Cabinet now Yolanda Task Group

22 Nov 2013 Written by Butch Fernandez

THE Aquino Cabinet has been constituted into a task group, with each secretary handling specific duties to speed up
the administrations massive reconstruction and rehabilitation program in areas devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda
(international code name Haiyan).
Its first task is to draw up a comprehensive and precise detailing of the requirements of each affected area.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio B. Coloma Jr. told a Palace briefing that Mr.
Aquino wants the task group to present a comprehensive rehabilitation program to be taken up by the Cabinet
not later than Wednesday, November 27.
Cabinet Secretary Rene D. Almendras will oversee the needs assessment programs, while National Economic and
Development Authority (Neda) Director General Arsenio M. Balisacan will coordinate the work of the other agencies.
The Neda, Coloma said, would synthesize and integrate all proposed programs and projects for submission to the
President and the Cabinet.
The task group will be supported by the Cabinet clusters on Economic Development; Poverty Reduction and Social
Welfare; Climate-Change Mitigation and Adaptation; Security and Law and Order; and Good Government.
Energy Secretary Carlos Jericho Petilla, a former governor of Leyte, was named task group coordinator.
Coloma said the task group will focus on the following priorities:

shelter and reconstructionPublic Works Secretary Rogelio J. Singson;

power restorationPetilla;
livelihood and employmentAgriculture Secretary Proceso J. Alcala; Trade Secretary Gregory L.

Domingo; Labor Secretary Rosalinda Baldoz; Technical Education and Skills Development Authority Director
General Joel Villanueva;
resettlement and psychosocial careSocial Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman;
environmental protectionEnvironment Secretary Ramon J.P. Paje;
resource generation and allocationFinance Secretary Cesar V. Purisima, Budget Secretary Florencio B.
Abad and Foreign Secretary Albert F. del Rosario.

Acknowledging local-government involvement as a key component of the post-Yolanda rehabilitation

program, the President has tapped Interior Secretary Manuel Roxas II as coordinator. The President also
sought the active participation of all governors, mayors and local officials, Coloma added.
The President instructed Nueva Ecija Gov. Aurelio Umali, president of the Union of Local Authorities of the
Philippines, to harness the Leagues of Provinces, Cities and Municipalities and the Liga ng mga Barangay in
concerted efforts to fully engage the citizenry at the grassroots level, Coloma said.
The President emphasized to the Cabinet that a fine-tuned plan responsive to the specific needs at the
community level is necessary. He also said it is important to enable the people to attain greater self-reliance while
participating in the rebuilding of their communities, Coloma said.

He added that the President had also noted the extraordinarily high number of casualties in Tacloban City, Tolosa,
Tanauan, Palo, Dulag and nearby areas that, according to the statistics, account for more than 90 percent of all
the casualties. He [Mr. Aquino] directed Justice Secretary Leila de Lima and Secretary Mario Montejo of the
DOST [Department of Science and Technology] to look into this matter, Coloma said.
Coloma said there is yet no firm estimate of the exact cost of rebuilding because the President wants groundbased assessment for the Palace to use as basis for allocating public funds for the massive reconstruction.
He said the post-disaster needs assessment has to be completed first to have a reasonable determination of the
total cost, pointing out that what has been done so far was what he characterized as tabletop calculations.
The President is not satisfied with tabletop calculations, he wants a ground-based assessment, so we need the
participation of the local governments affected, he added.

President Aquino directed the Cabinet yesterday to hasten the transition of relief efforts into the fullscale rehabilitation and rebuilding of typhoon-damaged areas.
involvement of local government units will also be a "key component" of the rehabilitation program,
which will be coordinated by Interior Sec. Mar Roxas
The Palace official said that as part of the rehabilitation program, the adopt-a-town concept initiated
by the MMDA and Metro Manila mayors will be replicated and expanded to include all the severelyhit municipalities and cities.
He likewise said they will try to create a a program with an "adopt-a-family" concept.
During the Cabinet meeting in Malacaang yesterday, NEDA chief Arsenio M. Balisacan presented the plan,
which has three phases. These phases are: to provide immediate assistance to affected areas; expand
initiatives and programs in the medium term; and reach full recovery and rehabilitation in the long term.
The President pre-approved the plan and called for another Cabinet meeting on Friday to fine-tune the
rehabilitation plan.

Posted on November 29, 2013 09:05:31 PM

Cabinet still fine-tuning rehab plan for storm-struck areas

"The President approved in principle many of the items cited, but asked [Mr.] Balisacan and other pertinent
members of the Cabinet for more specific details before providing formal approval," Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said in a statement yesterday.
The Cabinet cluster which is in charge of the rehabilitation and reconstruction is headed by Department of

Energy Secretary and former Leyte governor Carlos Jericho L. Petilla.

Mr. Balisacan said last week that the early stages of the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the areas hardhit by the typhoon could take two to three years.
In a related development, Ayala-led Globe Telecom, Inc. expects to fully restore its network in the Visayas
region by yearend, an official of the firm said.

