TACLOBAN CITY- The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) has already started the implementation of the P20 million worth of Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Program (YRRP) for Eastern Visayas.
DOST-8 senior science research specialist Engr. Ramil Uy said that the YRRP was approved December of last year but they only received the funding last June.
Uy said that out of the P20 million worth of YRRP, the DOST already released P13.79 million covering 59 projects for the six provinces in the region.
The YRRP is a funding initiated by the national government as its response for areas hit by super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ recovers from the devastation.
The DOST’s YRRP is divided into two component which includes livelihood and community empowerment through science and technology.
Under the livelihood aspect, the DOST check raw materials in a community which can be converted into an efficient livelihood mechanism which can be managed by the people, Uy said.
The beneficiaries are the poorest residents of the identified communities.
Meantime, the community empowerment through science and technology is divided into five components, namely, education, livelihood, water and sanitation, health and nutrition, and disaster risk reduction and management (DRRM).
In education, Uy said that they would focus more on enhancing the knowledge of students especially in areas where their office has no scholars.
Under this component, the DOST conducts a review and distribute star books where they can research their project.
While in water and sanitation aspect, the DOST will visit a particular community wherein they will check if their water is potable and if they need to analyze their water.
“If there are incidences of water-borne diseases, we help them through our laboratory and give them appropriate technology,” Uy said.
Under the DRRM, the DOST will put up monitoring equipment in order for them to know the level of rain fall and if they need to evacuate. While in the health and nutrition, they will conduct feeding program especially in areas wherein there is a high malnutrition rate.
“We give importance to these five components in order to empower the community,” Uy said.
Uy said that they still accept and evaluate program proposals. In fact, they just recommended seven additional projects for funding.
“Our livelihood (component) continues but now it became a variety because of the funding that President Rodrigo Roa-Duterte under the Yolanda Recovery and Rehabilitation Program (YRRP) for one year,” Uy said.
Meantime, the DOST encourages other local government units, barangay and people’s organizations who want to avail the YRRP to submit a project proposal. (RYAN GABRIEL LLOSA ARCENAS)