Davide Expresses Frustration Over Delay of Yolanda Rehab Fund

●Provincial gov’t has long submitted its P10-billion budget to the OPARR for the 15 affected towns in north Cebu.

Cebu Governor Hilario Davide III admitted on Monday that he is frustrated by the delay in the release of the funds intended for the full-scale rehabilitation of Yolanda-affected areas in north Cebu, but swerved to say that its normal in the government for transparency and accountability’s sake.

“Kita kay subay man ta’g balaud. We follow procedure no. But moabot ang punto pud nga (ma) frustrated usahay. Even here sa Kapitolyo, (processing of requests) takes time to procure. But maayo man pud na for transparency and accountability. Question-on tas (Commission on Audit) unya,” said Davide in a press conference at his office at the Capitol yesterday.

Davide’s admission came after one of the reporters in the presscon asked his reaction over the lingering release of the funding for the rehabilitation works in Yolanda-affected areas.

The northern part of Cebu has been devastated by the Super Typhoon Yolanda in November last year. Yolanda, one of the strongest typhoon recorded, has left with over 6,200 dead, nearly 1,800 missing, more than 28,000 injured while millions of crops and infrastructure were lost.

In February this year, the provincial government submitted its proposed P10-billion budget to the Office Presidential Assistant for Rehabilitation and Recovery (OPARR) for the 15 affected towns in north Cebu, but the said agency will have yet to submit this to various agencies for the release of funding.

“If you look at the memo creating the OPARR, recommendatory pa man gud na siya. Ila pa nang i-present sa agency like Education and Infrastructure, sila ray mo-recommend nga punduhan. Mao nay purpose ana. Mao sad tingali na nagbagulbol si (PARR chief) Sen. (Panfilo) Lacson kay wa silay pundo,” the governor said.