Zero houses built
MANILA – Almost a year after the typhoon, the National Housing Authority (NHA) still has to start building at least 17,000 houses for those displaced by typhoon Yolanda last Nov. 8 in northern Cebu.
The selection of titled lots and submission of other legal documents delayed the construction of houses in relocation sites.
Cebu Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (PDRRM) Officer Baltazar Tribunalo Jr. said that the NHA informed him the agency has started the bidding to identify a contractor who will build the houses.
Based on the PDRRM’s data, the Capitol will need P5.6 billion to relocate 17,151 families that the NHA has identified as those living in the no-dwelling and danger zones.
There are 14,161 families whose houses were destroyed. At least 2,990 families had damaged houses.
According to the National DRRM Council report, 6,200 persons died and 28,000 were injured when Yolanda hit the Visayas.
Yolanda also destroyed or damaged infrastructure, crops and agricultural facilities amounting to al- most P40 billion.
Tribunalo, one of the guests of the Provincial Information Office’s Kapistorya yesterday, said that different government agencies already committed a total of P4.237 billion for resettlement and livelihood, as well as the rehabilitation of infrastructure.
Out of the amount, NHA earmarked P2 billion for the resettlement areas in 15 towns and one city in northern Cebu.
But the construction of houses was delayed because of some requirements for the lots.
Search for land
The NHA will take care of building the houses while the local government units will provide the land as its counterpart.
Julius Camerino, project development officer of the Task Force Paglig-on under the PDRRM office, said that the NHA, through accredited contractors, will look for the lots within the affected local government units (LGUs).
Based on one NHA bids and awards committee resolution, Camerino said, four contractors identified four proposed lots in different towns, which will be evaluated.