The President and the Cabinet fleshed out and fine-tuned the implementation aspects of the post-Yolanda
rehabilitation and reconstruction program," Presidential Communications Office Secretary Herminio "Sonny"
B. Coloma, Jr. said over state-run radio dzRB on Saturday.
The government will spend P40.9 billion for the initial phase of the plan which will be used for: shelter and
public infrastructure including roads, bridges, airport, port and other facilities (67%); livelihood and
employment including support got agriculture and fisheries (12%); local facilities (11%); and the balance for
social services, including health services, education and training.
"The initial estimate of P38.8 billion was revised upward to P40.9 billion, after factoring in the verified
requirements for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire stations, and public markets," Mr.
Coloma explained.
"These budget estimates will be subjected to further fine-tuning through on-ground validation of initial rapid
assessment findings."
Mr. Coloma said the initial phase will be funded partly from the P14.6-billion supplemental budget now
awaiting congressional approval and P16 billion from the 2013 budget.
He said the government may tap "external sources" of funding.
Mr. Aquino and his Cabinet also identified 171 municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions or 4,971
barangays in an area of 25,000 square kilometers with an estimated total population of 6.6 million as "firstpriority areas" for rehabilitation and reconstruction.
Within those areas, there are four priority thrusts of rehabilitation and reconstruction, namely: housing and
resettlement; reconstructing economic and social infrastructure; restoring government and public services;
restoring agriculture and fisheries; as well as re-energizing local economic development through livelihood
and employment.
The priority areas are within a 50-kilometer-wide corridor traversed by the eye of Typhoon Yolanda as it tore
through central Philippines.
Mr. Aquino "emphasized the need to ensure that basic needs of food and shelter are addressed adequately
and in a timely manner."
"He also said that forward-planning must focus on strengthening the capability of our people, institutions,
and structures to deal with the challenge of mitigating the impact of similar disasters and abrupt climate
change," Mr. Coloma said.
Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio M. Baliscan presented the three-phased recovery and
rehabilitation plan during a Cabinet meeting last Wednesday.
These phases are: to provide immediate assistance to affected areas; expand initiatives and programs in the

medium term; and reach full recovery and rehabilitation in the long term.
Mr. Aquino, however, ordered planners to put more details in the blueprint.
The Cabinet cluster which is in charge of the rehabilitation and reconstruction plan is headed by Energy
Secretary and former Leyte governor Carlos Jericho L. Petilla.
CASUALTIES, DAMAGE COST RISING
The number of casualties in the aftermath of typhoon Yolanda rose to just short of 5,600 early Friday, as the
government continued to count the storms costs.
In the 6:00 a.m. report of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) on
Friday, the number of persons reported dead increased to 5,598 from the 5,560 reported on Thursday.
The number of injured also increased to 26,136 from 25,615, and the number of the missing rose to 1,759
from 1,757.
The damage estimate also mounted to P27.84 billion from P24.54 billion.
In the breakdown, estimated damage to infrastructure, as of Friday, is pegged at P15.56 billion -- P12.71
billion in roads and bridges, P230.39 million in flood control, P310.88 million in health facilities and P2.31
billion in schools.
Damage of P12.28 billion was estimated for agriculture -- P5.95 billion in crops, P2.21 billion in livestock,
P2.26 billion in fisheries, P212.7 million in irrigation facilities and P1.65 billion in other agricultural
infrastructure.
The number of affected individuals also increased to 10.96 million. Of this total, 3.81 million persons were
displaced and being served inside and outside evacuation centers -- 219,158 persons inside, and 3.59
million persons outside.
Combined cost of assistance extended to typhoon victims from the Department of Social Welfare and
Development (DSWD), the Department of Health, non-government organizations and local government units
has already reached P630.98 million.
The same NDRRMC report noted that, to date, a total of 34,576 personnel, 1,336 vehicles, 111 seacraft and
162 aircraft both from local and foreign agencies have been deployed to expedite the relief response.
Meanwhile, as humanitarian aid for Yolanda-hit areas in the Visayas continues to arrive, the DSWD Field
Office VII in Cebu has partnered with other government agencies to set up a one-stop processing station for
all foreign donations at the Mactan Air Base.
In a press release on Friday, the DSWD said that this is in response to the call of the Bureau of Customs
(BoC) for a venue to centralize the processing and documentation of donated relief supplies and to facilitate
their release within 24 hours from filing of import entry.
According to the press release, the one-stop station is open 24/7, but the DSWD clarified that not all
donations are in its custody.
It really depends on the donor and to whom they would like to give their donations. Based on protocol, all
documents will pass through the one-stop processing center, but it does not mean that DSWD will receive all
donations, DSWD-FO VII Regional Director Mercedita Jabagat was quoted saying in the statement.

There are international organizations that choose to give their donations to their local counterparts, Ms.
Jabagat noted.
The DSWD, in its Infographic Relief Operations Report, posted on its website, said that foreign donations as
of Friday amount to $13.11 million (P573.72 million), and local donations, P47. 62 million. -- Kathryn Mae
P. Tubadeza and I. C. D. Delavin

Aquino administration still assessing

damage left by Yolanda
By Michael Lim Ubac
Philippine Daily Inquirer
8:20 pm | Friday, November 29th, 2013
3 96 12

Presidential spokesman Edwin Lacierda. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

MANILA, PhilippinesThree weeks after Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) dealt a crippling blow to the central
Philippines, the Aquino administration has yet to have a firm grasp of the full extent of the damage wrought by one of
the strongest storms to ever hit land.
As of late Friday afternoon, President Benigno Aquino was still meeting with the full Cabinet to ascertain whether his
administration would need to scale up funding for the Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Palan.
The President and the Cabinet continue to discuss the details of the critical immediate interventions on the Yolanda
Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan which includes shelter and resettlement, infrastructure, livelihood and social
services, Aquinos spokesman, Edwin Lacierda, said in reply to reporters questions.
Lacierda disclosed that the Cabinet was just beginning to discuss the effects of Yolanda, which first made landfall on
November 8 in Guiuan, Eastern Samar, and exited the Philippine Area of Responsibility the following day after
making five other landfalls.
The first part of the agenda was the presentation by (Science) Secretary Mario Montejo of a the storm surge
simulation, particularly on what happened to Regions 6,7, 8 (which includes) Tacloban, said Lacierda.

