet. They’re still trying to find out separate figures even if we sent them our rehab plan,” he said.
At the end of yesterday’s meeting, a technical working group (TWG) was formed to monitor  how projects are being implemented.

Tribunalo said Cebu is maximizing the help extended by international  humanitarian groups and Cebu’s private sector, which have started housing projects in Bogo City, Daanbantayan town and other areas.

“The good thing is that we have already started coordinating with the help available whether it be from the private sector or the government although it remains minimal,” Tribunalo said.

The focus is on basic needs such as shelter, food and livelihood for the affected communities.
Governor Davide formed Task Force Paglig-on last December to draw up a rehabilitation plan for the province and see it executed.

The biggest share of the budget or P23.6 billion is for rebuilding houses and resettlement areas, followed by the cost of implementing the rehabilitation plan at P1.2 billion.
Recovery efforts will focus on 15 towns and Bogo City in north Cebu where damage to agriculture, infrastructure, utilities, livelihood and social infrastructure was estimated at P4.14 billion.