The provincial government of Negros Oriental has repaired 50 percent of the infrastructure damaged by tropical storm “Sendong” on December 17 last year.

Gov. Roel Degamo said the province is using all financial resources available to fast-track the rehabilitation of damaged infrastructure and the construction of river dikes and other flood control measures.

The P25 million award for winning the Seal of Good Housekeeping from the Department of Interior and Local Government was used in the construction of boulder dikes along the critical areas traversed by the Okoy River in Sibulan, Negros Oriental.

Degamo said the province received P480 million in calamity funds from the national government was used in putting up boulder dikes and river control measures in San Jose town; in Barangay Ajong, Sibulan; and the areas traversed by Okoy and Banica rivers in Dumaguete City.

Okoy River crisscrosses Valencia and Sibulan towns and Dumaguete.

Degamo said the P480 million is only half of the P961 million allocation promised by the national government to complete the rehabilitation and repair of all the infrastructure damaged by “Sendong”.

He said 40 percent of the P480 million had already been used so far.

He said the river control and boulder dikes were believed to have helped prevent the overflow of floodwater during super typhoon Pablo early this month.

Degamo, however, also said there is too much politicking in the release of funds and that delayed the repair and rehabilitation efforts of the province.*MA