DUTERTE VOWS FAST INFRA REHAB

President Duterte on Wednesday vowed to fast-track the rehabilitation of roads, bridges and other infrastructure in Lanao del Norte provinces damaged by floods spawned by Tropical Storm “Vinta” (international name: Tembin).

In a briefing with mayors of devastated towns, Mr. Duterte issued instructions for the Army to help the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) repair damaged roads and destroyed bridges in the towns of Tubod, Lala and Salvador.

Mr. Duterte gave specific instruction to presidential assistant Christopher “Bong” Go to coordinate with Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana the use of the Army’s engineering construction brigades to assist the DPWH in repairing infrastructure.

“We will fast-track everything. You can be sure of that. The money is being appropriated to the departments concerned,” he told the mayors during the televised briefing in Tubod, Lanao del Norte.

The President said the first order of the day was to help the devastated cities, towns and barangays to “return to normalcy as soon as possible.”

He promised to instruct Public Works Secretary Mark Villar and Agriculture Secretary Manny Piñol to visit these areas and follow up the government’s interventions there.

Mr. Duterte also extended his condolences to storm victims as he presided over the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council briefing in Tubod with the local officials, including Gov. Imelda Quibranza-Dimaporo.

“I’d like to just extend my condolences to those who have died in this unfortunate event and of course those who have suffered both in property and lives,” he said.

“There seems to be no letup in the typhoons that batter the country today … It’s saddening to say but we have been—we ended or we will end 2017 with a bang of so many deaths of the Filipinos,” he added.

Vinta struck Mindanao on Friday and left at least 240 persons dead and more than a hundred others missing, and displaced 13,000 families.

Due to bad weather, Mr. Duterte on Wednesday skipped the turnover of housing units to displaced residents of war-ravaged Marawi City, and flew straight to Tubod.

Despite this, Task Force Bangon Marawi proceeded with the turnover of 250 temporary houses, instead of 500, at Barangay Sagongsongan, Housing Assistant Secretary Felix Castro said.

The remaining 250 units would be turned over next month, he added.