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Gov't urged to decentralize post-Yolanda rehab efforts


Minority lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Monday urged the Aquino administration to relegate the task of rebuilding Yolanda-hit areas to local government units, saying local officials will be able to do the job faster than government agencies.

“The national leadership must learn how to devolve, decentralize and start trusting the local governments regarding this. Kung hindi aabutin tayo ng siyam-siyam dyan,” said Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, a former Manila mayor.

Atienza said local officials in Leyte and other provinces hit by super typhoon Yolanda will be able to accomplish the goal of rebuilding these areas much faster because they know what resources will be needed.

The United Nations on Saturday noted that millions of survivors of the Philippines' deadliest typhoon were still without adequate shelter 100 days after the disaster.

While the UN commended the national government for the speedy pace of carrying out relief efforts immediately after the typhoon, it also asked the national government “not to be complacent” in carrying out rehabilitation programs in the affected areas.

Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez echoed Atienza’s statement, saying local officials will be able to respond to the needs of their constituents faster than national agencies.

“As much as we support initiatives coming from the national government, we’d also like to ask our officials to decentralize and devolve the efforts to local governments so that the people there will be empowered,” he said.

Romualdez is the brother of Alfred Romualdez, mayor of Tacloban City, the most severely hit area by Yolanda.

Yolanda (Haiyan) struck many areas in the Visayas last November 8 and left over 6,000 dead. — KBK, GMA News

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