Alyansa para sa Bagong Pilipinas senatorial candidate Panfilo Lacson underscored the importance of collaboration between the government and the private sector, including non-governmental and civil society organizations, in helping Filipinos recover from major calamities such as Super Typhoon Yolanda in 2013.
“One lesson I learned is this: the government cannot operate on its own. It needs the cooperation of the private sector. Even local government units will struggle without the private sector’s assistance. That is the lesson I learned while serving as Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR),” Lacson said during a gathering of local officials from Samar.
The devastation caused by Yolanda impacted 171 cities and towns across six regions, with Tacloban and Samar among the hardest-hit areas when the super typhoon struck in November 2013.
“Our national government must place its trust in the private sector, including NGOs and CSOs. They are essential partners in addressing crises and implementing key government programs,” Lacson said. Joel E. Zurbano
Despite facing financial and logistical challenges—including having no salary or operating expenses for the first four months—Lacson effectively fulfilled his mandate as PARR by collaborating with the private sector and meeting with business leaders to discuss how they could assist those affected by Yolanda.
“I met with influential figures in the business community, and they were eager to help,” he recalled.
Over seven months, approximately 1,289 projects involving the private sector and NGOs were reported to the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery, with pledges totaling P11.8 billion.
Lacson noted that the Eastern Visayas Regional Medical Center, Palo Park, and housing initiatives for those affected by Yolanda would not have been possible without the support of private sector partners.
Additionally, Lacson and his team produced an 8,000-page Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan (CRRP) in just six months, which can serve as a template for addressing future calamities.
“Even the United Nations and the international community acknowledged that we completed the CRRP in record time, not just through our efforts but with the assistance of both foreign and local private sector partners,” he said.