The simulation would help update the list of the most severely affected municipalities and cities as priority areas for
rehabilitation and reconstruction, said Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma.
Yolanda flattened entire communities in the central Philippines and left at least 5,200 people dead.
In the face of the years biggest disaster, the government faces the task of sustaining the provision of relief to
hundreds of thousands of survivors as well as rebuilding the devastated provinces.
The President has asked Congress for an initial amount of P14.5 billion in supplemental budget to fund the massive
rehabilitation of central Philippines. This will be on top of the P2.268-trillion national budget for 2014 which was
approved on second reading by the Senate early this week.
But the Senate, anticipating a much heavier budgetary requirement for rebuilding Yolanda-stricken provinces, has
already included P100 billion for the reconstruction of the provinces destroyed by the earthquake and Yolanda.
On Wednesday, Aquino approved in principle many of the items included in the Yolanda Recovery and
Rehabilitation Plan, which was presented during a Cabinet meeting that day.
The plan, which has been drafted by a Cabinet cluster headed by Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Arsenio
Balisacan, will cover three phases: provision of immediate assistance to affected areas, expansion of initiatives and
programs in the medium term, and full recovery and rehabilitation in the long term.
In that Cabinet meeting, the President asked Balisacan and other members of the Cabinet for more specific details
before providing formal approval, said Lacierda.
Thus, the Cabinet met again on Friday to present further refinements to the plan, especially to the immediate
actions to be taken, said Lacierda.
In a separate briefing for reporters, Coloma talked of critical immediate actions that would be prioritized in the
rehabilitation program in the aftermath of Yolanda.
As stated yesterday by Secretary (Florencio) Abad in the House hearing on the supplemental budget, the proposed
outlay is P38.8 billion pesos. Nearly 80 percent is for the reconstruction of destroyed or damaged homes and repair
of classrooms, hospitals, public markets and other public facilities such as town halls and government offices, he
said.
According to Coloma, livelihood assistance for farmers and fishermen has also been prioritized due to the extreme
damage to crops and coconut trees and the disruption of fishing activities in the typhoons aftermath.
The Department of Education has asked faculty and students to report to their respective schools on Monday, but
deputy presidential spokesperson Abigail Valte clarified that regular classes were not yet expected to resume.
Quoting Education Secretary Armin Luistro, she said that this would not be a formal opening or resumption of
classes, but a way of checking the plight of the students affected by Yolanda.
The government needs to ascertain who are those who need help and what (assistance should) be extended to
them, she said.
Valte mentioned a proposal by the local government to synchronize the resumption of classes in high school and
elementary levels with the opening of tertiary classes on January 15, 2014.

We just want to see or assess how many of our teachers need assistance, and to know what the students still need,
she said.
According to Valte, some 4,400 classrooms need to be replaced after they were heavily damaged by Yolanda.
With the help of teachers, DepEd will have a systematic way of assessing the needs and condition of students and
their families, she said.
Its more of, really, a headcount (of the teachers and students) to establish the breadth of the (destruction) when it
comes to the public schools that have been affected, she said.

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Aquino wants 'specific details'

on Yolanda rehab plan
BY

NATASHYA GUTIERREZ

POSTED ON 11/27/2013 3:46 PM | UPDATED 11/27/2013 5:33 PM

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MEETING OVER YOLANDA. President Benigno Aquino III holds a Cabinet meeting on the government's recovery
and rehabilitation plan after Super Typhoon Yolanda. Malacaang Photo Bureau

MANILA, Philippines President Benigno Aquino III has approved in principle how the Cabinet
proposes to help survivors and rehabilitate areas devastated by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan), but
wants to know more specific details" of the plan.
This was what he stressed to members of his Cabinet on Wednesday, November 27, in a
meeting where Socio-economic and Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan presented the
Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Plan.
Earlier, Aquino created a Cabinet task force to outline an action plan on how the government
would address the basic social needs of the survivors until the end of 2014. The members then
submitted their respective plans to the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA).
Leading the task force is Energy Secretary Jericho Petilla, a former governor of Leyte, one of the
hardest-hit provinces.
The meeting comes nearly 3 weeks since the monster typhoon hit central Philippines and left
about 5,500 dead, and amid widespread criticism of the national government on its alleged lack
of preparation and subpar rehabilitation efforts.
The killer typhoon also damaged at least P12.65 billion in crops and infrastructure, and affected
over 10 million people.

According to a press release from the Palace, the plan has 3 phases:
Phase 1: Immediate assistance to affected areas
Phase 2: Expansion of initiatives and programs (medium term)
Phase 3: Full recovery and rehabilitation (long term)
On Friday, Balisacan announced in a press briefing that the plan will:

show how government can provide survivors basic needs until end of 2014

identify the communities that need to be prioritized

describe priority sectors and areas that should be put in place

show how livelihood and businesses can be restored in the affected areas

During the Cabinet meeting, Aquino inquired about immediate actions the government can take
while the rehabilitation plan is being refined.
He was quoted by the statement as saying, "Dapat gawin, kayang gawin, ngayon na (Whatever
needs to be done and we can do, do them now)."
The Cabinet is scheduled to meet on the same issue again on Friday, November 29. Budget
Secretary Florencio Abad said the President also wants to know by that date a clear plan
on how the rehabilitation plan will be funded. Rappler.com

The task group will focus on five priorities namely shelter and reconstruction; livelihood and employment;
resettlement and psycho-social care; environmental protection and resource generation and allocation.

In line with the mandate of RA 10121 (Philippine Disaster Management Act), the task group will be guided by the
conduct of a post-disaster needs assessment and this inter-agency effort will be supervised by Cabinet Secretary
Jose Rene Almendras," Coloma said.

