THE Duterte government is "working harder" to speed up the recovery efforts in areas affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda (international name Haiyan) in 2013, Malacañang said on Wednesday, November 7.
Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo made the assurance a day before the country would mark the fifth year since Yolanda devastated parts of the Visayas and killed more than 6,000 people.
In a statement, Panelo said Yolanda left a "hard lesson" for the government to assist the typhoon victims "with more compassion and urgency."
"As we pay tribute to the sacrifices and support of those who were on the front lines of responding to the calamity, as well as all the nations, agencies, and organizations that helped us overcome the ordeal, we commend the exemplary resilience of our own people, which in the face of adversity, have remained steadfast," the Palace official said.
"Yolanda has taught us a hard lesson in public service, particularly on the need to respond to our people’s plight with more compassion and urgency. This is why the Duterte administration has worked harder to fast track the recovery efforts for Yolanda survivors," he added.
Yolanda, considered as one of the strongest tropical cyclones to make landfall in the Philippines, affected nearly 12.2 million people.
Panelo noted that the current administration released around P146.156 billion, as of December 31, 2017 to assist the typhoon victims. He said half of the funds were allotted for housing programs and ancillary basic utilities.
He said 100,609 of the 205,128 permanent housing targets for areas struck by Yolanda have been completed, as of October 31.
"[About] 46,412 [housing units] have already been occupied while 54,297 are now ready for occupancy, according to the National Housing Authority," the Palace official said.
"To speed up resettlement, we are addressing issues that cause the delay, which include limited availability of titled lands for resettlement, slow processing and issuance of permits and licenses for construction projects and absence of sustainable livelihood opportunities, among others," he added.
Panelo said the Finance and Social Welfare departments were also drafting a joint order to create a one-stop-shop facility for relief consignment, which is similar to the proposal of Senator Juan Edgardo Angara.
To avoid a repeat of the massive devastation caused by Yolanda, Panelo said the executive branch was expecting that Congress would be able to pass the measure creating the Department of Disaster Resilience (DDR).
In July, the Presidential Legislative Liaison Office, submitted a bill establishing the DDR.
House Bill 8165, otherwise known as the Department of Disaster Resilience Act, has been passed on third and final reading. A Senate version is expected to be approved. (SunStar Philippines)