Panfilo Lacson, Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) Secretary, witnessed the turn-over by the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. to school beneficiaries in the towns of Daanbantayan and Bantayan.
Also present in the turn-over ceremony were PARR Communications Director Karen Jimeno, Deped Undersecretary Mario Deriquito, Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and three mayors in Bantayan island.
Prior to the turn-over, classes were held in tents. Most classrooms were not repaired even after the national government released P50 billion worth of rehabilitation funds to government agencies.
Lacson thanked the efforts of the private sector in helping the government rebuild the devastated communities. The private sector gave P12 billion for the rehabilitation efforts.
RAFI and 13 other private organizations spent P218.95 million for the 229 classrooms and day care centers in Daanbantayan, Bantayan, Santa Fe and Madridejos towns.
“The private sector can help faster than the government because of the red tape and procurement requirements especially in the government purchases and release of funds,” Lacson said.
Lacson said the Yolanda-hit communities in the Visayas which includes the northern towns need P170 billion.
About P11 billion were released to the National Housing Authority (NHA) for the typhoon victims. But relocation sites remain a problem in most local government units.
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