Remaining P42 million fund for Yolanda victims turned over to Leyte Metropolitan Water District

June 15, 2019

The remaining funds of P42 million for super typhoon Yolanda victims were turned over by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (NDRRMC) to Leyte Metropolitan Water District ( LMWD) in a ceremony in Camp Aguinaldo on Friday.

In a press release issued on Friday night, NDRRMC executive director Ricardo Jalad said the ceremony was also attended by Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Defense Undersecretary Cardozo Luna, Assistant Defense Secretary Casiano Monilla, Directors Tecson John Lim and Edgar Posadas of Office of Civil Defense, Robert Munoz, chairman, board of directors of LMWD; Pastor Homeres, general manager of LMWD, and a representative of Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez. Jalad said the funds will be used to finance the procurement and installation of 14,000 water meter in resettlement sites in Tacloban.

“The funds will be utilized for the procurement and installation of 14,000 units of water meters for the homes built in the resettlement sites in Tacloban City,” Jalad said.

“The LWMD, with assistance from the Local Water Utilities Authority (LWUA), is presently constructing a water supply system to provide water to the Tacloban City North Resettlement Sites,'' he said.

However, as both agencies do not have funds to buy the necessary water meters to complete the project, LWMD requested the NDRRMC, through the OCD, for funding assistance,” he said.

“Considering that there are no more claimants for financial assistance despite exhaustive efforts on the part of the OCD, the remaining donated funds have been earmarked to procure the needed water meter units to pursue the project to provide water supply to residents in said resettlement sites,” he added.

Jalad said Tacloban City was one of the hardest-hit areas of Super Typhoon Yolanda, the strongest storm that hit the country in 2013.

“Despite various initiatives in the past five years, a lot of work remains to be done for its full recovery and rehabilitation, particularly with respect to the needs of the resettlement sites. One of these urgent needs is water supply for the residents,” he said.

It can be recalled that last month, a report of the Commission on Audit showed that the budget allotted by the Office of Civil Defense for Yolanda victims came from donations. Robina Asido/DMS