Palace says government steps up efforts to help Yolanda-displaced residents December 1,

2013

Malacaang on Sunday reassured residents affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan) that the
government has intensified its efforts to render assistance to them.
Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Sonny Coloma Jr. said the
assistance includes having families adopt or host those who had been forced to flee their homes.
Patuloy na pinag-iigting ng pamahalaan ang pagtulong sa ating mga kababayan na lumikas sa kanikanilang mga bayan at lalawigan sa Silangang Visayas dulot ng bagyo at pansamantalang
nanunuluyan dito sa Maynila (The government continues to extend assistance to people forced to flee
their homes in Eastern Visayas and come to Metro Manila), Coloma said over government-run dzRB
Radyo ng Bayan.
He said the Departments of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and Health (DOH), and the
Philippine Air Force, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, Philippine Information
Agency, and local government units are working closely with private groups and non-government
organizations to help the internally displaced persons (IDPs).
Coloma also noted that the DSWD recently launched a project to adopt or host a family in Metro
Manila, to benefit residents displaced from Eastern Visayas.
He cited figures from the DSWD showing some 4,352 families or 18,016 people had gone to Metro
Manila from Samar and Leyte aboard C-130 planes, or aboard buses of the Land Transportation
Franchising and Regulatory Board from Nov. 16 to 29.
Of these, 3,042 families or 2,932 people had been assisted through the governments Oplan Hatid,
while the others are staying in a tent city in Pasay City, or in hospitals in Metro Manila.
Still others are being taken care of by non-government organizations or local government units.
Coloma also called on Filipinos to continue supporting those affected by Yolanda.
Malaki po ang trabahong dapat gawin. Nagpapasalamat po tayo sa kababayang nag-volunteer at
naguukol ng kanilang panahon at nagbibigay ng tulong. Sana magpatuloy itong diwa ng bayanihan na
kapuri-puri at kapakipakinabang para sa ating bansa (We still have a lot of work ahead of us. We thank
those who volunteered their time and efforts. We hope this spirit of bayanihan will continue), he said.

Government to spend P40.9 billion to rehabilitate hard-hit areas in Visayas

RegionNovember 30, 2013
President Benigno S. Aquino III and his Cabinet ironed out government programs aimed at immediately
rehabilitating typhoon-affected areas in Eastern Visayas, a Palace official said on Saturday.
In a statement Saturday, Presidential Communications Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr.
said the government priority areas are the localities within the 50-kilometer zone from the eye of
Typhoon Yolanda that struck Eastern Visayas and nearby regions.

Included in this first-priority zone are 171 municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions, Coloma said
over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
These municipalities cover 4,971 barangays in an area of 25,000 square kilometers with an estimated
total population 6.6 million as of 2010, he said. He added that the DOST is conducting continuing
analysis of satellite images to guide on-ground assessment of actual needs.
The Cabinet discussion also focused on providing livelihood to families affected by the typhoon that
needs to be done immediately, he said.
Within the priority areas, the major aspects of rehabilitation and reconstruction included housing and
resettlement, reconstruction of economic and social infrastructure; restoring government and public
services as well as focusing on agriculture and fisheries.
The government thrust is also geared towards re-energizing local economic development through
livelihood and employment, he reported.
The government also assessed the budgetary needs of the rehabilitation process, Coloma said. The
President emphasized the importance of fine-tuning budget estimates to ensure that every peso is
spent wisely, considering the magnitude of government expenditures not just for post-Yolanda
rehabilitation and for other calamities (including Zamboanga, Bohol and Central Luzon, post-Santi).
The Cabinet revised its initial estimate of P38.8 billion to P40.9 billion rehabilitation budget after
factoring in the requirements for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire stations, and
public markets.
The sectoral allocations are as follows: shelter and public infrastructure (including roads, bridges,
airport, port and other facilities), 67 percent; livelihood and employment (including support to
agriculture and fisheries) 12 percent; local facilities, 11 per cent; social services, including health
services, education and training, 9 percent.
These budget estimates will be subjected to further fine-tuning through on-ground validation of initial
rapid assessment findings.
The President emphasized the need to ensure that basic needs of food and shelter are addressed
adequately and in a timely manner, Coloma said.
The President wants forward-planning to focus on strengthening the capabilities of the people,
institutions, and structures to deal with the challenge of disasters as a result of climate change, he
added.

President Aquino approves Yolanda recovery, rehab plan in principleNovember 28, 2013
President Benigno S. Aquino III on Wednesday approved in principle a three-phase plan by the Cabinet
for the recovery and rehabilitation of residents affected by super typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

This was after the President called in the Cabinet for a meeting on the matter, Presidential
Spokesperson Edwin Lacierda said.
The plan has three phases: to provide immediate assistance to affected areas, expand initiatives and
programs in the medium term, and reach full recovery and rehabilitation in the long term, Lacierda
said in a statement.
He also said the President instructed the Cabinet to act soonest on what can be done.
Dapat gawin, kayang gawin, ngayon na, he quoted the President as saying.
Socio-economic Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan presented the Yolanda Recovery and
Rehabilitation Plan during the meeting, he added.
But the President also asked Balisacan and other Cabinet members concerned to give more specific
details, Lacierda said.
He added that the Cabinet will again meet with President Aquino on Friday to present further
refinements to the said plan, including the immediate actions to be taken.

