Several government agencies have yet to start implementing projects for victims of supertyphoon Yolanda which struck the country in November 2013.
Only 32 percent or 697 of the total 2,185 projects in northern Cebu were completed while 981 projects have not yet started as of June 1, 2015, said Rose Edna Hubahib, chief economic development specialist in a briefing.
This was highlighted in the report of the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) 7 during a review of rehabilitation, recovery and development plan on Yolanda areas in Cebu province the other day.
The national government allocated P14.35 billion for the 15 Cebu towns and a city that were hit by Typhoon Yolanda.
Hubahib said among the government agencies that have yet to start implementing the projects are the Department of Education (DepEd), Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Department of Agriculture (DA).
Hubahib said that in the DILG, 17 projects were completed, 11 projects are still ongoing and 371 projects are not started yet.
Sought for comment later, Michael Eltanal, DILG cluster head of the 3rd and 4th district of Cebu, gave a different assement.
He said all of their recovery assistance on Yolanda affected areas was completed last year until the first quarter of this year.
Meanwhile, Dr. Allan Poquita, assistant regional of the BFAR 7, said all of their rehabilitation projects were completed in November last year.
According to the NEDA review, for infrastructure projects, 750 projects or 73% are not yet started.
The DepEd has a total of 434 projects but 341 are yet to be implemented.
For, NHA 31 resettlement projects or 79% are not yet implemented, only one project is completed while seven projects are still ongoing.
Only 49 projects or 29% of the projects in the social cluster have been completed.
From the total project cost of P14.35 billion, P8.27 billion is intended for resettlement, P2.15 billion for social service, P1.69 billion for livelihood and P2.33 for infrastructure.
Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III said housing projects in the islands of Bantayan and Camotes could not be implemented because the Commission on Audit (COA) requires a titled land for the relocation site.
Camotes is still classified as a mangrove forest while Bantayan was declared a wilderness area in a Marcos era decree.
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