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The PENINSULA MONITOR editorial cartoon of the July 31, 2007 issue copies of which were furnished Malacañang including Executive Secretary Eduardo Ermita, Secretary Cerge Remonde of the Presidential Management Staff, DPWH Secretary Hermogenes E. Ebdane, Jr. and Education Secretary Jesli Lapus |
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo was visibly annoyed over the slow pace of rehabilitation work in Bicol particularly the repair of school buildings and ordered rehab funds totalling P2 billion released to DepEd Regional Director Celedonio Layon transferred to the DPWH Regional Office.
Visiting Bicol Friday, August 24, mainly to find out how the huge P7 billion rehab fund allocated for the Bicol Region was being spent the President also warned against misuse of the fund.
The rehab fund was allocated to various agencies including the DSWD and the DAR which were also asked to speed up their rehabilitation effort or the fund would also be transferred to other agencies that could more efficiently undertake the task.
DPWH Regional Director Orlando B. Roces said his agency had received P1.325 billion from the Calamity Assistance Rehabilitation Effort (CARE) and around 900 projects under the released fund are all expected to be completed in one month
