Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles enumerated the accomplishments of the Duterte administration particularly in free public housing for Typhoon Yolanda victims and in the fight against hunger and poverty during the 9th Pamana: Regional PreSONA held in Tacloban City last June 25, 2021.
The Pre-SONA gathering was being conducted in various regions as part of preparations for the sixth and last State of the Nation Address (SONA) of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte this coming July 2021.
The remaining 30,994 houses are projected to be finished before the President’s term ends.
Its main objective is to inform constituents of the various achievements of the administration, including plans for the remainder of the President’s term. The event also serves as an opportunity to report measures being undertaken to address the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic under the National Vaccination Deployment Plan (NVDP).
During the event, the Cabinet Secretary was joined by PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar, Human Settlements and Urban Development Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario who is also CORDS for Eastern Visayas Region, PIA Director General and PCOO Undersecretary Ramon Cualoping III, and DOH – Region VIII Head of Epidemiology and Surveillance Unit Dr. Marc Capungcol who all served as resource speakers.
In his speech, Nograles, who also serves as IATF-Yolanda head, gave updates on the rollout of the Yolanda Permanent Housing Program (YPHP).
According to data from the National Housing Authority, as of second quarter 2021, 141,229 units have been completed and 18,749 are undergoing construction out of a target of 190,972 housing units, for an accomplishment rate of 84%. The remaining 30,994 houses are projected to be finished before the President’s term ends.
For Region 8, as of May 2021, the accomplishment rate was 77% with a total of 23,067 units having been distributed to beneficiaries since Nograles assumed the IATF-Yolanda chairmanship in 2018.
“Out of our target 52,408 free houses for Region 8, 40,225 have already been turned over, 7,943 are undergoing construction, and 4,240 will commence building soon. We have distributed 15,186 units in Eastern Visayas, and 6,881 were given to beneficiaries even before the pandemic,” the Malacañang official noted.
For Region 8, as of May 2021, the accomplishment rate was 77% with a total of 23,067 units having been distributed to beneficiaries since Nograles assumed the IATF-Yolanda chairmanship in 2018.
He likewise listed the successes of Task Force Zero Hunger, which he heads, particularly in Region 8 where malnutrition was being prioritized as part of a comprehensive “whole-of-government approach” through the National Food Policy, crediting the achievement to close coordination with Agrarian Reform Beneficiary Organizations (ARBOs) and LGUs.
“We launched the Enhanced Partnership Against Hunger and Poverty (EPAHP) program to solve hunger and malnutrition, to ensure food security, and to reduce poverty incidence in rural areas. Tacloban City hosted the biggest EPAHP signing last year. Through EPAHP, we’ve been able to link farmers to institutional buyers from LGUS and government offices which use the products for their feeding programs,” the Cab Sec explained.
As part of the Zero Hunger initiative, the Task Force and Pilipinas Kontra Gutom, a group of private sector partners, plan to create community farm projects in select Yolanda resettlement sites in the region. This will address the twin needs of having access to nutritious food and future livelihood prospects.
“Kailangan natin magtulungan. Food security and our fight against malnutrition are our top priorities. We’ve tied these policy initiatives with our Yolanda housing projects because we desire to offer comprehensive solutions to the Filipino people,” the former legislator stressed.
