Odette victims in Alegria get solar-powered houses
THE Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has donated 71 houses in Alegria for families affected by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai).
On Tuesday, March 26, 2024, the PRC visited Alegria, Cebu to turn over 71 houses with solar-powered panels as part of the organization’s Full Shelter Assistance (FSA) project.
The PRC allocated P32 million for the construction of the housing units in a four-hectare property acquired by the local government unit of Alegria located in Barangay Poblacion.
Each one-story house unit has a floor size of 30 square meters.
The 71 beneficiaries were chosen by the PRC based on its criteria, which include the impact of the disaster on the person’s livelihood and vulnerability criteria, which assessed if a family has a vulnerable member, such as a person with a disability or a senior citizen.
PRC chairman and chief executive officer Richard Gordon said the PRC selected the beneficiaries instead of the LGU to prevent politics from affecting the selection process and to ensure adherence to PRC standards. Alegria was also chosen as the location based on a study conducted by the organization, among other factors.
“Alegria was chosen because they had the land, they had to be quick about it, and they were well deserving,” said Gordon.
Based on LGU data, around 4,000 people in Alegria were affected by Typhoon Odette.
When asked why only a small percentage were chosen for the FSA project, Gordon said that the PRC is an auxiliary support and that the Alegria LGU still has the main responsibility of taking care of its residents.
On top of the solar-powered housing, the PRC also provided an additional P10,000 to the beneficiaries as support for their livelihood.
Eutiquio Legaspino, president of the association said that residents are happy as most of them, including himself, were unable to build a home after the devastation caused by Typhoon Odette due to the lack of resources.
“Gikan sa akong kasingkasing malipayon kaayo ko naa gyud nakatabang namong tanan sa Alegria, labi na sa biktima sa bagyo,” said Legaspino.
(From the bottom of my heart, I am very happy that help has been extended to Alegria, especially to the victims of the typhoon.)
The FSA project will also cover other areas affected by Typhoon Odette such as Bohol and Surigao del Norte.
Central Visayas is one of the six regions in the country that was hit by Typhoon Odette on Dec. 16, 2021.
According to the Central Visayas Rehabilitation and Recovery Program, the total cost of Typhoon Odette’s damage almost reached P89 billion. More than 50 percent of this amount is from the social sector. The total cost of damage to housing units and school buildings is about P47 billion and P9 billion, respectively.
The second most affected sector, in terms of value of damage, is the productive sector. Damaged agriculture and fisheries assets, valued at P7.9 billion, account for most of the cost of damage.