MARCH 29, 2014

NR # 3420

Solons seek construction in Tacloban City of memorial for Yolanda victims

Two lawmakers are seeking the construction in Tacloban City of a memorial for the victims of Super typhoon Yolanda. According to Bayan Muna eps. !eri Colmenares and Carlos "sagani #arate$ the memorial will serve as a marker in memory of the casualties of the tragedy and a reminder to the country%s leaders and the people to work towards a disaster&resilient nation. Colmenares said Super typhoon Yolanda was one of the worst natural disasters to strike the country in recent memory$ and that the death toll was apocalyptic in magnitude and the damage to property was biblical in proportion. 'As of (ebruary$ the total death toll for all Yolanda&ravaged regions has reached )$ *+, while *-$ )*) people were in.ured and ,$/-0 still missing according to the most recent reports of the !ational 1isaster isk eduction Management Council 2!1 MC3$4 said Colmenares. The proposal embodied in 5ouse Bill 6,++$ which shall be known as the 'Yolanda Memorial Act of *+,6$4 provides that the marker shall be constructed in Tacloban City under the supervision of the 1epartment of 7ublic 8orks and 5ighways 217853 in coordination with the local government units 29:;s3. The bill further provides that a message shall be inscribed unto the base of the memorial and shall read as< In memory of the thousands of victims of Yolanda That calamities have been transformed into a monstrosity due to climate change That the leaders of this country must employ its utmost knowledge and care for the people To work for a disaster-resilient nation That appropriate, decisive and climate-adaptive policies must be enforced To help protect the lives and livelihood of the people and mitigate the effects of disasters To prevent such loss when another calamity as Yolanda should ever come our way again !ay this never happen again " The bill$ now pending at the 5ouse Committee on 7ublic 8orks and 5ighways chaired by ep. onald Cosalan 29one 1istrict$ Benguet3$ provides the inscription may be translated into (ilipino or Waray$ or both$ according to the discretion of the 9:;. (urthermore$ the amount necessary for the construction of the memorial shall be charged against the allocations in the :eneral Appropriations Act 2:AA3 of the 1785$ the bill provides. 2=+3 rbb