Just for 2016

TACLOBAN CITY – Funds worth at least P12 billion intended for the rehabilitation of areas devastated by super typhoon “Yolanda” in the Visayas remain unutilized by national government agencies, nine months before these budget allocations will expire, the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) reported.
Citing reports from their main office, Bonifacio Uy, NEDA regional director, disclosed that as of last month, majority of funds under the 2016 General Appropriations Acts (GAA) for Yolanda Rehabilitation and Recovery Program (YRRP) remain untouched.
The 2016 GAA had set aside P18.89 billion for YRRP coursed through the National Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Council (NDRRMC) for recovery activities proposed by various agencies in 2015.
“Concerned agencies should follow up with their respective central offices to fast track the process of releasing the money. Our worry is that the budget will not be used anymore after Dec. 31, 2017,” Uy said on Monday (March 13).
Contributing to the delay, according to NEDA, is the validation process, a major step to ensure that there would be no duplication of projects.
NEDA was tasked to monitor government-led post-Yolanda rehabilitation projects after the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery completed their job early in 2015.
Eastern Visayas, the badly-hit region by the 2013 monster typhoon, will get a big chunk of the unspent outlay for six typhoon-wrecked regions in the country, according to Uy.
“Everybody is interested to use the funds. The regional offices should work with their respective main offices since affected areas are not only Eastern Visayas,” he pointed out.
The YRRP fund was meant to build back better infrastructure, livelihood support, resettlement and social services.
It is part of the P38.9-billion National Disaster Risk Reduction Management Fund, a special purpose fund in the 2016 budget, according to the Department of Budget and Management (DBM).
Prior to disbursements, agencies are required to submit documents for evaluation of the Office of the Civil Defense, the NDRRMC secretariat.
After the council’s approval, it will be forwarded to the Office of the President, which is tasked to order the DBM to download the money.
YRRP is the government’s blueprint to help Yolanda-hit communities recover from the country’s deadliest typhoon, which killed at least 6,300 people on Nov. 8, 2013.
It is the strongest storm recorded at landfall with Tacloban City considered as ground zero. (PNA) By: SARWELL Q. MENIANO

SAN ISIDRO, Northern Samar – A man and two women were arrested by the police of this town due to illegal gambling.
Arrested on March 10 were Lorenzo Mote, 65; Estrella Patilano, 47, and Zenaida Sabayo, 64, all residents of Barangay Palanit, this town.
They were arrested by virtue of a warrant for violation of Section 1 of PD 1602 (illegal gambling) issued by Judge Nilo Dela Cruz.
The court has issued P10,000 for the temporary liberty of the three suspects.
In his dedication to the entire organization, S/Supt. Ceasar Tannagan, acting provincial director, reminded the police personnel across the province to perform their mandated job against all wanted felons and aim for a peaceful province of Northern Samar. (PR)

CARIGARA, Leyte- The Second Leyte Engineering District of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is conducted a bidding for six local infrastructure and construction and maintenance project worth P 10.8 million as part of its priority projects for the year.
Under the local infrastructure program of the district are the road concreting projects along the Cansamada-Balilit-Tuya road section in Dagami town worth P1.98 million; San Antonio concrete pavement project in Tunga at P1.98 million; Sto. Nino road project in Tunga, P 1.98 million; and, Union road in Mayorga at a cost of P1.98 million.
Under the construction and maintenance program of bridges along national roads, subject for bidding this March in is the Atipolo Daco Bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road worth P900,000.
A flood control will be built alongside the bridge.
Another is the Nauguisan Bridge, identified as a permanent bridge along the Palo-Carigara-Ormoc Road. Maintenance repair will cost P 1.98 million.
These projects are being bidded out by the district office under the P1.7-billion regular infrastructure fund approved by their national office for the district engineering projects for 2017.
Bidding will be conducted through open competitive bidding procedures. A pre-bid conference was held on March 16 while submission and opening of bids are scheduled on March 29, it was learned.
2nd LED District Engineer Carlos Veloso said a higher budget is allocated for 2017 compared to last year, thus, the district can expect more infrastructure projects to be started in the coming months.
Important projects to be undertaken are the road re-blocking and widening as well as repair and widening of bridges in the second district.
A P201-million Binahaan Bridge project will also be started along the Pastrana-Dagami-Burauen road. The project will be implemented by the regional office of the DPWH. (AHLETTE C. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- Failure to liquidate was the reason cited why several government workers have yet to receive the financial assistance promised to them in the aftermath of super typhoon “Yolanda.”
This was disclosed by Evelyn Clarin, head of the regional Presidential Management Staff (PMS) during the meeting of the Development Administration Committee of the Regional Development Council (RDC) on Wednesday, March 14.
Clarin said that for the first release of the financial assistance, 13 government agencies failed to liquidate and 27 others only managed to “partially liquidate.”
Because of this incomplete liquidation by the agencies, the release of the assistance is being hampered, Clarin added.
The RDC, during the meeting, has asked for the release of the financial assistance to the intended government workers who have yet to receive it, more than three years after the onslaught of Yolanda.
About 48,955 employees were identified as beneficiaries of the financial assistance for the first tranche of the financial assistance.
At least P 315.63 million were released during the period of December 2015.
For the second batch, 15, 687 employees from the Department of Education received the financial assistance coming from the President’s Social Fund (PSF), amounting to P631.26 million.
To date, the DepEd has not completed the liquidation documents even for the first tranche, Clarin said.
For the third batch, about 9,091 employees coming from 29 government agencies have yet to receive the much-expected assistance.
For the third tranche, P 447.730 million is supposed to be release to the employees as their assistance.
To recall, in 2015, the previous administration approved the allocation of P 2. 89 billion from the PSF for release to 64,642 national government employees in two batches whose houses were damaged by Yolanda and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake in Regions 6 and 7.
Government employees affected by Yolanda and the 7.2 magnitude earthquake including casual or contractual employees and outsourced personnel who were endorsed to the PMS by respective head of agencies are covered to receive such financial assistance.
Employees with totally damaged houses were to receive P100,000 and P30,000 for those partially damaged.
(JAZMIN BONIFACIO)