Palace to get sentiments of Yolanda victims in EV

TACLOBAN CITY — The national government will spearhead a series of consultations in Eastern Visayas to get the sentiments of Yolanda survivors and check the status of unfinished livelihood and housing projects in Yolanda-affected areas.

Presidential Adviser on Special Concerns Wendel Avisado announced this on Tuesday in a meeting, at the NEDA-8 office, hosted by the Regional Development Council-8 chaired by Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez.

Attended by governors, mayors, and heads of national government agencies in the region, the meeting was aimed at getting the issues and concerns of Yolanda survivors in resettlement sites, and check on the status of ongoing Yolanda rehabilitation projects, said Avisado.

President Rodrigo Duterte had tasked Avisado to oversee projects in the so-called Yolanda corridor. “The president wants to know the status of Yolanda rehabilitation projects after three years … we will go to every province … that’s how serious the president is,” Avisado said.

Director Kim De Leon of the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns said the consultations will also check if there are issues of ‘mismatch’ in projects implemented.

De Leon said that among the expected outputs of the talks are the well-being and sustainability of the Yolanda survivors’ stay in resettlement areas. Government agencies are also expected to identify their short-term to medium-term interventions as answer to issues in the resettlement sites.

The first phase of these provincial consultations will be held in Tacloban City on March 19 in Barangays Kawayan, Cabalawan, and San Isidro; and March 20 in Barangays San Isidro (Guadalupe), Sto. Nino, Suhi, Kawayan, Sta. Elena, Camansihay, Salvacion, and Tigbao.

There will also be an open forum among local officials, representatives of government agencies and Yolanda survivors, as well as reporting of Yolanda Cluster updates.

Romualdez, for her part, encouraged everyone to cooperate in the planned consultations as this will help make government interventions more responsive to the actual needs of Yolanda survivors.

More than P20 billion has been released by the national government to fund various post-Yolanda projects in Eastern Visayas, according to the Department of Budget and Management. Livelihood Centers will also be built in resettlement areas with funds from the public and private sectors.

In a status update, it was shown that 1,000 northern Tacloban residents were recipients of livelihood starter kits from the Department of Trade and Industry.

The National Housing Authority meanwhile reported that, of the targeted 14,433 units it intends to build in Tacloban, a total of 11,195 were already completed, and 11,101 of these have been awarded to recipients, while 1,644 are in “various stages” said the NHA.

Tacloban City has the most number of Yolanda Housing projects, as it was declared ‘ground zero’ after Yolanda devastated the region in 2013.