‘Vinta’ evacuees to be moved to Calaanan

THE 204 families whose houses were destroyed by Tropical Storm ‘Vinta’ and who have been staying at an evacuation center in Barangay Lapasan will soon be transferred to a permanent evacuation center in Barangay Calaanan.

City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) Chief Teodoro Sabuga-a Jr. said the evacuated families will be transferred to the newly constructed evacuation center in Calaanan on Friday, January 5.

"Kanina (Earlier), we decided to transfer yung mga nasa (those families in) Central School to Lapasan para sa (for the) opening of classes bukas (tomorrow). So maybe by Friday, we can transfer them again dun sa (in) Calaanan," Sabuga-a said, adding that the evacuation in the said area is a distance away from school campuses to avoid any disruption of classes.

Sabuga-a said the City Government is also planning to provide financial assistance to families whose destroyed residences were located away from the ‘danger zone.’

"Hopefully, we can provide financial assistance sa kanila para makatayo sila agad ng bago nilang bahay. Pero itong mga nasa no build zone area, yan yung dinadala natin sa evacuation center (so they can build their new houses. But those who resided in the no build zone area, they will be staying in the evacuation center)," Sabuga-a said.

According to Sabuga-a, the danger zone or the build zone is the space from river bank to the river dike.

He added that houses can be erected five meters away from the river dikes.

The CSWD head said they are still validating which in the 204 evacuated families were those who live in the no build zone area and those who were not.

The City Urban Development Department, according to Sabuga-a, will be the one to identify which location will be used to build the relocation houses and will prepare the construction of the said houses for the benefactor families.

"Pinag-uusapan pa sa housing department kung saan itatayo at gumagawa pa sila ng immediate plan... Hopefully 3 to 6 months matatapos na yung bahay (The housing department are still in the process of discussing where to put the relocation houses and coming up with immediate plan... Hopefully they can finish the construction of the houses after 3 to 6 months)," Sabuga-a said.

Meanwhile, the 64 families who voluntarily evacuated during the recent Tropical Depression "Agaton" has gone back to their respective residences on the early morning of Tuesday, January 2, after they were advised that the storm has passed the region.

Sabuga-a said no casualties and damages were recorded during and after the event.