First, the plan is an opportunity not only to rehabilitate and rebuild the provinces that
were hard hit by Typhoon Yolanda. The reconstruction plan must be a national one. To
repeat, now is the moment to revolutionize the economic structure.
In addition, tens of thousands of victims have left their homes and have become internal
refugees, evacuating to urban centers to start life all over again. This suggests that the
scope of the plan cannot be limited to the damaged areas.
In another area, the restoration of power is not a quick fix. The power shortage extends
to many parts of the archipelago. Further, we cannot discount a national energy crisis in
the medium term. This entails hard decisions that will address the market failure in the
energy sector.
Second, jobs have to be created. In the near term, giving cash to victims to do relief and
rehabilitation work is a good step. The massive infrastructure rebuilding will also result
in creating jobs, skilled and unskilled. But why stop there? After all, the administration is
committed to inclusive growth, in which the creation of quality jobs is the cornerstone.
Third, employment generationcreating jobs of higher productivity and expanding the
number of wage-workersis linked to industrial and technology policy. The government
through the Department of Trade and Industry has a program on expanding and

diversifying manufacturing through new forms of industrial policy. This program,

however, remains low key. It is high time we placed prominently on the national agenda
industrial and technology policy, which is tied to job creation. In this regard, we welcome
the technical assistance of multilateral organizations and donor countries,especially
those in East Asia, towards doing industrial policy right.
Fourth, industrial and technology policy has new substance and forms. It is not just
about picking winners; it is also about putting in place the disciplining mechanisms to
prevent abuse of discretion. It is also about collaboration between government and the
private sector to jointly diagnose problems, coordinate actions, and discover new ways
of doing things.
Moreover, industrial and technology policy must adapt to an unfortunate reality in the
Philippinesthat we will continue facing horrible natural disasters. In this sense,
developing local green technology to address disaster reduction and management and
climate change can be the lynchpin of such policy. The advantages of indigenous green
technology include its labor intensiveness and its dynamic comparative advantage
(given that the technology is relatively new, even to advanced countries).
Last but not least, the rehabilitation plan will obviously entail huge resources. This can
strain the governments fiscal capacity, but this problem is not a binding one. The
Department of Finance and the Bureau of Internal Revenue have performed well in
steadily increasing the tax effort. The combination of Kim Henaress tax administration
reforms and the passage of the sin tax reforms symbolizes confidence in governments
revenue performance.
To be sure, more revenue measures have to be put in place, all the more made
pronounced by the expenditure demand for rehabilitation. It is thus an imperative for
Congress to pass the bill on reforming mineral taxation and another bill on rationalizing
fiscal incentives. On top of this, depending on PNoys political capital, he may ask
Congress to reform the specific tax on petroleum, which has been eroded through the
years because of non-aadjustment to inflation.
Notwithstanding the increase in tax effort and the proposed tax reforms, government
cannot avoid borrowing to finance the rehabilitation program. A word of caution though:
It is better to borrow domestically than externally. A heavy inflow of foreign loans leads

to a currency appreciation, which in turn weakens the real sector and thereby
undermines the goal of inclusive growth.
We have heard it many times, but it has been recently articulated by Kim Henares, that
slow development in the Philippines is attributed to our weak sense of nationhood.
Typhoon Yolanda has moved the Filipinos, rich and poor, to act as one. Let us seize this
moment to sustain national action. Let us turn disasters like Yolanda into a gale of
creative destruction.
Sta. Ana is coordinator of Action for Economic Reforms (www.aer.ph).
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Human Development and Poverty Reduction Cabinet Cluste

InterAksyon.com
The online news portal of TV5
MANILA, Philippines Palace officials on Sunday sidestepped questions on whether former senator
Panfilo Lacson is indeed being eyed to preside over the rehabilitation of Eastern Visayas and other
calamity-hit areas, saying Fridays marathon Cabinet meeting tackled only courses of action and cost
estimates, not personalities.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a briefing the record of Lacson as a public servant
(Philippine National Police chief) and lawmaker (two-term senator) is beyond reproach, but that walang
pinag-usapan na particular na tao [there was no discussion of any particular person] when President
Benigno Aquino III called for a second Cabinet meeting last Friday to fine-tune the damage assessment
and estimates on how much it would cost to rebuild areas devastated by super typhoon Yolanda. In that
meeting, the Cabinet agreed to adjust upwards the bill for the rehabilitation, from P38.8 billion to P40.9
billion.
The massive reconstruction plan, Coloma noted, covers not just Eastern Visayas which bore the brunt of
super typhoon Yolanda, but also other areas that suffered from a string of calamities. Yolanda, he said, is
just the latest in a string of calamities, starting from typhoon Pablo last year, the Zamboanga siege (last
September), typhoon Santi which destroyed farm areas in Central Luzon, and the magnitude 7.2 quake in
Bohol and Cebu.
Coloma asked media to consider the context in which any decision to name overseers for rehabilitation
will be made: that it is a big responsibility, covers several major regions of the country, and is a long-term
program. Earlier, Saturday night, Coloma said, in response to a query by InterAksyon.com, that, there
was as yet "no basis to confirm" the information that Lacson had been offered the job of being a virtual
disaster rehab czar.
One of the Palace sources said Saturday night the official announcement could be expected soon.

If appointed, Lacson, a known ally of President Benigno Aquino III, will be effectively in charge of the P41
billion the Cabinet estimates will be needed for the rehabilitation and construction of Yolanda-stricken
areas.
The estimate was arrived at during Fridays meeting night, the second called by Aquino to discuss postYolanda rehabilitation last week.
Coloma said earlier the upward adjustment from the earlier estimate of P38.8 billion was agreed on after
factoring in the verified requirements for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire stations,
and public markets.
Pamalakaya: martial law in Eastern Visayas?
The militant federation of small fisherfolk organizations, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang
Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), reacting to the speculation about Lacsons appointment,
reminded Malacanang that the victims of the devastating typhoon were not asking for a "police state" but
complete and genuine rehabilitation program to bring back their lives to normal following the human
disaster the hit the region and 34 more provinces last month.
"What is this? A forthcoming imposition of Martial Law in Eastern Visayas with super cop Panfilo Lacson
at the helm of the rehabilitation program of the state? This is not rehabilitation, this is authoritarian rule in
the making," Pamalakaya vice chairperson Salvador France asked late Saturday night, as the he chided
President Aquino for allowing a Martial Law figure during the dark years of the Marcos dictatorship to
come back to life as rehabilitation czar in Eastern Samar and Leyte provinces. He was referring to
Lacsons stint, as a young officer, in the Metropolitan Intelligence Security Group (MISG), later accused of
human rights violations. Before being elected senator, Lacson had also served as director general of the
Philippine National Police in the Estrada presidency.

