Duterte leads rites for building of new houses for Naga, Cebu landslide victims

NAGA CITY, Cebu—President Rodrigo Duterte on Friday (Sept. 6) led groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of houses for villagers displaced by a landslide near a quarrying site here in 2018.

Duterte, in his speech during the ceremony, said the groundbreaking rite was a “fulfillment of a promise” to those displaced by the landslide which the President described as a “wake-up call for us to strengthen preparedness in times of disaster.”

“I am confident that we will overcome natural and manmade disasters and emerge as a stronger and more resilient nation,” the President said.

At least 78 people were dead and six were missing after two hectares of a community called Sitio Tagaytay collapsed on a populated area called Sitio Sandulan.

The Naga city government is constructing 50 houses while the National Housing Authority, and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board will build 192 housing units for the displaced families.

“We have overcome the tragedy and continue to do so only by God’s grace,” said the mayor, Kristine Vanessa Chiong.

“The never-say-die, never give up and no retreat, no surrender Filipino spirit is truly remakrable,” Chiong said./tsb