Leyte | The Adobo Chronicles

Haiyan-survivors_CNNPH — Photo courtesy of the Australian Embassy

PALO, Leyte, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles® ) – The Aquino government proudly announced recently that it has found P350 Billion ($8 Billion) in savings from the 2014 budget, yet it has failed to release funds previously approved for Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) rehabilitation.

It is no wonder that the United Nations, in a scathing report, gave the Aquino administration a failing grade for the dismal effort to build decent and sufficient permanent housing for those displaced by the devastating typhoon almost two years ago.

A total of 205,000 housing units needed to be built or reconstructed in the typhoon-hit areas, but the Philippine government has built just 2.5 per cent of the units.

It has taken foreign governments to undertake efforts to provide housing for the thousands who lost their homes because of Haiyan.

The Australian government has officially handed over housing units to around 8,000 persons or 1,533 families who were affected by the super typhoon. The units were turned over in a ceremony last July 28 at the Palo Municipal Hall in Palo, Leyte led by Australian Ambassador to the Philippines Bill Tweddell.

“Australia and the Philippines have a deep and warm relationship covering broad areas including development, trade and defense cooperation. Australia will always stand ready to support the Philippines and the Filipino people in times of disasters,” said Tweddell.

During the turnover ceremonies, the housing beneficiaries pledged their allegiance to the Australian government. “If our own government cannot help us with our basic needs, we might as well recognize the foreign government that is helping us,” one of the housing beneficiaries said.

Along with the ownership titles for their homes, the grateful residents also received their Australian citizenship papers.

Mayor Petilla of Palo, Leyte in the Philippines (photo: ABS-CBN News)

Vatican City, Italy (The Adobo Chronicles) – Pope Francis sent a strongly-worded letter to the mayor of Palo, Leyte in the Philippines, reprimanding her for attempting to hide the truth from the leader of the Roman Catholic Church. The pope is scheduled to visit the Philippines next January and wants to meet with the victims devastated and rendered homeless by last year’s typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda).

Mayor Remedios Petilla of Palo wants to transfer 250 families living in bunk houses in Barangay Candahug to another place five kilometers away so they will not be very visible when Pope Francis visits the town in January. The families, who had been staying in the bunk houses in Candahug after their houses were destroyed by the supertyphoon on Nov. 8, 2013, would be transferred to other bunk houses in Barangay Tacuranga or permanent relocation sites ahead of the papal visit.

The transfer “is being fast tracked because of the scheduled visit of the Pope next year,” Petilla said.

In his letter to Petilla, Pope Francis said, “What part of ‘visiting the typhoon victims’ do you not understand? That is the primary reason I am coming to the Philippines. Do not displace them just to impress me because I am not that easily impressed, especially by those who are not truthful like yourself.”

The Vatican is considering papal visit guidelines which now include banning Mayor Petilla from coming anywhere close to the pope when he visits Leyte.