PH adopts P41-B immediate rehab plan for typhoon-hit areas

ABS-CBNnews.com
Posted at 12/02/2013 9:25 AM | Updated as of 12/02/2013 9:25 AM
MANILA - The Philippine government has adopted a P40.9 billion (about $951 million) immediate rehabilitation plan
for areas affected by powerful Typhoon Haiyan, with two-thirds of the funds to be allocated to shelter and public
infrastructure reconstruction, a spokesman said Saturday.
In a radio interview, Herminio Coloma of the Presidential Communications Operations Office said President Benigno
Aquino and members of his Cabinet fleshed out and fine-tuned the implementation aspects of the post-Haiyan
rehabilitation and reconstruction program during a meeting Friday.
"President Aquino and the Cabinet have approved this action plan in principle. Actual release of funds will follow
usual budget-authorization and fund-release processes," Coloma said in a separate text message to Kyodo News.
In his radio interview, Coloma said 67 percent of the budget estimate will be spent on shelters and public
infrastructure, including roads, bridges, airports, ports and other facilities.

The balance will be devoted to supporting livelihoods and employment as well as restoring social services.
Coloma said the priority areas for rehabilitation have been identified as the 4,971 villages across 14 provinces in the
central regions of the country with an estimated population of 6.6 million that bore the brunt of Haiyan on Nov. 8.
"These are the first-priority areas that, as determined by the (government weather station's) storm-tracking process,
were within the 50-kilometer zone from the eye of Typhoon Yolanda as it struck Eastern Visayas and nearby regions,"
Coloma said, using the Philippine name for the world's strongest typhoon to hit this year.
"The president emphasized the need to ensure that basic needs of food and shelter are addressed adequately and in
a timely manner," he added.
Coloma said the budget estimate will be subjected to further fine-tuning through on-ground validation of initial rapid
assessment findings.
The latest government assessment of damage caused by Haiyan showed that some 30.6 billion pesos worth of
infrastructure and agriculture products and facilities were destroyed.
These do not include the 1.1 million houses that were partially or totally wrecked by the typhoon, leaving some 3.8
million people displaced.
The report also disclosed that the death toll has reached 5,632, while 1,759 others remain missing.
The government rehabilitation plan is apart from what is being pushed by the United Nations and other international
agencies. The world body on Nov. 12 appealed for $301 million to cover the basic needs of the affected population for
an initial period of six months.
Orla Fagan of the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs said Friday that 47 percent of the amount
has already been met and that another appeal will be made soon to cover the one-year post-Haiyan period.
Coloma said Aquino has stressed that "forward-planning must focus on strengthening the capability of our people,
institutions and structures to deal with the challenge of mitigating the impact of similar disasters and abrupt climate
change."

PNoy readies rehab programs

Published : Sunday, December 01, 2013 00:00

Article Views : 112

PRESIDENT Benigno Aquino and his Cabinet have ironed out

programs aimed at immediately rehabilitating typhoon-affected

areas in Eastern Visayas.
In a press statement yesterday, Presidential Communications
Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said the
government priority areas are the localities within the 50kilometer zone from the eye of Typhoon Yolanda that struck
Eastern Visayas and nearby regions.
Coloma said that included in this first-priority zone are
171 municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions.
These municipalities cover 4,971 barangays in an area of
25,000 square kilometers with an estimated total population of
6.6 million as of 2010, he said. He added that the Department
of Science and Technology is conducting continuing analysis
of satellite images to guide on-groundassessment of actual
needs.
The Cabinet discussion Friday also focused on providing
livelihood to families affected by the typhoon that needs to be
done immediately, he said.
Within the priority areas, the major aspects of rehabilitation
and reconstruction include housing and resettlement,
reconstruction of economic and social infrastructure; restoring
government and public services as well as focusing on
agriculture and fisheries.
The government thrust is also geared towards re-energizing
local economic development through livelihood and
employment, Coloma reported.
The government also assessed the budgetary needs of the
rehabilitation process, he said. The President emphasized the
importance of fine-tuning budget estimates to ensure that

every peso is spent wisely, considering the magnitude of

government expenditures not just for post-Yolanda
rehabilitation and for other calamities (including Zamboanga,
Bohol and Central Luzon, post-Santi).
The Cabinet revised its initial rehabilitation budget estimate of
P38.8 billion to P40.9 billion after factoring in the requirements
for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire
stations, and public markets.
The sectoral allocations are as follows: shelter and public
infrastructure (including roads, bridges, airport, port and other
facilities), 67 percent; livelihood and employment (including
support to agriculture and fisheries) 12 percent; local facilities,
11 percent; social services, including health services, education
and training, 9 percent.
These budget estimates will be subjected to further fine-tuning
through on-ground validation of initial
rapid assessment findings.
The President emphasized the need to ensure that basic needs
of food and shelter are addressed adequately and in a timely
manner, Coloma said.
The President wants forward-planning to focus on
strengthening the capabilities of the people, institutions, and
structures to deal with the challenge of disasters as a result of
climate change, he added.
tRapid damage assessement using satellite images
before and after typhoon yolanda

Yolandas arrival has coincided with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
(UNFCCC) meeting in Warsaw 11-22 November 2013. Yolanda has highlighted the link between

global warming and an increased incidence of destructive weather phenomena. As the waters of the
Pacific heat up typhoons become stronger and more likely. The responsibility for Yolanda lies with
unsustainable patterns of development and consumption across the international community.

