First batch of post-Yolanda rehab projects 95% complete – DILG

President Benigno S. Aquino III inspects the facilities of the temporary shelter at the Cogon Relocation Site in Barangay Cogon, Guiuan during a visit to the province of Eastern Samar on Friday (November 07). With the President are DSWD Sec. Dinky Soliman and DPWH Sec. Rogelio Singson. More than 200 Yolanda survivors will benefit from some 133 housing units. It was in Guiuan where super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest typhoon ever recorded, made its first landfall on November 08, 2013.
(Photo by Gil Nartea / Malacañang Photo bureau)

MANILA – The first batch of rehabilitation and recovery efforts in typhoon Yolanda-affected local government units is 95 percent complete under the Recovery Assistance on Yolanda (RAY) project of the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).

DILG Secretary Mel Senen S. Sarmiento said a total of 299 out of the 309 partially-damaged municipal facilities are now rehabilitated with the remaining 10 projects expected to be completed by the first quarter of 2016.

“Matatapos na natin ang pagsasaayos ng mga nasirang pasilidad na kasama sa listahan ng unang batch ng RAY project. Kasalukuyan namang patuloy ang ating pagsasaayos sa mga pasilidad na kasama sa pangalawang batch,” Sarmiento said.

“Patuloy ang pag-alalay ng DILG at ng buong pamahalaan sa pagbangon ng ating mga mahal na kababayan na nasalanta ng bagyong Yolanda” he added.

The RAY Project provides support and assistance to local government units (LGUs) most affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan). These LGUs are in the provinces of Palawan, Masbate, Aklan, Antique, Capiz, Iloilo, Negros Occidental, Cebu, Biliran, Eastern Samar, Leyte and Samar.

The DILG Secretary said the first batch of funds amounting to Php 1.24B was released to LGUs in April 2014 for the repair and rehabilitation of partially-damaged municipal facilities. Among this first batch of projects include the repair and rehabilitation of provincial/city/municipal halls, public markets and civic centers.

RAY Batch 1 fund also covers assistance to the Philippine National Police (PNP), Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) and DILG Region 8 for the rehabilitation of local police stations, local jails, fire stations and regional office and facilities amounting to PhP259 Million.

PNP completed eight out of the 22 police stations, while 14 are still on-going rehabilitation. For BJMP, 20 out of 22 jail facilities are already complete, while two are still on-going repairs. The 43 fire stations of BFP are all complete and functional. The repair and rehabilitation of DILG Region VIII office and its other facilities are still in progress.

Under the first batch of projects, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) also implemented the rehabilitation of 13 totally-damaged municipal facilities amounting to Php 494.45 million. Five municipal facilities are now completed, while six are still on-going construction. One project is in the procurement stage, and another one is in the pre-procurement process.

Sarmiento pointed out that the 95% completion rate of the first batch of post-Yolanda rehabilitation is a far cry from the 42.72 percent completion rate (138 out of the 323) reported in December 2014. The funds were released in April 2014 so eight months was not enough to complete the enormous rehabilitation efforts in the affected provinces.

RAY Batch 2: 42 percent Complete

For the second batch of RAY projects, the DILG Secretary reported that the project is now at 42 percent weighted overall status. That is, 601 of the 3,626 barangay facilities are now complete, while the remaining 1,051 are on-going rehabilitation, 1,414 are under procurement and the remaining 560 in the pre-procurement stage.

He said the funds for RAY Batch 2 projects amounting to Php1.57 billion was released only last May 2015.

RAY Batch 2 focuses on the rehabilitation of totally and partially-damaged barangay facilities such as barangay halls, barangay day care centers, barangay civic centers, and the seven additional municipal facilities which were not funded under the first batch.

As part of the second batch of projects, the DPWH also handles the reconstruction of the remaining 12 totally-damaged infrastructures amounting to Php 359.37 million. Of this, one project is already complete, eight are still under construction, one under procurement and two under pre-procurement process.