Almost a year after typhoon, PNoy OKs Yolanda rehab master plan

By ANDREO CALONZO, GMA News

Published October 29, 2014 10:39pm

(Updated 12:44 p.m. Oct. 30) President Benigno Aquino III on Wednesday approved the P170.9-billion master plan to rebuild areas devastated by supertyphoon Yolanda, almost a year after the powerful storm devastated parts of central Philippines.

In a text message, Secretary Panfilo Lacson, the presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery, confirmed that Aquino greenlighted the master plan Wednesday afternoon.

Karen Jimeno, spokesperson of Lacson's office, also announced the approval of the Yolanda rehabilitation plan on her Twitter page.

Lacson said a total of P51.9 billion had been released by the national government for the implementation of the 18,400 projects included in the master plan.

"We have a long list of accomplishments per cluster and agency against the targets listed in the master plan," he said in another text message Thursday morning.

In a separate statement, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the 8,000-page masterplan will "bring forth the recovery" of 171 Yolanda-hit local government units in six regions of the country.

"Based on the principle of “build-back-better,” [the government will be] focusing on long-term, sustainable efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen capacities of communities to cope with future hazard events," Coloma said Thursday.

Four areas

The comprehensive plan, which was submitted to Aquino last August, focuses on four areas of rehabilitation for Yolanda survivors: livelihood, resettlement, social services, and infrastructure.

Coloma said resettlement will require P75.6 billion, the biggest funding requirement among the four areas.

The Palace official added that P35.1 billion will go to infrastructure projects in Yolanda-hit areas, P30.6 billion for livelihood projects, and P26.4 billion on social services.

The approval of the master plan was delayed after Aquino asked for specific timetables for its implementation.

However, Malacañang said the government had already started rebuilding Yolanda-hit areas even before the approval of the comprehensive rehabilitation plan.

In November last year, Yolanda ripped through the central Philippines, leaving over 6,200 dead. The super typhoon also left property damage pegged at P39 billion. — ELR/KG/RSJ, GMA News

Tags: yolandarehabilitation, supertyphoonyolanda, yolanda