BULAN, SORSOGON – SOME governors and mayors in Bikol are now questioning how the P10-Billion “CARE” (Calamity Assistance Rehabilitation Effort) fund released by the national government early this year is ebing implemented by major government agencies to repair and revive Bikol provinces devastated by the 2006 typhoons.
Sorsogon second district Congressman Jose Solis, who heads the newly created House Committee on Bikol Economic Recovery and Development in Congress told Vox Bikol that local executives and some sectors in Bikol are prodding him to look into the implementation of “CARE” projects. They claimed that in spite of the gargantuan fund releases under the rehab-program, “little is visible on the projects being implemented under “CARE”,” Solis said.
Solis bared that Albay alone was earmarked some P 900-Million in infrastructure repair, including concrete structures along the Yawa river system ravaged by erosions and lahar flows during typhoon “Reming”.
While some local executives in Albay, the island provinces of Catanduanes and Masbate are now making queries, saying that “most of the “CARE” projects are unclear to them, or they are kept in the dark on the implementation of the projects, Solis said.
The solon noted that sources from the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) disclosed that nearly P 8-Billion of the “CARE” funds have been released and barely P 2-Billion is left for the last budget release.
He added that in the “CARE” implementation, the funds were released to government agencies, the DPWH, DOH, Dep-ED, DA and its related Bureaus to effect the rehabilitation of Bikol provinces, particularly Albay, worst hit by the calamities.
Solis stressed that while a “CARE” Commission has been created by the national government to oversee its implementation, the Congress Committee on Bikol recovery will conduct its own findings on the “CARE” projects, and will recommend the filing of charges against responsible agency directors and heads, ones proven of irregularities.
Meanwhile, Bikol director of the Department of Agriculture, Dr. Jose Dayao, recently disclosed that of the DA’s 325-Million allocation for the “CARE” in Bikol, about P 70-Million have been transferred to LGUs for implementation, including some Congressmen.
Unofficial sources from the DA regional office revealed that since the recent budget hearing, some Bikol solons have been pressing that the DA “CARE” funds be transferred to them for implementation.
The source also said that Governors and Mayors are insistent that they identify the agricultural projects were DA’s “CARE” funds should be allocated.