E-SEASON – Cayetano wants faster rehab efforts

“We need to speed up rehabilitation efforts and also get to the bottom of where the funds for the rehabilitation programs from both international and local donors have gone,” Senator Alan Cayetano stressed today while visiting the victims of Typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro as part of his nationwide Listening Tour.
Cayetano made this assertion as he referred to reports from the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) that over P35 Billion of rehabilitation projects for Sendong-affected areas remained unfunded or without approval as of June 2012.
“After contributing to relief efforts, i am here to find out how we can assist as well in terms of rehabilitation efforts for the victims,” Cayetano said. The senator himself donated P4 Million from his Priority Development Assistance Fund (PDAF) to Sendong survivors, with P2.5 Million allocated for those in Cagayan de Oro and P1.5 Million for those in Iligan City.
After hearing the problems of over 3,000 households at Balangay P-noy, Canitoan – the Gawad Kalinga site for Sendong victims, Cayetano said that the local government should consider increasing livelihood and technical-skills development programs while addressing other issues such as infrastructure rebuilding.