Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Deputy Administrator Anthony Golez expressed dismay over the slow-paced implementation of the Core Shelter Projects in Bicol by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) funded under the Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts (B-CARE) fund provided by the Macapagal Arroyo administration for the rehabilitation of the region after the series of typhoons that hit the country last year.
Golez, who is the concurrent chairman of B-CARE Commission noted that of the 4,100 core shelter units targeted to be constructed by DSWD only 1,940 houses were built for a 47.31 per cent accomplishment.
He said that a year had passed after two super typhoons (Milenyo and Reming) wreaked havoc to Bicol where tens of thousands of families were rendered homeless and yet “we still see thousands of families living in tent camps and transit areas across the region.”
At a B-CARE Task Force meeting in Legazpi City on Thursday, December 6 Golez noted that in Albay, the province in Bicol hardest hit by the two typhoons last year, of the 2,050 core shelter houses targeted for construction only 64 houses were completed while 804 houses are still being constructed.
DSWD reports said that there are 1,569 families still living in tent camps in Albay.
Jim Rebustillo, DSWD Bicol regional director, explained that the backlog in the core shelter project was caused by lack of cooperation of beneficiaries, who, under the agreement would provide free labor, while the agency provides the housing materials. A core shelter unit costs P70,000 excluding labor services.
Under the B-CARE project President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo released P287 million for the construction of 4,100 units of core shelter houses of which P151.2 million were already spent for 1,940 core shelter houses which were either completed or under construction.
With this current situation, Golez is disturbed by how he would explain the matter to Pres. Arroyo who expects that the DSWD core shelter projects for thousands of homeless families in Bicol are supposed to be already completed as planned.
In order to solve this setback and fast-track the implementation of the project, Golez recommended that the construction of the core shelter houses be done by “Pakyaw” system.
He also would seek additional funding of P14 million for the construction of additional temporary or transient shelters to accommodate evacuees in tent camps.
For the B-CARE School Building project the Department of Education (DepED) in Bicol reported a 99 percent accomplishment with 766 new classrooms constructed and 7,127 classrooms repaired costing P1.2 billion.
However, local chief executives questioned the DEPED report saying that there are still school buildings in their respective areas that have to be constructed or repaired.
For this reason, Golez organized a validating team composed of representatives from DPWH, DepED, and LGU to check on the school building project reportedly having been implemented.
Under the Bicol Rehabilitation Plan for Infrastructure, and Director Orlando Roces of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) reported that of the P1.3 billion funding released, some 77.76 percent of the 217 projects covering highways, flood control, bridges, seawalls and other structures were reported either completed or still under construction. (MSArguelles, PIA Albay)
