In quake-hit Itbayat, 266 families need new homes

STARTING AGAIN A resident of Itbayat, Batanes province, tries to salvage materials from his house that collapsed after strong earthquakes rocked the town on July 27. —NATHAN ALCANTARA

ITBAYAT, Batanes, Philippines — A total of 266 houses here have been deemed beyond repair, but volunteers continue to work double time to rehabilitate this island town, the country’s northernmost municipality, following the July 27 earthquakes.

Survivors said they had started receiving housing assistance from the government and civic groups to rebuild their homes.

The National Housing Authority and the Department of Social Welfare and Development have given P60,000 in housing aid each to villagers with damaged houses.

At least 15 families with no houses to return to are staying in tents at the town plaza.

Villagers and volunteers have started putting up large tents to serve as classrooms after the quakes damaged two schools.

Aid delayed

Local officials said they were waiting for a Navy boat to bring galvanized iron sheets and steel pipes to be used for the residents’ temporary dwellings.

Bad weather had delayed the transport of two tons of relief items for the survivors.

On Wednesday, some 400 Ivatan people joined the “Run for Fun, Rise as One” as a fund-raising event.

Alfonso Simon, president of Batanes State College, said the runners who initiated the activity were joined by teachers, students and government workers.

“The Ivatans are one in bringing brightness in the lives of the Kahilyans or Kaydians in Itbayat,” Simon told the Inquirer.

He said the organizers raised P23,894 to be donated to the survivors. —With a report from Villamor Visaya Jr.

The Philippine Daily Inquirer is helping extend relief to the families affected by the recent earthquakes in Batanes. Cash donations may be deposited to the Inquirer Foundation Corp.’s Banco De Oro (BDO) current account No. 007960018860.

Inquiries may be addressed and emailed to the Inquirer’s Corporate Affairs office through [email protected], or call 8978808 local 238 or 352.