Still no rehab master plan six months after 'Yolanda'

MANILA, Philippines — The Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) admitted on Wednesday that there is still no final and official rehabilitation master plan in place half a year after Typhoon Yolanda devastated Eastern Visayas.

The joint congressional oversight committee on public expenditures learned that while some agencies have drawn up their respective plans, a formal consolidated master plan approved by all concerned offices has yet to be finalized.

"Categorically, no [we don't have a final consolidated master plan] because we do not have all the submissions," OPARR communications director Karen Jimeno told lawmakers during the joint congressional hearing.

Jimeno said under Republic Act 10121, the post-disaster needs assessment (PDNA) to be prepared by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) under the Office of the Civil Defense shall be the basis for the rehabilitation master plan.

But the final version of the PDNA, however, is still unavailable because the NDRRMC has only submitted an initial draft.

As a "rough substitute" for the PDNA and to speed up the process, Jimeno said the OPARR formed five clusters - composed of different government agencies - for infrastructure, resettlement, social services, livelihood and support.

"We are trying a way wherein inspite of the absence of the PDNA, we can get, more or less, an accurate assessment of the budgetary needs per area of concern," Jimeno said.

But out of the five, Jimeno lamented that only the infrastracture cluster has submitted a report to OPARR chief Panfilo Lacson.

When grilled by Senator Chiz Escudero, Jimeno agreed that unless the reports are submitted to the OPARR and forwarded later to President Aquino, the remaining needed budget for the rehabilitation projects will not be released.

Saying the OPARR is only a coordinating body, Jimeno clarified that they do not have the authority to compel government agencies to cooperate with them.

"We can call on government agencies to coordinate with us... [but] we do not have police power to penalize them for not working with us," Jimeno said.

No sense of urgency?

During the hearing, lawmakers expressed concern over the situation in the government's rehabilitation efforts six months after Yolanda.

"Ilang buwan na ang nakilapas, para bang lumalabas na wala pang plano, and it would appear that not much is being done... nothing has been consolidated," Senator Ralph Recto said.

For his part, Escudero said he does not see "a sense of urgency on the part of our officials."

House Minority Leader Ronaldo Zamora said what is being done now is "clearly not enough." He said Lacson and the OPARR should be given more authority since the Philippines will surely be dealing with new disasters in the future.

"The truth is, Yolanda is not going to be the only case that we will be touching on in the next few months or years. Sooner or later, we're going to have to call OPARR for another new set of calamities," Zamora said.

"We have El Niño. Baka abutan na tayo ng bagong kalamidad hindi pa natatapos ang plano rito," Recto added.

On track

But in a televised press briefing after the joint congressional hearing on Wednesday noon, Lacson said the government's rehabilitation efforts are "on track."

"Six months after, marami na pong nangyari dun sa Yolanda avenue," Lacson said. "And considering the vastness of the area and the devastation, mukhang hindi naman po talaga nahuli at sinisikap pa nating mas madiliin pa."

The rehabilitation czar said government agencies have been addressing the needs of the typhoon victims.

"Walang malawakang kagutuman na nangyayari. Wala namang famine. Wala namang epidemya. At wala namang breakdown ng law and order," Lacson said.