P41B for Yolanda rehabilitation

Buffer funds tapped for recovery budget

By Michael Lim Ubac

Philippine Daily Inquirer
4:55 am | Sunday, December 1st, 2013
14 392 132

Its beginning to look a little like Christmas in typhoon-ravaged Tacloban City as simple Christmas lanterns light up the
faade of Sto. Nio Parish Church. The profile of the Sto. Nio image is silhouetted against one of the lanterns (inset).
Today, the first Sunday of Advent, Catholics start to celebrate the Christmas season. RICHARD REYES

Seeing a long and expensive rehabilitation process, President Benigno Aquino III has increased the proposed funding
for communities devastated by Supertyphoon Yolanda from P38.8 billion to P40.9 billion.

The funding for the Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan will go to housing, infrastructure, livelihood and
employment, local facilities and social services, Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma said in a radio interview
on Saturday.
In a separate phone interview, Coloma said the entire P40.9 billion could be fully funded in the 2013 General
Appropriations Act and the P14.5-billion supplemental budget passed by the Senate early last week for the
reconstruction of the provinces destroyed by Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) on Nov. 8.
We saved for the rainy day because we have managed our national householdthe finances of the countrywell,
so we have the buffer (funds) and the resiliency to make up for these disasters, Coloma said.
Although now tempered, the continued growth of the economy showed the countrys resiliency in the face of
calamities, he said.
The gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 7.4 percent year to date, while the deficit was kept at 2.3 percent of
GDP, he added.
Cabinet meeting
President Aquinos decision to scale up the post-disaster budget was reached during a Cabinet meeting on Friday
afternoon that lasted well into the night.
At the meeting, Science Secretary Mario Montejousing a simulation of the storm surge that engulfed coastal cities
and townssaid Yolanda devastated 171 municipalities, covering 4,971 villages in an area of 25,000 square
kilometers.
Yolanda affected an estimated 6.6 million people.
As of yesterday, the death toll from Yolanda stood at 5,632, with 26,136 people injured and 1,759 others missing.
The P14.5 billion supplemental budget will be part of the P40.9 billion budget for the first phase of the long-term
reconstruction plan of the government, Coloma said.
Revised estimate
The initial estimate of P38.8 billion for critical, immediate actions was revised upward to P40.9 billion after factoring
in the verified requirements for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire stations, and public markets,
Coloma said.
The bulk of the rehabilitation fund will go to shelter and public infrastructure and the rest will go to livelihood and
employment, local facilities and social services.
According to Coloma, the revised approximate sectoral allocations are as follows: shelter and public infrastructure
including roads, bridges, airport, port and other facilities (67 percent); livelihood and employment, including support to
agriculture and fisheries (12 percent); local facilities (11 percent); social services, including health services, education
and training (9 percent).
These percentages will apply to the P40.9 billion revised estimate, he said.
But the tab could still go up as these budget estimates will be subjected to further fine-tuning through on-ground
validation of initial rapid assessment findings, Coloma said.

Asked about the sources of funds for the plan, Coloma said the P14.5 billion supplemental budget would come from
the unspent portion of the Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF).
The supplemental budget is made available because of the abolition of PDAF. Then, we have roughly P16 billion in
unused calamity funds from the 2013 budget that have been allocated before Typhoon Yolanda struck, Coloma said.
The balance of P10.4 billion would come from savings of other departments such as public works, which has
outstanding funds for road repairs and maintenance, he said.
Coloma clarified that the P40.9 billion will cover only the critical immediate actions, which will last between now and
end of the year, up to the first half of 2014.
Meeting basic needs
The total rehabilitation (program)thats continuingperhaps, beyond 2014, he said, explaining that the total
funding for the reconstruction plan would still increase.
So the expenses for the second phase will be reviewed and its realistic to say that the total budget for the postYolanda (period) will be much higher than the projected P40.9 billion, he said.

The President ordered the Cabinet to ensure that the basic needs of food and shelter of the typhoon survivors are
met, Coloma said.
Mr. Aquino said that forward planning must focus on strengthening the capability of the people, institutions and
structures to deal with the challenge of mitigating the impact of similar disasters and abrupt climate change, Coloma
added.

Disaster panorama
At the Cabinet meeting, the government finally ascertained the extent of the typhoon devastation.
These are the first-priority areas that, as determined by DOST-Pagasa storm tracking process, are within the 50kilometer zone from the eye of Typhoon Yolanda as it struck Eastern Visayas and the nearby regions, Coloma said.
DOST-Pagasa stands for the Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and
Astronomical Services Administration.
The typhoon affected 171 municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions.
These areas now comprise what the government calls first-priority zone.
The brunt of Yolandas powerful onslaughtwinds up to 250 kilometers per hour and accompanying storm surge
was absorbed by 63 municipalities in Leyte and Samar provinces in Eastern Visayas and
84 municipalities in Panay and Negros Occidental in Western Visayas, Coloma said.

Coloma said the DOST was analyzing satellite images to guide the assessment of actual needs.

Focus of rehab
After establishing the full extent of the typhoon devastation, the government can now focus on identifying livelihood
sources for the survivors besides reconstruction efforts, Coloma said.
Within the priority geographical areas, the Cabinet set the following priority aspects of rehabilitation and
reconstruction efforts:
First, housing and resettlement.
Second, reconstructing the economic and social infrastructure and restoring government and public services.
Third, restoring agriculture and fisheries.
Fourth, reenergizing local economic development through livelihood and employment.
This is the menu for action that needs to be taken, Coloma said.
The Cabinet also tackled the need to continue fine-tuning the budgetary needs of the typhoon-ravaged communities.
The President emphasized the importance of fine-tuning budget estimates to ensure that every peso is spent wisely,
considering the magnitude of government spending not just for post-Yolanda rehabilitation but also for other
calamities, including Zamboanga (conflict), Bohol (earthquake) and Central Luzon [which was badly damaged by]
Typhoon Santi, he said.
RELATED STORIES:
Post-Yolanda rebuilding to take five years
Yolanda death toll hits 5,632 as over 1,700 still missing
Why not soup kitchens instead of food packs?
First posted 1:01 am | Sunday, December 1st, 2013

