NEDA begins drafting post-Haiyan rehab plan

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NEDA issues a memorandum calling for government agencies to appoint representatives to a task force in charge of recovery and reconstruction efforts in Visayas

TASK FORCE. NEDA urges government agencies to appoint representatives to the inter-agency task force that will craft the rehabilitation plan for Visayas. Photo by Rappler/Jake Verzosa

MANILA, Philippines – The National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) is mobilizing government agencies as it drafts a unified plan to rehabilitate areas affected by Typhoon Yolanda (Haiyan).

In a statement on Tuesday, November 19, Socioeconomic Planning Secretary and NEDA Director-General Arsenio Balisacan said he issued a memorandum calling for member agencies to immediately appoint representatives to a task force in charge of recovery and reconstruction.

The NEDA chief stressed having a well-coordinated plan for typhoon-ravaged Visayas is necessary in rebuilding affected communities.

“While we appreciate the various initiatives of agencies and development partners, we need to have a well-coordinated plan so that we can make the most out of resources now being made available,” he said.

The plan will serve as basis for coordinating recovery and reconstruction efforts, including donor assistance.

The plan will identify short- and medium-term priority projects that can be included in the 2014 and 2015 national budgets, and projects that can be funded by official donor assistance and the private sector.

“We need to act quickly but we also need to determine the right sequence of actions so we can address both immediate and longer-term needs,” Balisacan said.

The task force is co-chaired by NEDA, which will oversee planning, and the Department of Public Works and Highways, which will oversee implementation.

NEDA last week announced the government will craft a plan that will outline short- and long-term actions needed to be taken to restore public services and revive economic activities in provinces battered by Yolanda.

Balisacan said his department already met with the country directors of Asian Development Bank and World Bank to coordinate the relief and rehabilitation aid being provided by these multilateral agencies.

Yolanda, one of the world’s strongest typhoon on record, battered the Visayas region on November 8, wiping out entire towns, killing thousands of people and displacing hundreds of thousands more. – Cherrie Regalado/Rappler.com

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