PRESIDENT Aquino, asserting it was more important to ensure the next disaster will not claim as many lives, said the “build back better” (BBB) anchor of the government’s post-Yolanda rehabilitation efforts will be observed with full political will even if banning the rebuilding on high-risk sites will make people hate him.
Visiting heavily devastated areas ravaged by killer Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) one year ago, Aquino affirmed that the BBB policy will be observed across all infrastructure, from homes to schools to local facilities.
The President, speaking in Eastern Samar, listed his administration’s main achievements in rehabilitation so far on the eve of Yolanda’s first anniversary, as Aquino and his Cabinet were scheduled to island-hop from Guiuan to Palawan to Bantayan, Cebu on Friday.
Mr. Aquino also quoted international groups and agencies that cited the remarkable speed with which the Philippines coped after Yolanda’s massive devastation compared to other places hit by similar disasters.
The President sought to fend off accusations of “slow progress” in rehabilitation and recovery efforts, particularly in Tacloban, where typhoon victims belonging to the group People Surge triggered a congressional inquiry into reports that thousands of families still live in tents and bunkhouses, with no jobs nor substantial economic activities, a year after the tragedy had struck their province.
Tacloban was not included in the President’s itinerary of Yolanda disaster areas to visit amid reports that complaining residents were preparing to rally the government to address their plight.
Accompanying Mr. Aquino in his disaster-recovery inspection tour were Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, Education Secretary Armin Luistro, Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson, Transportation Secretary Emilio Abaya, National Housing Authority chief Chito Cruz and Secretary Panfilo Lacson, and the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery.
Earlier in the day, Aquino led the delegation in inspecting the rebuilt Guiuan public market, the Guiuan East Central School classrooms and the Cogon relocation site, all in Eastern Samar, where the President also presided the symbolic turnover of temporary shelters to beneficiary families, who were also to be provided with “basic needs, such as hygiene kit and kitchen wares,” before being sent off to their assigned temporary shelters.
DOTC airport, port projects
TRANSPORTATION Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya on Friday listed his department’s accomplishments in restoring several gateways in the Visayas a year after Yolanda ravaged the country’s belt from the Eastern Visayas to Northern Palawan.
He said the Department of Transportation and Communications, the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines and the Philippine Ports Authority have completed 17 port rehab projects over a span of one year.
“In the wake of Typhoon Yolanda, we saw that the resilience of the Filipino people is truly remarkable. To speed up recovery in the affected regions, transportation agencies have completed three airport and 14 seaport rehabilitation projects, in order to support the victims in their livelihood requirements and in the delivery of their basic needs,” he said.
Tacloban Airport was one of the most damaged transport facilities following the typhoon, but it now boasts of a refurbished passenger terminal building with new floors and ceilings, walls, windows and doors, finishings, and furniture.
New safety and security equipment, such as four x-ray machines and four walk-through metal detectors, have also been installed.
The airport’s administration and Project Management Office buildings have also been rehabilitated, while fire station and perimeter fence reconstruction ventures are ongoing.
Asphalt overlaying of Tacloban Airport’s runway is currently being undertaken, which is why operations are now limited to small aircraft.
Despite being subject to rains and inclement weather, however, the government is expediting these works to accommodate large aircraft by January 2015.
These Tacloban Airport improvements are being implemented under a P43.65-million budget.
Meanwhile, three other badly hit aviation hubs have already been completely rehabilitated. These are the Kalibo International Airport, which was completed last April; the Roxas Airport, completed in June; and the Busuanga Airport, which was fully rehabilitated last month.
The Kalibo and Busuanga airports cater to tourists visiting the country’s renowned beaches, while the Roxas airport serves over 200,000 passengers a year as a main gateway to the whole island of Panay.
In terms of maritime projects, 14 ports have also been completely rehabilitated through a P41.2-million budget.
These entailed civil works, such as the construction of access roads and storage facilities, and the rehabilitation of causeways and seawalls.
Lorenz S. Marasigan