Rehabilitation czar

AFTER almost a month of rescue and relief operations, uncertainty still looms in the Visayas region due to the devastation caused by Typhoon Haiyan.
Since last week, multinational forces dispatched by their respective countries to aid the Philippines are gradually disengaging from relief efforts.
Israeli forces have already pulled out, while the United Kingdom contingent is scheduled to leave soon. Majority of the tasks  are now being handled by the Philippine government.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC)  5,680 individuals have been reported dead, 26,233 injured and 1,779 are still missing, as of December 2.
4 million people lost their homes, while 2 million have lost their livelihood.
While the picture is muddled by seemingly insurmountable problems, the goal remains clear: to help our Visayan kababayans get back on their feet at the soonest time possible.
Because of the tremendous amount of work that needs to be done in the areas heavily hit by Typhoon Haiyan, President Benigno S. Aquino III has appointed former Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson to take the reigns on rehabilitation efforts.
“The members of the cabinet have their normal functions, then you also have the imperative to have people back in a better condition at the soonest possible time so the attention is divided between the two obligations,” Aquino said.
While others congratulated and wished him well on his new post, naysayers are questioning Lacson’s qualifications to accomplish the challenges posed by this unfamiliar job post.
Aquino believes that being a no-nonsense person, Lacson can get the job done as rehabilitation czar.
As a former police chief and a 2-term senator, who was once touted to lead an anti-graft and corruption body, Lacson has the leadership qualities and skills needed for the task.
Malacañang will be releasing the executive order detailing Lacson’s duties and responsibilities soon.  As head of the rebuilding strategy, Lacson will hold a cabinet rank and will report directly to Pres. Aquino.
His job as rehabilitation czar will be focused solely on helping communities recover from the onslaught of typhoon Haiyan.
Part of his job is to ensure transparency in harnessing international aid for Yolanda victims.
As of December 3, total foreign aid pledged to the Philippines has reached P21.1 billion: P4.5 billion in cash and P16.5 billion in non-cash assistance.
Lacson will also be monitoring the P40.9 billion budget allocation for rebuilding and reconstructing efforts.
On the priority list are 171 municipalities in 14 provinces and 6 regions. The budget estimates will be subjected to further fine-tuning, through on-ground validation of initial rapid assessment findings.
67 percent of the initial fund will be used for shelter and public infrastructure including roads, bridges, airport, ports and other facilities; 12 percent will be utilized for livelihood and employment (including support to agriculture and fisheries); 11 percent will be allocated for local facilities; and 9 percent for social services ( including health services, education and training).
With a “lean and mean” staff of 10 people, Lacson will try to finish at least 85 to 90 percent of the job, before President Aquino steps down in 2016. The rest of the task will be delegated to local government units (LGU).
The nation is anxious to move on from this tragedy and to get on with rehabilitation and rebuilding of lives. The task is daunting, especially in areas where communities need to start from scratch, but according to Lacson, it is doable.
Hope springs eternal, after all.
(AJPress)