Slowly, surely Aklan is recovering - Miraflores

BY BOY RYAN B. ZABAL

KALIBO, Aklan - Cong. Florencio Miraflores is confident that the province’s road to recovery is “slow but sure.”

"Slowly but surely the province of Aklan is recovering. Aklanons are resilient in this time of disaster. With our cooperation and unity, we could revive Aklan through government relief and rehabilitation," he said over DyRU Super Radyo Kalibo yesterday.

Miraflores was confined at the Philippine Heart Center in Manila at the height of the relief and disaster operations for typhoon 'Frank' victims.

He is scheduled to return to office next week and oversee the ongoing rehabilitation efforts of local officials, particularly in typhoon-hit towns of Kalibo, Numancia and Banga.

Miraflores said the Visayas congressmen will meet President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo in Malacañang to seek support in raising P10 billion fund for the rehabilitation of the provinces in Panay.

"I am optimistic that President Arroyo will support the rehabilitation and calamity fund. Last year, the national government has released the fund included in the national budget for the repair of roads, bridges and other facilities in Bicol region damaged by typhoons," he said.

Miraflores also called for immediate plans to address the perennial flooding of Aklan River and other river systems.

Following the onslaught of Typhoon “Frank”, the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council (PDCC) recorded 53 people killed and P2.112-billion damage to infrastructure, agriculture and public utilities triggered by heavy rains and flashflood.

Aklan Governor Carlito Marquez, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude to the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) for its ongoing clean-up operations in the town.

He invited the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to attend the meeting of Task Force Rehabilitation to report its investigation on the possible landslides in the town of Libacao./PN