Medialdea refutes Marcos’ claims on Yolanda inaction

DAVAO CITY , Philippines — Former executive secretary Salvador Medialdea yesterday refuted President Marcos’ claims that the past administrations have done nothing to provide housing units for victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“This can be substantiated by documents, photos, minutes and records of the inter-agency task force headed by then Cabinet secretary Karlo Nograles, the National Housing Authority, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) and concerned local government units,” Medialdea said.

He said Yolanda struck the country in 2013, during the administration of former president Benigno Aquino III.

The total number of houses washed away by the super typhoon reached 205,000, from Samar to Palawan.

Medialdea said the same figure was the target to be accomplished by the Aquino administration, which initially constructed 160,000 housing units and implemented the project in 2014.

He said the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte worked on the Yolanda housing project until 2022.

In 2020, Medialdea said the remaining 45,000 housing units were completed and implemented during the COVID pandemic. He said when Duterte’s term ended on June 2022, records showed the administration was able to accomplish 85 percent of the project.

“Please take note that the total budget for the Yolanda rehabilitation was not released all at once. It was gradually released by the DBM on a yearly basis and implementation was also gradual,” Medialdea said.

“The fastest and the purposive action to complete the housing project with water and power connection was done during the Duterte government. In March 2017, Duterte declared the Yolanda project as full grant,” he said, noting the houses were free and could be occupied by qualified beneficiaries.

He said records from the DBM and local government units could attest to his claims.

Medialdea said the implementation of the remaining 15 percent of the housing target started under the administration of Marcos.