Romualdez on govt's rehab: It’s not addressing the basic needs of a human being

Days after the State of the Nation Address of President Aquino, UN special rapporteur Chaloka Beyani made a remarks that the government had done not enough for the homeless Haiyan survivors in Visayas. Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez was not surprised by the UN report. He said that it is because the priorities are not there and he based his assessment on what has been happening in the past.

After almost two years, the situation of the people especially those who were still living in the bunkhouses and temporary shelters are not okay.

“That was confirmed by the observers coming from the different parts of the world who have no ulterior motive but just report on what they see. So it’s not a question of a blame game to anyone, it’s a question of doing about it, ” said Romualdez .

Earlier, the National government through the DPWH released a project plan for the construction of 27.3-kilometer stretch steel and concrete wall in Tacloban, Palo and Tanauan. The project costs 7.9 billion aiming to protect the people from storm surges.

In the planned construction of the “great wall of Tacloban”, Tacloban Mayor said, “I’m not against the project. But I am against prioritizing it. I believe that it is not a priority. I believe what is a priority are the vital installations of the city that gave directly and indirectly give the social services to the people.”

People lost their livelihoods and their homes and these basic needs of the people were not seen to be prioritized to address by the government. The City government delivers the water to the northern brgys where there are people living in the temporary and permanent shelters. There is no electricity and water system provided for them.

According to the Mayor, it will only take 4 billion pesos to build a water system in the Northern Brgys including Tacloban. In building shelters, the government should insure that there will be proper utilities in place for the people.

 “And if you ask me, what is, more important a wall or a water, I would say that water is more important that is 4 billion pesos only. Why spend 42 billion immediately why don’t we spend the 4 billion that’s upgrade first and let’s fix the water system, fix the housing of the people and let’s going to the mass transportation to help them also and let’s do other mitigation measures. Anyway, our program is to move the people into safer areas already,” he said.

In the future, the Mayor sees conflict that would arise in case the families in the coastal areas decline to transfer to the relocation sites because the wall was intended to protect them and why so they need to relocate.

“Ang mangyayari jan kung ikaw ay nakatira sa danger-zone at sinsabi ng gobyerno na umalis kayo jan, so bakit maglalagay ng wall obviously to make it safer-zone, so bakit pa kami aalis? Bakit ba tayo gumastos ng bilyon-bilyon sa norte kung gagawa pa ng wall. Kailangan i-klaro muna yun,” he added.

The Mayor didn’t deny that there were help from the National government for the City of Tacloban but it doesn’t go directly to the people, hence, it goes to the streets, in the infrastructure.

“I’m saying that it is not addressing the basic needs of a human being, it’s addressing the indirect needs of the people.”

He cited the housing plan when the budget was just signed just last year days before the 1^st anniversary of Yolanda and then the budget was released soon after. The LGU offered bought the lot for 10 million and offered it to the NHA but the latter rejected it because the land development was costly having its hilly part.