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P40-b rehab fund set aside; death toll, 5632

By Ronald Reyes | Dec. 01, 2013 at 12:04am

THE government has earmarked P40.9 billion to fund the rehabilitation of disaster areas in Eastern
Visayas after the devastation of Super Typhoon Yolanda, Presidential Communications Operations
Office Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. said on Saturday.
Coloma announced the allocation as the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council
said 70% of the debris left in Eastern Samar by Yolanda has already been even as the death toll
reached 5,632 with 1,759 still missing and 26,136 injured.
Coloma Jr. said the money will be spent in priority areas located within the 50-kilometer zone from
the eye of Typhoon Yolanda that struck Eastern Visayas and nearby regions and includes 171
municipalities in 14 provinces and six regions, Coloma said over dzRB Radyo ng Bayan.
These municipalities cover 4,971 barangays in an area of 25,000 square kilometers with an
estimated total population 6.6 million as of 2010, he said. He added that the DOST is conducting
continuing analysis of satellite images to guide on-ground assessment of actual needs.
The brunt of Typhoon Yolandas powerful onslaught, Signal No. 4 wind velocity of up to 250 kph and
accompanying storm surge, was absorbed by 63 municipalities in Region 8s Leyte and Samar
provinces; as well as 84 municipalities in (the Western Visayas region).
These municipalities cover 4,971 barangays in an area of 25,000 square kilometers with an
estimated total population (as of 2010) of 6.6 million, he added.
Coloma said priority rehabilitation and reconstruction will focus on housing and resettlement;
reconstructing the economic and social infrastructure; restoring government and public services;
restoring agriculture and fisheries; and re-energizing local economic development through livelihood
and employment.
The initial estimate of 38.8 billion pesos was revised upward to 40.9 billion pesos, after factoring in
the verified requirements for local government buildings and facilities, police and fire stations, and
public markets.
Operations on the ground will be coordinated by former Leyte governor now Energy Secretary
Jericho Petilla due to his familiarity with the on-ground being a former governor in the province,
Coloma said.
Other Cabinet officials who will be involved are Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson, Agriculture Sec.
Proceso Alcala, Trade and Industry Secretary Gregory Domingo, Labor Sec. Rosalinda Baldoz,
Education Sec. Armin Luistro, Higher Education Commissioner Patricia Licuanan and Director
General Villanueva of teh Techinical Education and Skills Development Authority.

NDRRMC Executive Director Eduardo del Rosario said that as of November 29, various government
agencies tasked with clearing operations were able to remove 69,672 cubic meters of debris in
Leyte, reflecting a 92 percent rate of accomplishment.
With the pace of the clearing operations, Del Rosario said the government will be ready for the
rebuilding of damaged houses at it transports thousands of building materials to typhoon hit areas in
Eastern Visayas.
We are talking about 240,000 partially damaged houses which will be the focused of the distribution
of construction materials by the government, Del Rosario said.
He said the building materials that would be shipped to Eastern Visayas includes roofing materials,
nails, hammer, wooden saw and umbrella nails which will handed to owners of the damaged houses.
Del Rosario said every household will be given 24 pieces of roofing sheets, one hammer, one
wooden saw, one and a half kilo of 3-inch nails, 1.5 killos of umbrella nails which they will using for
the reconstructions of partially-damage dwellings.
So, when we give a family of buildings materials, they would now have the capacity to repair their
roofs in order to protect them from the heat of sunlight and rains in the coming days, Del Rosario
explained.
He said the distribution of the materials will commence Sunday in three unidentified municipalities
and three villages as pilot-testing areas of the reconstruction wherein 200 families would be the first
batch of beneficiaries.
Del Rosario said owners of houses damage partially by Yolanda will be given first a redemption card
in order for them to withdraw the construction materials at the distribution center, a scheme to attest
the owner legitimacy and avoid duplication.
Del Rosario said the distribution of building materials will be centered in Tacloban City and once the
system is proven effective, the rest of the 500,000 damaged houses will also be addressed.
However, houses which lies along the shorelines which have been flattened by the ferocity of
Yolanda, will not be permitted to rebuild.
Instead, the 6,000 families leaving in the danger zones will be accommodated in 250 bunk house
sites now being constructed by the Department of Public Works and Highways in Tacloban City.
Houses damage along the shoreline is not included in the distribution of building materials and only
those whose houses partially damage far from the no build zone, Del Rosario said.
But field reports disclosed that tons of debris from damage infrastructures and private structures

have not yet been removed especially in the interior villages of Tacloban City and other
municipalities in the province.
The Task Force Cadaver, together with New Zealand volunteers, in charge in the clearing operations
for the huge debris and recovery of dead bodies in Tacloban City are still removing volume of
obstacles in the city.
So far, the task force led by Sr. Supt Pablito Cordeta of the Bureau of Fire Protection has collected
2,038 dead victims since November 15.
The NDRRMC reported that the official death count climb to 5,632 with the recovery of 38 more
fatalities recovered while 1,759 missing and 26, 136 injured in Tacloban City Saturday.
Yolanda also affected 2,335,031 families or 10,999,244 people in 12,014 villages in 44 provinces. Of
the 48,084 families or 218,512 people are staying in 1,084 evacuation shelters.
The NDRRMC said some 582,872 houses were totally destroyed and partillay damage 586,082
others while the cost of damages to infrastructures pegged at P15,620,130,890 and
P14,980,238,240.21 to agriculture totaled to P30.6 billion. With Francisco Tuyay