DAGUPAN CITY -- President Arroyo on Monday created a Special National Public-Private Sector Reconstruction Commission that will study the causes, costs and actions to be undertaken following the devastation by storm "Ondoy" and typhoon "Pepeng".
Arroyo made the announcement at the Cabinet meeting here where the National Disaster Coordinating Council (NDCC) was also convened.
She said the Commission will undertake the rehabilitation plan, raise funds for reconstruction and oversee its implementation, serve as a clearing house for international assistance, and request the United Nations and the World Bank to coordinate an international pledging session.
Finance Secretary Margarito Teves told reporters that the pledging session could take place between the last week of November to the first week of December because the UN and WB still have to make their assessment and report on the damage.
The creation of the Commission was a recommendation of Albay Gov. Jose Salceda, Arroyo’s economic adviser.
Arroyo said the Commission would be headed by PLDT president and CEO Manuel Pangilinan with Teves and Cardinal Ricardo Vidal of Cebu as co-chairmen.
She said heads of government departments, business groups and representatives of local and international non-governmental organizations will serve as members.
She said the Socio-economic Planning Department and the Office of Civil Defense will be the Secretariat.
She said soldiers assigned in Mindanao could also be transferred to the engineering brigade to help in the rehabilitation since there is already a ceasefire with the secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front in the South.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Manila (RCAM) said it has no idea on the reported inclusion of Cardinal Gaudencio Rosales in the creation of a special commission on rehabilitation.
"The office of the Cardinal has not been informed of it," said RCAM media officer Peachy Yamsuan.
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines said it is also clueless on the reported inclusion of Rosales to the panel.
"The Code of Canon Law prohibits priests or bishops from joining the executive branch of government. But there are exemptions. So I don’t know if the Cardinal will accept that, in case there’s an offer," said CBCP spokesman Msgr. Pedro Quitorio.
Sen. Francis Escudero asked landlords to help in rehabilitation efforts by donating land to be developed into relocation sites.
"If they have a hundred hectares, perhaps it will not be too much to ask for them to donate 10 hectares," he added.
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