Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles on Saturday urged Leyte mayors to reactivate their local inter-agency committees to ensure the successful turnover of “Yolanda” resettlement housing projects that remained unfinished over five years after Typhoon Yolanda struck the area in November 2013.
Speaking to 42 mayors at the National Economic and Development Authority Region 8 Office in the Government Center in Palo, Leyte, the Palace official said that data showed that a substantial number of houses for affected families were unfinished while there were completed housing projects had yet to be occupied.
“We have to address this by reactivating the LIACs. If the LIACs are active, major milestones have been observed. This includes submission of a complete list of beneficiaries, monitor the status of construction of housing units, facilitate the actual transfer of beneficiaries, and come up with occupancy rules and regulations,” explained Nograles, who as Cabinet Secretary is Chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Unified Implementation and Monitoring of Rehabilitation and Recovery Programs in the Yolanda Corridor (IATF-Yolanda), a task force formed in August 2017 by virtue of Administrative Order No. 5.
“We are appealing to local government units for active support and participation because only through LIACs that we can effectively implement housing program. Through this committee, they can generate issues and concerns, report to us, and address these needs through national government agencies with the help of local governments,” said the Cabinet official, who also visited Tanauaun to check permanent houses built by the National Housing Authority. The resettlement site here with 361 families, has been tagged as a model for adopting the “township concept”.
Nograles revealed that based on the report of NHA on the Yolanda Permanent Housing Program, as of February 2019, of the 205,128 housing units in the Yolanda corridor, 56,140 are in Region VIII. Of the 56,140 Region VIII housing units, 29,531 housing units are fully completed, with 18,183 units already occupied and 11,348 units ready for occupancy.
Government is targeting 2020 for the completion of all housing projects, though most of the units should be finished by the end of 2019.
The former congressman from Davao said it was necessary “to find out the needs of resettlement sites and program it under the 2020 budget.”
“We want a township approach where resettlement sites are provided with electricity, water, community center, school, health center, access road, and livelihood opportunities,” he said.
Dulag Mayor Mildred Que welcomed the government initiatives to reach out to town mayors, saying Nograles was right about the need for closer coordination between the national government and LGUs in the region.
“We need to sit down and find time to talk together and plan this out comprehensively. This is a test of the agencies’ coordination skills and willingness to work with us,” said Que.
LIACs is consist of mayors, local government offices’ department heads, civil society organizations, people’s organizations, and other stakeholders from the private sector. LIACs can be activated via a Sanggunian resolution.
The main function of LIACs is to serve as the focal structure of coordination and clearing house for relocation and resettlement planning and implementation.
Its specific functions include the following, among others: (1) determine the magnitude and scope of resettlement requirement; (2) formulate a comprehensive relocation & resettlement action plan including estate management and community development; (3) recommend appropriate relocation/resettlement package and other entitlements for affected families; (4) develop a framework for and conduct multi-sectoral/ multistakeholder participation; and (5) establish guidelines and mechanics for beneficiary selection, arbitration and awards.
Of the 43 LGUs provided with Yolanda housing projects, LIACs are reportedly active in 12 LGUs and are inactive in 10. In LGUs where LIACs are active, major accomplishments and milestones have been observed, such as: (1) complete submission of the master list of Yolanda housing beneficiaries, (2) public raffle of housing units, (3) actual transfer and relocation of beneficiaries, and (4) orientation of beneficiaries on occupancy rules and regulations and the Urban Development and Housing Act.