Press Release
September 18, 2008

ROXAS SEEKS IMMEDIATE REHABILITATION OF WESTERN VISAYAS PROPOSES P20-B 'PAGLAUM' FUND AS SUPPLEMENTARY BUDGET

Liberal President Senator Mar Roxas is seeking the immediate rehabilitation of provinces in Western Visayas, which are still reeling from the damage wrought by Typhoon "Frank" last June, through a P20-billion supplementary budget he dubbed as 'Paglaum' (Hope) Fund on top of the 2008 national budget.

"Ang bilis ng bagyo dahil ilang araw lang ay wasak agad ang lahat. Hanggang ngayon, gumagapang pa rin ang mga tao para i-ahon ang buhay nila. Pero ang bagal kumilos ng gobyerno," said Roxas, who will be visiting Iloilo tomorrow, Friday.

The P20-billion Paglaum Fund will prioritize the repair and rehabilitation of infrastructure such as roads bridges, communication and power lines, hospitals, school buildings, water and irrigation systems, and other such projects.

Aid, relief, rehabilitation and livelihood shall also be extended to victims of Typhoon "Frank," giving emphasis to livelihood and employment opportunities.

To oversee and carry out implementation of the proposed act, a Western Visayas Rehabilitation and Development Commission shall be created, composed of the Cabinet Officer for Regional Development as chairman, and regional directors of various departments.

"The flood brought about by the typhoon was the worst to hit Panay Island in recorded history. Government reports, news accounts of the floods, and the TV footage of the disaster - all these cannot approximate the horrible experiences that the people of Panay and the surrounding provinces went through," he said.

The Ilonggo senator noted how the President has ordered local government units to prepare rehabilitation plans for the area, in order for the national government to disburse the needed funds, but that the 2008 General Appropriations Act was not equipped with the necessary budget for dealing with the damages.

"We have pushed our government to make the best use of its resources as found in the 2008 budget, but it's just not enough. We have to act now, and have these new funds released as soon as possible," he said.

The NDCC has pegged the damage in the Western Visayas region at P14 billion.. Of this, damage to agricultural products was placed at P5.21 billion, with farm lands washed away, and cattle and poultry drowned.

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