Panay rehab fund slashed due to mounting war expenses
Request for funds for the rehabilitation and reconstruction of areas ravaged by typhoon "Frank" in Western Visayas has been slashed by P5 billion due to increased government spending in its war with Moro rebels, according to an administration congressman.
House Majority Floor Leader and Iloilo Rep. Arthur Defensor said they have to scale down House Bill 4824 that will provide funding for the rehabilitation and reconstruction program.
If enacted, the supplemental budget will provide P10 billion for the rehabilitation program instead of the P15 million as earlier requested by the bill's sponsors, said Defensor. The bill is co-sponsored by legislators from Western Visayas.
"The Department of Budget and Management had advised us that our available resources could not sustain a P15 billion rehabilitation fund so we have to reduce it," Defensor said in a telephone interview.
He said the government's financial resources have been constrained by the ongoing armed hostilities with Moro rebels, higher prices of food and oil products, and the recent financial collapse in the United States that has reverberated worldwide.
Defensor said because of the adjustment, rehabilitation programs and plans have to be reviewed according to the priority projects.
The 15-billion fund is being eyed to finance continuing relief operations, the reconstruction and the rehabilitation of the provinces of Iloilo, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, Guimaras and Negros Occidental, and the cities of Iloilo and Bacolod which suffered heavy damages after the typhoon triggered the worst flooding in the region in recent years.
The the Regional Disaster Coordinating Council had reported that at least 342 persons died during the typhoon in the Western Visayas region alone. Around 290 are still missing and 886 were injured.
The flooding affected around 2,545 villages and 417,399 families or 2,094,105 persons. At least 50,571 houses were destroyed and another 101,080 others damaged.
The worst hit were the provinces of Iloilo and Aklan which are still reeling from massive flooding and destruction of properties.
Defensor said long-term rehabilitation plans will have to wait for funds from the 2009 budget. "We have to change priorities."
He said the P10-billion fund will be used for immediate measures like the construction of new bridges to replaced those destroyed during the typhoon, repair important road networks and the construction of flood control systems.
The bill is pending at the House committee on appropriation but is expected to be passed by November, A counterpart bill is also pending at the Senate.
"The President and the Senate understand the urgency of this bill so it will definitely be passed before the year ends," said Defensor.