Abad: Post-Yolanda Rehab on the Right Track
Almost one year since Typhoon Yolanda first hit Visayas, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) has released a total of P52 billion to support government relief and rehabilitation efforts in the provinces affected by the supertyphoon.
Budget Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad said, “The National Government has made great strides this past year to help the people affected by Typhoon Yolanda, especially in Leyte and Samar. On our part, we had to ensure there were enough funds to support the rescue and reconstruction efforts and that these funds were released as quickly as possible.”
The amount of P52 billion was sourced from the following: the 2012 Calamity Fund and Continuing Appropriations, the 2013 National Budget, the 2013 Calamity Fund and Continuing Appropriations, the P14.6B Supplemental Appropriations, the 2014 National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Fund (NDRRMF), the 2014 National Budget, and the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program, among other sources.
This amount was released to various national government agencies (NGAs), government-owned and -controlled corporations (GOCCs), and local government units (LGUs) to fund their respective relief and rehabilitation programs and projects. The funding was grouped according to the four Main Clusters as consolidated under the Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program (CRRP): infrastructure, social services, livelihood, and resettlement.
The biggest share (P6.06 billion) went to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to augment its Quick Response Fund (QRF) and to support its feeding program. The Department of Education (DepEd) had the second biggest allocation with P4.96 billion for the repair of classrooms and the allocation of new school seats (though this amount also included requirements for the Bohol earthquake).
The following are the top 10 agencies with the largest releases:
Top 10 Agencies
Projects
Amount
1. Department of Social Welfare and Development
– Augmentation of the DSWD Quick Response Fund for General Fund Assistance- Central Office: National Project Monitoring Office
– General Food Distribution/Supplemental Feeding Program
P6.06B
2. Department of Education
– Provision of school seats in newly constructed classrooms- Repair and rehabilitation of classrooms
P4.96B
3. Department of Interior and Local Government
– Municipal halls, public markets, civic centers/evacuation centers, police stations, fire prevention and suppression activities, supervision, security and control over district, city, and municipal, and other rehabilitation activities
P4.48B
4. National Electrification Administration
– Rehabilitation of damaged distribution facilities of electric cooperatives affected by Typhoon Yolanda
P3.93B
5. Department of Public Works and Highways
– Various infrastructure projects- Repair/maintenance of roadside structures and government buildings
– Rehabilitation/construction of affected flood control structures
P3.11B
6. Philippine Coconut Authority
– Coconut Tree Disposal and Utilization- Coconut Fertilization
P2.87B
7. Department of Agriculture
– Provision of banca and other fishing paraphernalia for affected fishermen- Government facilities
– Assistance to affected farmers (irrigation)/aquaculture
P2.77B
8. National Housing Authority
– Assistance to families in “no-build” zones- Implementation of the FY2013 Emergency Housing Assistance for calamity victims programs
– Construction of additional permanent housing of Yolanda victims in Regions IV-4B, V, VI, VII, and VIII
P2.44B
9. Department of Transportation and Communication
– Sea lift and relief operations- Redevelopment/reconstruction of Tacloban Airport
P2.15B
10. Department of Finance/Bureau of Treasury
– To cover the requirements of Credit Support Fund to provide assistance to victims
P2B
On the other hand, various municipalities in Iloilo, Cebu, and Leyte received a total of P36.8 million to help in the relief and rehabilitation of the communities in these areas.
“Though a lot of work still needs to be done in helping the Yolanda victims, we are on the right track with President Aquino recently signing the P167.9-billion rehabilitation master plan. This is our commitment to help the Yolanda-affected cities and municipalities not only to rebuild but to build back better,” said Abad.
Yolanda, recorded as the strongest typhoon in recent history, had swept through the Philippines on November 2013. With a speed of more than 300 km/h, the supertyphoon caused massive destruction in Regions IV, V, VI, VII, VIII, and Caraga. According to the DSWD, it affected almost 1.47 million families with 918,261 displaced from their homes. The overall number of reported damaged houses was 1.17 million.
