TACLOBAN CITY—Many business establishments in the city are still struggling to recover one year after Supertyphoon Yolanda (international code name Haiyan) struck central Philippines, an official said on Saturday.
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez, in an interview, said there were 17,000 business establishments in the city when the world’s strongest typhoon ever recorded hit the country, particularly Leyte.
“I would say [that] a little bit more than half [of the 15,000 to 17,000 of business establishments here before Yolanda struck are recovering] and it [recovery] is moving along,” he said.
Romualdez said the recovery of many business establishments is slow, owing to the problem that still besets the Daniel Romualdez Airport, where aircraft larger than turboprops are banned from using the airport until December 3. The Tacloban airport was severely damaged when Yolanda made landfall last year.
“It’s still the same. They are still struggling, especially now that we have problems in our airport. We hope that our airport will be returned to 100 percent [operations] so that we can start moving on,” he said.
Romualdez said the local government is still coordinating with non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to help local businesses.
“We [local officials] partnered with NGOs because we are trying to put up many shelters…. Also, we deferred taxes to help them,” he said.
The first anniversary of the strongest typhoon to make landfall was commemorated on Saturday. Yolanda affected 171 towns and cities in 14 provinces and six regions.
Thousands were reported dead, millions of families affected, and billions of pesos worth of public and private property were damaged.
Housing
ROMUALDEZ expressed dismay on the housing program for the affected families and residents.
He said that only more than 200 of the much-needed 14,000 permanent housing units have been built.
The mayor also said half of those units were constructed through the efforts of the various NGOs.
“They [national government] didn’t give us housing or even temporary shelters…in terms of addressing really those people that need to be relocated to temporary shelters, we received nothing,” he said.
Romualdez said the first time the city got a piece of the P180-
million rehabilitation and reconstruction fund was only five months after Yolanda, and that money should be used only for the reconstruction of government buildings and civic centers based on the mandate by the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG).
“DILG Secretary [Manuel Roxas II] gave us about P180 million, but I have to sign a memorandum of agreement [with him] and the money was solely focused on the reconstruction of government buildings and civic centers, and not for shelters or anything like that,” Romualdez said.
Romualdez also said it would be better if President Aquino had gone to Tacloban so he can personally assess the ongoing rehabilitation program in his city.
“It would be nice if the President visited the place he hasn’t visited yet,” the mayor said.
Gratitude
LAKAS Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez of Leyte expressed gratitude to all local and foreign donors who extended help to the victims of Yolanda.
Romualdez, however, said the continuity of work is still needed for the complete rehabilitation and recovery of affected areas.
“It has officially been a year after Yolanda. On behalf of the whole province of Leyte, we say thank you for the overwhelming support extended to us in our most desperate time of need,” Romualdez said.
“We saw the outpouring of support not only from the international community but from private citizens, as well. Aside from the innumerable food and medical supplies donated to the relief effort, we cannot quantify the countless hours people spent volunteering, rescuing and providing relief to the affected communities,” Romualdez added.
According to the lawmaker, government agencies and the people should continue to work for the recovery of typhoon-hit areas.
“We know that the work is far from over. A year after Yolanda, the effort to rebuild Leyte continues, so let’s keep moving,” Romualdez said.
“Reconstruction and disaster preparedness are the priorities now. These commemorative activities serve as a good reminder that the work continues a year after Yolanda, and that everyone can contribute to this massive effort to get Leyte back on its feet,”
Romualdez said.
The commemoration started with the awarding of livelihood projects, a commemorative run, tree-planting, memorial services for the victims (which include a candle-lighting ceremony, offering of flowers and blessing of mass graves), health-and-fitness activities, and various arts and music events.
Protests
ALSO on Saturday, thousands of storm survivors from the Visayas and Mindanao converged in protest sites in Tacloban against the “continuing negligence, government corruption and anti-people rebuilding plan.”
Vencer Crisostomo, the national chairman of youth group Anakbayan, one of the organizers of the protests, said 20,000 people joined the protests.
Sanlakas, Alyansa Tigil Mina, People Surge, Kilusang Mayo Uno, Philippines Chapter of the International League of Peoples’ Struggle, Gabriela and Philippine Movement for the Climate Change joined the rally.
“A year after Yolanda, the Aquino administration’s crimes against the disaster survivors have become more glaring. No notable relief and rehabilitation has been done, calamity funds are being pocketed by government officials, while big corporations are set to benefit from the ‘rebuilding’ plans,” he said.
Crisostomo also lambasted Mr. Aquino for avoiding and disrespecting the victims by not visiting Tacloban.
Tacloban was the hardest-hit city during Yolanda, where the registered death toll was more than 2,000. Tacloban’s damage was placed at P202.67 million.
“The Aquino administration’s crimes against the people of Tacloban continue until now,” Crisostomo said.
Citing data from IBON Foundation, Crisostomo said it is “infuriating that only 364 houses were built by the government a year after the tragedy.”
“That is only 0.03 percent of the 1.2 million houses destroyed by the storm. Only 213 classrooms were built out of the 19,648 destroyed. Mr. Aquino should definitely explain to the people where the billions for reconstruction went,” he said.
Anakbayan also assailed the government’s “master plan” as “disaster capitalism for Aquino cronies” where big corporations are set to benefit, and said agriculture and agrarian reforms are neglected in the government plan. The group also condemned the use of the tragedy to further militarize the typhoon-affected areas.
“As military presence increased in the typhoon-devastated areas, cases of military harassment, theft and other human-rights abuses were reported. Peasant leaders Jefferson Custodio in Carigara, Leyte, and Rodolfo Basada in Pinbacdao, Samar, have been killed by suspected state elements,” Crisostomo said.
Image credits: AP Photo/Bullit Marquez