‘Let single gov’t agency handle Marawi rehab’
A single government body or agency should be in charge of rebuilding Marawi, Sen. Panfilo Lacson said yesterday.
Citing the experience in the rehabilitation of areas hit by Super Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas, Lacson said many agencies were involved and everyone is ”doing their own thing.”
“Only one body should be in charge when there is a calamity or disaster whether natural or man-made,” Lacson said in an interview over radio station dwIZ.
He said President Duterte could create the agency, which will be under the Office of the President, through an executive order.
As presidential assistant for rehabilitation and recovery during the Aquino administration, Lacson lamented that he was not able to accomplish much because he did not have any authority. He had earlier criticized the “lack of focus” of concerned government agencies.
Lacson said many lessons learned during his stint as Yolnda rehabilitation czar are being addressed by the agencies tasked to oversee the rehabilitation of Marawi.
Lacson commended Task Force Bangon Marawi for conducting post-disaster needs assessment. He said the assessment would give the task force an idea of how much funding is required.
He also stressed the need to amend Republic Act 10121 or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act.
At least P50 billion will be needed to rehabilitate Marawi, which will take three years to complete, Defense Secretary and Task Force Bangon Marawi chairman Delfin Lorenzana said during a recent Senate hearing.
Sen. Miguel Zubiri sought the approval of a supplemental budget to cover the reconstruction cost, which he said was not included in the proposed P3.767 trillion national budget for 2018.
The President declared Marawi liberated from Maute militants on Tuesday.