CEBU CITY—The Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino took to task the news item that came out in Manila Standard last Oct. 30 titled “Yolanda housing czar hit,” saying the headline was erroneously attributed to Dino.
“The Presidential Assistant for the Visayas was never appointed by the President [Rodrigo Duterte] to be the Yolanda housing czar,” OPAV Assistant Anthony Gerard “Jonji” Gonzales said.
Dino’s office released the statement following news reports that the Kilusang Pagbabago chapter in Region 6 blamed the inefficiency of Dino as “Yolanda” housing czar for the flooding of five barangays in Bugasong town in Antique, after it conducted a fact-finding mission in the area on Oct. 20.
In a statement, Gonzales said Dino received verbal instruction from President Duterte to immediately relocate the “Yolanda” victims from the danger zone to the housing units on different relocation sites in Tacloban City, when both of them visited the city Nov. 8 last year.
“On 14 January 2017, PA (Presidential Assistant) Dino formally handed over the work he did in Tacloban City to government line agencies during a meeting presided by Cabinet Secretary [Leoncio] Evasco in Davao City,” Gonzales added.
He stressed that the construction of the “Yolanda” housing units is undertaken by the National Housing Authority. Junex Doronio
Earlier news report said tagged as the fifth and the most devastating flood this year in Antique, the waters inundated Barangays Puho, Hatay-Hatay, Calog, Lacayon and Cubay in South Bugasong.
Lacayon residents have sought the help of Fr. Jose Elmer Cajilig, KP lead convenor for Region 6, who subsequently vowed to bring their concern to the attention of the President through Evasco.
Another staffer of Dino’s office furnished Manila Standard a copy of Presidential Directive 0288 dated Nov. 10 last year stating that Lawyer Wendel E. Avisado was “designated to oversee and/or supervise the Yolanda Rehabilitation Project.”