In commemorating the five-year anniversary of typhoon Morakot today, August 8th, 2014, with various reconstruction work yielding tangible results, the Morakot Post-disaster Reconstruction Council, Executive Yuan has staged a plaque removal and archives turnover ceremony, which is presided by minister without portfolio, Executive Yuan, Yang Chiu-hsing and CEO of Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, Executive Yuan, Chern Jenn-chuan who jointly remove the Executive Yuan Reconstruction Council’s plaque, symbolizing the reconstruction mission has completed its incremental mission.  As witnessed by minister without portfolio, Yang Chiu-hsing, the CEO Chern Jenn-chuan turns over Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council’s archives to the Director-general of National Archives Administration, National Development Council, Chen, Hsu-Lin. Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council’s archives comprise sixty percent of the national archives, as assessed by the national archive evaluation team made up by the National Archives Administration, National Development Council, which will be open for public perusal and for research purposes in the future.

The minister without portfolio, Yang Chiu-hsing indicates that “with the disaster Morakot brought to Taiwan behind us, and the reconstruction work has come to a close and has also demonstrated tangible results, the citizens’ confidence and rebirth courage demonstrated in the disaster is the dynamism propelling Taiwan to move farther and greater. As he recounts the harm Morakot has brought, and how many of the disaster survivors are able to stand on their feet with the help of all sectors of the society and government entities, restoring the once pitted reconstruction areas to now an affluent and agile looks, and also with many tangible results, which he feels elation and comfort in his heart.  He dedicates his special gratitude to the long-term efforts of 18 ministerial and departmental associates assigned to the council as spearheaded by CEO Chern Jenn-chuan, and also his thankfulness to relevant central government entities, local governments and private sector NGOs for their invaluable contribution to the rebuilding work.

The CEO of Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, Executive Yuan, Chern Jenn-chuan indicates, the plaque of Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council taken off on August 8th, but the follow-up clearing work will be continued till August 29th . In the mean time, some members of Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council stay for passing on the Morakot experiences to help reconstruction work of Kaohsiung explosion event happened on August 1st.

CEO Chern recalls the early stage of post-Morakot reconstruction, the Executive Yuan has promptly moved to form the reconstruction council in 7 days following Morakot hit, completed the legislative work on the Reconstruction special Act in 20 days following the disaster, and has also set aside NT$22bn from the fiscal budget to inject into the disaster rescue rebuilding work, as well as allocating an NT$116.508bn special budget in three months.  The reconstruction work follows Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council first term convener former Premier Liu Chao-shiuan’s directive of an “urgent rescue, and stringent reconstruction” guidance principle, and the policy focus of  “erecting the permanent housing as a primary approach, aided by temporary housing”, “building permanent housing with the government providing the land and infrastructure facility, pairing with private organizations’ building efforts”, and “pairing businesses assist in industry rebuilding” among other efforts.  CEO Chern indicates, the Morakot rebuilding work’s efficient promotion is attributed to the high levels of emphasis and support of the President, former conveners Premier Liu Chao-shiuan, Premier Wu Den-yih, Premier Sean Chen, and the current Premier Jiang Yi-huah.

Indicates CEO Chern Jenn-chuan, as a rather unusual government agency, the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council has set up offices in the rebuilding frontline – Kaohsiung for promoting the reconstruction work in the past five years, where its associates have traversed to all corners of the rebuilding areas to jointly set a new page in its history of a fine agency culture by chronicling the Morakot rebuilding process with limited manpower and funding to have convened 48 times of working group meeting, 33 times of Council meeting, 53 times of working report meeting, almost 2,000 times meeting regarding infrastructure, industry, homeland and community reconstruction, submitted 15 times of report regarding reconstruction process in Executive Yuan meeting, 6 times of report in Office of President, the Morakot rebuilding work’s efficient promotion is attributed to the high levels of emphasis and support of the President, former conveners.

He says, “As the Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council completes its mission, on reflecting the Morakot rebuilding experience heritage, he encourages everyone to call on the National Science and Technology Museum to visit the Morakot Post-disaster Exhibition, where it showcases by means of instilling education in amusement on how to strengthen one’s disaster response capability and the Morakot post-disaster rebuilding results pooling the love and care of all sectors, and he also recommends local denizens not to miss the “Typhoon Morakot – Rebuilding the Homestead” premiering on the National Geographic Channel at 9:00PM August 8th in Taiwan, and the “Typhoon Morakot – the Hope for Rebirth” documentary premiering on October 10.

Following the plague removal ceremony, Morakot Reconstruction Council associates, past and present, for a group photograph, capturing a last snapshot of the reconstruction team’s building results and efforts for the past five years.  Thereafter, minister without portfolio Yang and CEO Chern call on National Science and Technology Museum to attend Morakot Post-disaster Reconstruction Exhibit Hall’s opening ceremony.

CEO Chern and Minister Without Portfolio Yang take the MPDRC's plaque off together

MPDRC's archives was passed on to National Archives Administration

The MPDRC associates