STATEMENT OF MAYOR BENG CLIMACO 7 October 2013 at 17:04 Zamboanga City is now on the rehabilitation phase and all efforts are being exerted to ensure that we build a better Zamboanga for a brighter future for our children. As we all know, the national government, through President Aquino, has announced the allocation of some P3.8 billion to help our beloved Zamboanga get back on its feet following the over 20-day conflict that devastated the city and the people. The DSWD through Sec. Dinky Soliman in cooperation with the DWPH under Sec. Singson will spearhead the rehabilitation efforts that include construction of bunkhouses, livelihood projects and other interventions to help Last Thursday, October 3, various international and national donor organizations have pledged financial aid and support for the city. Organized by Sec. Voltaire Gazmin and Sec. Dinky, the forum yielded positive results that would help boost the implementation of our post-crisis plan. Some P4.616M in checks were turned over to our trust fund and will be used for the various programs that will be implemented. The UN also committed to provide 3 million US dollars for technical assistance, not in cash, that will be coursed through the different UN-based organizations for the various interventions they are doing as a result of the Zamboanga crisis. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) is tasked to put up bunkhouses that will serve as temporary shelters for evacuees at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex in Baliwasan. Just a while ago, we met with the International Humanitarian Team and the work for rebuilding/rehabilitation of the city are already being put into form. Last Saturday, together with Sec. Dinky, Congresswoman Lilia Nuño, Councilor Amman Nuño, the Habitat for Humanity and other local and national officials we broke ground for the first resettlement site for the evacuees at the Taluksangay National High School. It is a 1.4 hectare site that will accommodate 220 families for temporary shelters in 22 bunkhouses to be established by the DSWD and Habitat for Humanity. Yesterday, we also broke ground a school building project in Talon-talon that will be funded by the Apl.de.ap Foundation in cooperation the Deped and the Habitat for Humanity and other private groups. International entertainer Apl.de.ap is also supporting our rehabilitation efforts. The CMC met last Saturday and various issues to include the relocation of the evacuees in various centers such as the grandstand to safer grounds due to flooding, the reopening of classes in higher educational institutions and the reopening of the public market. We also tackled about the need to include our grandstand in the rehabilitation after all the evacuees shall have been relocated or transferred. Residents of barangays of Arena Blanco, Mampang and Talon-talon, following clearance from the CMC, may now return to their areas but with some policy guidelines set by the police and military and the CMC. The COMELEC is set to meet en banc tomorrow, Oct. 8 to discuss among others, the CMC recommendation to postpone the barangay elections in Zamboanga from October this year to January 2014. At the same time, it will discuss about our recommendation to exempt Zamboanga from the imposition of the COMELEC gun ban. And beginning yesterday, curfew hours in all areas of the city started from 10pm to 4am. This will continue until we shall have clearance from the police and military. For the professional regulation commission, we already got an order from Atty. Senando Esteban-PRC head in the region, that in the absence of community tax certificates, all students who are filing their board examination applications shall only need to present valid IDs with photos and signatures. This is in effect of our memo issued to all barangays temporarily suspending the issuance of CTCs. DTI also issued an order of price freeze on all basic and prime commodities, in view of the existing state of calamity. Alongside this, the Department of Health will likewise issue a listing of products in relation to the price freeze order. Slowly, Zamboanga City is getting back to normalcy, but the incessant rains that hit the city since Friday has inundated low lying areas causing another evacuation in at least 10 barangays. Our City Administrator Antonio Orendain Jr. and Evelyn Las Marias, OIC City Social Welfare Officer are here to discuss about the actions taken by the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council to alleviate the plight of the affected families.
Posted on: Tue, 08 Oct 2013 00:02:34 +0000
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