Yolanda Rehab

P17.7 B released so far for ‘Yolanda’ rehab and recovery effort

The national government has already released P17.69 billion for the recovery and rehabilitation program in communities felled by the super typhoon in November last year, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said on February 11.

In a statement, Budget and Management Secretary Florencio B. Abad assured that the government continuously expedite the rehabilitation and recovery process for all communities destroyed by super-typhoon “Yolanda.”

Abad also said relief operations have run “full-throttle” to ensure the safety and full recovery of Yolanda’s survivors.

Significant releases from the P17.7 billion—which were released in late December to fuel the implementation of crucial rehabilitation projects—include a P2.2-billion release to the National Housing Authority (NHA) for Permanent Housing Units in affected areas, specifically in the form of assistance to houses in “no-build” zones.

The location of shelters that will benefit from these funds will be determined by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau for relocation to safer areas.

“One of the more critical components in long-term rehabilitation is the provision of adequate shelter assistance, particularly to families whose houses were formerly situated in high-risk, disaster prone areas,” Abad said.

“Several of those who unfortunately perished during the super-typhoon were living in very vulnerable areas. We want to prevent future calamities from reaching the scale of Yolanda’s tragic aftermath by rebuilding communities on safer ground,” he added.

The rehabilitation of public facilities also received a P5.72-billion boost, of which P3.93 billion was used for power distribution facilities under the National Electrification Administration (NEA).

Generation facilities under the National Power Corporation (NAPOCOR) also received support amounting to P101.2 million, while transmission facilities under the National Transmission Corporation (TRANSCO) were restored with P1.5 billion.

Of the P5.72 billion released for rehabilitating government facilities, another P111.2 million was made to the National Food Administration (NFA), while P77.01 million was rolled out to the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) for restoring the local water systems in affected areas.

Other releases comprising the total P17.7-billion release include a P1-billion fund for education and health services. These include the restoration of services in hospitals, regional health units, and barangay health units in Yolanda-stricken areas.

Furthermore, P2.87 billion was channeled into agriculture and fishery services, including the provision of rice and corn seeds, banca and fishing paraphernalia, and farm implements and fuel subsidies for farm machinery, as well as services for coconut tree disposal and utilization.

The Aquino administration also directed P953.5 million for the provision of temporary employment for displaced families with partially damaged houses, as well as P1.88 billion for food distribution and supplementary feeding activities for the typhoon’s survivors. Another P1.07 billion was also released as additional Quick Response Funds.