Duterte’s Christmas present for Yolanda victims

When President Duterte visited Tacloban City several weeks ago during the third-anniversary rites for Supertyphoon Yolanda, he gave a directive to government officials overseeing the rehabilitation efforts in the typhoon-devastated areas to hasten the transfer of the victims to their permanent resettlement sites before Christmas. 

The President was dismayed at the excruciatingly slow pace of rehabilitation efforts by the administration of former President Noynoy Aquino. Duterte wondered why past administration officials took their sweet time in rebuilding basic infrastructure and housing in all the typhoon-hit areas in the Visayas.

During his visit, the President publicly ordered government officials in the presence of Tacloban residents to complete all Yolanda resettlement sites in Leyte so that the families hit by the killer typhoon three years ago can transfer by the end of this month.

The President also directed the Presidential Task Force on Rehabilitation to ensure that the resettlement centers are equipped with basic amenities, such as water and electricity, before the victims are transferred.

Last week, according to news reports, 280 or so families from Barangay 88 San Jose relocated to their permanent shelters in North Hills Arbor in Barangay Santo Niño.

Government records show that out of the 14,443 houses targeted for construction by the National Housing Authority, 4,346 have been finished, while 3,353 were classified as substantially finished, and 3,490 are now in various stages of construction.

Of the 4,346 finished units, 2,101 are already occupied.

The presidential task force is expecting around 8,000 family-beneficiaries to transfer to their permanent houses in 17 relocation sites by the end of the month.

The President’s effort to fast-track the rehabilitation efforts in areas severely affected by typhoon Yolanda, is laudable.

Before the Duterte administration assumed office, local government units in the affected areas have complained that the budget for rebuilding efforts was not being released despite former President Aquino’s repeated pronouncements that billions had already been allocated for the task.

Various groups in Manila also marched to Malacanang to protest the slow progress of rehabilitation efforts in areas flattened by Yolanda.

Filipinos worldwide organized fund-raising activities to help the victims as soon as they saw on CNN the damage inflicted by Yolanda. They shared and contributed money and other forms of assistance for our countrymen.

In California alone, millions of dollars were raised in through the concerted efforts of Filipino immigrants and other concerned Americans. They held fund drives and other activities like concerts, fun runs and bazaars to raise money that was sent to the Philippines.

However, our kababayans abroad complained that it seems nothing is happening in the rehabilitation efforts.

Even the United Nations announced it will implement its own multi-million dollar response plan for the victims of Yolanda. We are very grateful to the UN and to the other countries that helped us after the crisis. Were it not for them, more victims probably wouldn’t have survived the calamity.

A UN official who visited disaster areas in Eastern Visayas said it will take at least P40 billion to implement a strategic response plan for Yolanda victims.” The official added that “millions of people still require urgent assistance to rebuild their lives and livelihoods.”

According to the UN, “many in communities that were devastated are still in the difficult process of recovery,” while assuring victims that the UN will prioritize shelter and livelihood programs and continue to provide assistance to the most vulnerable victims.

This is all well and good. We cannot understand, though, why we need to have an international body like the UN do the heavy lifting for us in bringing some sense of normalcy into the lives of typhoon victims.

After the poor performance of the Aquino administration in the aftermath of Yolanda, we are glad that President Duterte is taking up the cudgels for the victims of the calamity.

The President should now implement a detailed master plan to address post-Yolanda issues. Our government has to show that it is capable of implementing such a plan. We need to show the world that we are fully in charge of the situation. We cannot abdicate this responsibility to the UN and the other international bodies.

Good thing the government now is working- double time to counter the view that the rehab progress is being conducted at a snail’s pace.

The President’s recent directives can only bolster the perception that the government is not lacking in its support for the typhoon victims.

More important, the government should put its money where its mouth is. Funding is critical if the rehabilitation program is to push forward. Without money, the government’s assistance plan will prove to be another disaster, albeit of the man-made kind.

It’s good that our government is now moving faster; our countrymen have already suffered enough.