AKLAN HAS 8.6B PESOS FOR YOLANDA VICTIMS

AKLAN HAS 8.6B PESOS 

FOR YOLANDA VICTIMS

by: Megs S. Lunn

Typhoon Yolanda was one of the strongest storms ever recorded with wind speed of more than 300km/hr. The storm surges were over four (4) meters high. Of the 14 badly affected provinces, Aklan is unfortunately one of them.

According to NDRRMC and DSWD update on April 17, 2014, there were 6,300 reported deaths. Of these, 14 were Aklanons; 1,472,261 families were affected. Yolanda injured 572 persons. Some 918,261 families were displaced. 

The government created the Office of Presidential Assistance on Recovery and Rehabilitation to address the Yolanda victims’ problems. Through Memorandum No. 62, Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) was organized to manage and coordinate rehabilitation, recovery and reconstruction efforts. It will act as the over-all manager and coordinator, consult with LGUs in the formulation of plans and programs for the rehabilitation, recovery and development of affected areas; propose funding support for the implementation of the plans and programs; and exercise oversight function over the relevant government agencies with respect to the implementation of its plans and programs. 

On December 6, 2013, President Benigno Aquino appointed former Senator Panfilo M. Lacson as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery. 

PARR adopted the concept of BUILD BACK BETTER, FASTER AND SAFER. It serves as the guiding framework in the development and implementation of rehabilitation and recovery interventions and to focus on long-term, sustainable efforts to reduce vulnerabilities and strengthen capacities to cope with future hazards. It adopted the Bottom Up Planning Approach. Each LGU will come up with its own 1) LGU Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (LRRP), which will be integrated and vetted by the Cluster Groups 2) PARR will consolidate integrated and vetted LRRPs and submit to the President for approval, and 3) projects Implementation should be in accordance with the “build-back-better” after the President’s approval.

The Aklan-OPARR serves as mirror of the PARR Central Office and expected to: a) establish the presence of PARR in the local physically and psychologically, b) serves as hub of information, c) disseminates information to project stakeholders, d) provides on-going support for the various government units, private sector and other donors at the local level, e) maintains continuing dialogue with the community regarding PARR role, plans and programs, f) monitors progress of government, private sector and other donors project delivery plans, timeline and standards, g) validates progress reports from project implementers, h) submits required information, updates, reports to the PARR Central Office, and i) performs other functions.

 

Governor Florencio “Joeben” Miraflores, through the office of the Provincial Planning and Development Office passed to PARR a program, activities, projects and budgetary requirement to the Office of the President in the amount of Php6.2B, of which Php1.2B is for Infrastructure, Php224M for Livelihood/Productive projects; Php1.1B for Social Services, Php3.5B for resettlement projects, and Php14M multi-sectoral. 

On October 29, 2014, President Aquino approved Php8.6B budget for Aklan. The budget is divided as follows: Livelihood under the DTI - Php461m, Infrastructure under the DPWH - Php824m, Social Services under the DSWD - Php1.4b, and resettlement under the HUDCC - Php5.8b.

On the livelihood cluster, there are about 136 projects and its implementing agencies are BFAR, DA, DOLE, DSWD, DTI, PCA and TESDA; Infrastructure has 335 projects with the implementing agencies as CHED, DA, DENR, DEPED, DILG, DOLE, DOH, DOTC, DPWH, and LWUA, on Social Services, there are 101 projects where CHED, DA, DENR, DEPED, DSWD and HLURB are the implementing agencies, and Resettlement Cluster has 15,348 number of units to be constructed in both LGU and private lands. There are 56 community facilities to be constructed which include school buildings and multi-purpose covered courts.

With these, PARR created the Electronic Management Platform Accountability and Transparency Hub for Yolanda or simply eMPATHY. It contains pipelines of on-going and completed projects in relation to Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation efforts. What does it do? The eMPATHY covers all projects funded from all sources and implemented by government and non-government entities. 

PARR-Aklan has been doing road shows and cluster meetings with the different government and non-government sectors like the 17 LGU’s Municipal Planning Officers of Aklan, student leaders forum, the Rotary clubs, and Diocese of Kalibo. 

PARR- AKLAN Coordinator, Atty. Clarence V. Guinto said, “our main purpose is encouraging every Aklanon to be watchful, to be morally responsible to the society, environment and towards a sustainable planet at large. PARR- Aklan counts on people to be the eyes and ears by patrolling leaders and report anomalies. /MP