BangonPilipinas: PNoy forms task group for 'Yolanda' rehab

Abs-cbnnews: MANILA - President Aquino has formed a task group composed of various Cabinet members which would come up with a “comprehensive rehabilitation program” for areas hit by super typhoon “Yolanda.”

“President Aquino directed the Cabinet yesterday to hasten the transition of relief efforts into the full-scale rehabilitation and rebuilding of typhoon-damaged areas,” Communications Secretary Sonny Coloma said.

Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, a former governor of Leyte, has been designated as coordinator of the task group.

Coloma said the task group has identified areas of priorities which would be supervised by corresponding cabinet members:

1. Shelter and reconstruction: DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson;
2. Power restoration - Energy Secretary Petilla;
3. Livelihood and employment - Agriculture Secretary Proceso Alcala, DTI Secretary Gregory Domingo, DOLE Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz, and TESDA Director General Joel Villanueva;
4. Resettlement and psychosocial care - DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman;
5. Environmental protection - DENR Secretary Ramon Paje;
6. Resource generation and allocation - Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima, DBM Secretary Butch Abad, and DFA Secretary Albert del Rosario.
7. The post-disaster needs assessment and inter-agency effort will be supervised by Cabinet Secretary Jose Rene Almendras.

NEDA Director General Arsenio Balisacan will be tasked to synthesize and integrate all proposed programs and projects for submission to the President and the cabinet.

“The President emphasized to the cabinet that a fine-tuned plan responsive to the specific needs at the community level is necessary. He also said that it is important to enable the people to attain greater self-reliance while participating in the rebuilding of their communities,” Coloma said.

The task group has been directed to submit and present the plan not later than Wednesday, November 27.

Aquino is also tapping the help of local government units across the nation.

Aquino has asked Nueva Ecija Governor Aurelio “Boy” Umali, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the Philippines (ULAP), “to mobilize the active participation of the Leagues of Provinces, Cities, and Municipalities and the Liga ng mga Barangay in concerted efforts to fully engage the citizenry at the grassroots level.”

The rehabilitation plan will also involve the plan of the MMDA and Metro Manila mayors to “adopt-a-town” to help rehabilitate LGUs in Leyte, Samar, and other affected areas.

An “adopt-a-family” plan is also in the works to support affected families.

Rehabilitation may take a long time as rebuilding efforts in communities affected by typhoons “Sendong” and “Pablo” are still ongoing.

But Coloma said the administration seeks to “fast-track” the rehabilitation efforts.

Meantime, Aquino also ordered Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and DOST Secretary Mario Montejo to look into the “extraordinarily high number of casualties” in certain areas in Leyte with the aim of finding out what happened and building more resilient houses and structures in the future.