The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) led by Greg Beck, deputy assistant administrator for Asia Bureau of USAID Washington, arrived here again on Dec. 9-10, to conduct the post-earthquake assessment on the extent of damage and pledged to extend assistance to some calamity-stricken towns.
Before proceeding to this earthquake-town, Beck dropped by Antequera town, about 10 kms north interior from here, to do the same task.
He was welcomed by officials and apprised of the situation on the damages wrought by the earthquake, especially on the school buildings and huddled with the local officials led by Mayor Mario Pahang.
This town and Anteqera are still reeling from rubbles of the earthquake-stricken damages of their respective turfs but they are pushing for rehabilitation of their education facilities in terms rebuilding infrastructure, said Vice Mayor Fructuoso Redulla, who represent Mayor Leoncio Evasco who was out of town.
“This (referring to rehabilitation) is going to be not a quick fix,” he said.
Redulla and Pahang stressed during the USAID official visit the need to continue education of children after the earthquake that struck
Redulla said they wanted to maintain or improve the standing of the town’s education as top ranking LGU in the national achievement test.
Both municipalities adversely suffered a hefty number of totally damaged day care centers and public elementary schools due to the tremor. This made their classes divide into two sessions a day rather than the usual after the earthquake under the temporary tent classrooms made of bamboo/wood and canvass.
Beck expressed optimism before the session of the Antequera Sangguniang Bayan that “there’s a bright future ahead” for the people of
He also expressed deep “sympathy to the loss and tremendous impact” of the earthquake to the Boholanos.
“A sense of hope and resiliency is remarkable” among the Boholanos who tried to rise again amid the rubbles and pains after the tremor, he said.
USAID got what Maribojoc and Antequera need after Beck sat down with the local officials when Beck asked the local officials their priorities for rehabilitation.
Both towns identified their top priority was for the rehabilitation of schools and day care buildings; provision of learning materials; and rebuilding of school facilities/laboratories damaged by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake, said Redulla.
USAID country representative Gloria Steele and other officials accompanied Beck in his sorties, as he is expected to visit Tubigon and Catigbian towns Wednesday (Dec. 11), also badly hit by earthquake.
Beck took time to visit the damage 15th century triangular watchtower in this town at coastal
The watch tower was partly damaged on its top and is now off limits to tourists and visitors.
He also inspected the coastal area just below the watch tower that have been uplifted for a few meters after the earthquake that created a vast dried up coral stones.
Earlier on, USAID along with representatives of the World Health Organization and other national agencies, visited Bohol to extend assistance such as the hygiene kits to earthquake victims.
http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=2&sid=&nid=2&rid=595645
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