WB consultants to help city draw up rehab plans
Consultants from World Bank (WB) will arrive over the weekend to help draw up a rehabilitation plan for the city. As such, the city government is consolidating all the reports on the damages, particularly in the infrastructures, wrought by typhoon Frank.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the WB's feasibility plan will be used as basis for the rehabilitation plan and in sourcing out for funds as well as disbursements. He said, there are already several corporations that extended financial help to the city for its infrastructure needs.
The rehabilitation plan will center on schools, houses, markets and other government infrastructures destroyed by the flash flood. There are a number of elementary and secondary schools that were destroyed by Typhoon Frank in Jaro and Mandurriao districts. The damages amounted to millions of pesos.
Treñas said the reconstruction of infrastructures and houses might take two years. However, he is confident that the city will rise and start a new. Aside from the infrastructure-related concerns, the city is also proposing a P450 million development plan that will benefit the informal settlers in the city.
Treñas added they want to redesign the Jaro big market at Desamparados, Jaro. He said the market should be elevated since it is located in flood prone area. The vendors are expected to return to their stalls by July 12, 2008. At present, vendors sell their stuff outside the market.
The city also wants to extend micro-finance loan to the vendors after they lost their wares and other merchandise in the flash floods.
Initially, the Metro Global and Metrobank Corp. gave P1.5 million to help the repair and improvement of the Jaro big market.
For the rehabilitation of elementary and secondary schools in the city, the Micro Asia Builders Corp. based in Bacolod City gave an initial aid of P3 million. They also pledged to give an additional P5 million for the same purpose which will be used in other affected schools.
The initial P3 million donation was apportioned for the cleaning and repair of Tabucan Elementary School with P385,809.25; Bakhaw Elementary School with P386,102.90; Buntatala Elementary School with P627,241.76; Bolilao Elementary School with P385,809.25; Buntatala National High School with P627,836.33; and Jaro National High School with P385,809.25.