P10 B allotted for typhoon rehab fund; rains leave 21 dead in Visayas, Mindanao

A P10-billion rehabilitation fund for typhoon-stricken areas was included by the bicameral conference committee in the proposed national budget.

An P8-billion allocation called the Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Effort (CARE) is now incorporated in the P1.126-trillion outlay for areas affected last year by typhoons "Milenyo," "Paeng," "Reming" and "Seniang," Senate committee on finance chairman Franklin Drilon said.

An additional P2 billion under the budget of the Department of Education would be used for the repair and construction of school buildings ravaged by the typhoons in the Bicol region.

But while these areas are slowly getting back on their feet, floods and landslides left 21 people dead and 16 injured in the Visayas and Mindanao after more than a week of heavy rains.

The rains, brought on by a cold front and a tropical depression, caused landslides and rivers to overflow in Mindanao’s Caraga region and the central islands of Leyte and Samar, the Office of Civil Defense (OCD) said in a statement yesterday.

Twenty-one people were recorded dead, nine of them due to landslides in Samar, while the rest died largely due to flooding elsewhere.

Five other people were missing and feared dead from landslides, a capsized boat or after being swept away by strong waters, the OCD added.

About 23,000 people had to flee their homes with more than 800 houses destroyed by landslides and floods in Samar and Caraga, which is composed of the Surigao and Agusan provinces.

Several roads in Mindanao remained impassable either because they had been washed away or were still covered by high floodwaters, the OCD reported.

Financial assistance and food are being distributed to the victims of the bad weather, the office added.

Meanwhile, of the P8-billion CARE allocation, P500 million will be allotted to the Department of Agriculture for livelihood programs of farmers whose lands and crops were destroyed by the calamities, Drilon said.

Another P500 million would go to the repair of irrigation systems through the National Irrigation Authority; P500 million as support to agrarian reform communities through the Department of Agrarian Reform; P500 million for the rehabilitation of electricity facilities under the Department of Energy; and P400 million for the repair and rehabilitation of school buildings of the State Colleges and Universities (SUCs).

For the repair of public hospitals, P300 million would be allocated to the Department of Health.

The Department of Public Works and Highways would get P2 billion for the repair and rehabilitation of roads, bridges, government buildings and other infrastructure.

A total of P750 million would go to the Department of Social Welfare and Development to provide livelihood projects such as Cash for Work Livelihood Programs.

The National Housing Authority gets P750 million for the purchase of relocation sites and construction of housing units for the displaced families.

A total of P1.3 billion will be allocated for the National Disaster Coordinating Council and P500 million for the local government units for the repair of rural health units and hospitals and for funding rehabilitation programs.

"The 2007 national budget, once signed into law, will provide for funds badly needed by our countrymen, especially in the Bicol region who suffered the misfortunes brought about by the series of massive typhoons," Drilon said.

Four typhoons struck the country from September to December last year, killing more than a thousand people, injuring some 3,000 and leaving 850 missing.

Nearly 440,000 people were displaced and according to a report by the United Nations, almost eight million people in 62 of the country’s 79 provinces were affected by the four typhoons.

A total of 512,00 homes were destroyed and another 711,000 partially damaged.

Damage to infrastructure, agricultural crops and schools stood at $308 million. — Marvin Sy, AFP