Aquino Cabinet Execs to Meet Local Leaders in Cebu

●The meeting will have a presentation of the rehabilitation plans for all local government units affected by Yolanda, Davide said.

President Benigno Aquino’s cabinet members, including Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (PARR) chief Panfilo Lacson and probably Vice President Jejomar Binay are expected to meet on Friday local government leaders whose towns were affected by super typhoon Yolanda.

“Last Saturday I met the staff of Sen. Lacson and according to her, moari ang mga cabinet secretaries, sila (Budget Secretary Florencio) Abad, (Department of Social Welfare and Development) Secretary Dinky Soliman, Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio) Singson, and even the vice president (Jejomar Binay),” said Cebu Governor Hilario ‘Jun’ Davide in an interview with reporters on Tuesday.

Davide said the meeting, which is set at the Waterfront Hotel, will have a presentation of the rehabilitation plans for all local government units affected by Yolanda.

He said the governor of Leyte, the mayors of the cities of Tacloban and Iloilo are also coming over.

The governor said the cabinet secretaries of various departments will be there as they will be discussing in that meeting the different aspects–housing, social welfare, education, infrastructure and others–of the rehab works.

Davide said he hopes that Rehab funds will be released shortly after the meeting, especially that there are still school buildings which were damaged by Yolanda that have yet to be repaired.

Earlier, Davide admitted he is also getting frustrated on the bureaucracy in the national government. The province is said to be the first to file its rehab budget–around P2 billion–months ago, and until now nothing has come out of it.

The governor said the national government has been helping the northern Cebu like the relief operations shortly after the storm.