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[av_heading heading=’4 years after ‘Yolanda’ Iloilo more resilient but… ‘ tag=’h3′ style=’blockquote modern-quote’ size=’30’ subheading_active=’subheading_below’ subheading_size=’15’ padding=’10’ color=” custom_font=” av-medium-font-size-title=” av-small-font-size-title=” av-mini-font-size-title=” av-medium-font-size=” av-small-font-size=” av-mini-font-size=” admin_preview_bg=”]
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
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Thursday, November 9, 2017
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ILOILO – Four years ago super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) struck northern Iloilo and left a trail of destruction.
“We have emerged more resilient and more prepared,” said Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, citing the rebuilding that took place after the Nov. 8, 2013 disaster.
Disaster preparedness has been “mainstreamed” in communities, he said.
“Yolanda”, one of the strongest typhoons on record, forced hundreds of thousands from their homes and knocked out power, communications and infrastructures in several central Philippine provinces.
The rehabilitation work, however, remains far from finished, admitted Banias, citing some yet to be completed resettlement areas.
The National Housing Authority is the lead agency in the “Yolanda” resettlement efforts.
The Sangguniang Panlalawigan declared a state of calamity a day after “Yolanda” struck. The most battered was northern Iloilo or the 5th District.
Banias commended the provincial government’s “humanitarian partners” such as nongovernment organizations that were able to built “thousands of houses” like the British Red Cross that allocated P500 million for resettlement homes in Ajuy, Batad, San Dionisio, and Balasan towns.
SM Foundation also built 200 permanent houses for typhoon survivors in Concepcion town, said Banias.
“Yolanda” made its fifth landfall in Concepcion around 12 noon on Nov. 8, 2013, smashing houses, uprooting trees and creating storm surges in coastal areas.
With power and communications facilities down, and road and bridges blocked by debris, local governments struggled even just to make situationer reports to the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council.
Banias cited, too, the aid to Iloilo’s devastated agriculture and fisheries sectors – such as farm tractors, rice threshers and fishing boats among others – extended by various government agencies like the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR), international humanitarian organizations, the United Nations and, foreign governments like Italy.
This Nov. 10, BFAR will again turnover boat materials to 180 fishermen in the towns of Carles and Estancia.
In the area of education, Banias said, thousands of wrecked classrooms were rehabilitated and made more typhoon-resilient./PN
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