Robredo turns over shelter kits in ‘Odette’-hit Sipalay City

Vice President Leni Robredo with typhoon victims Jimmy and Jenilyn Cardinal and Negrense Volunteers for Change president Millie Kilayko (left to right) in Purok Lubi, Barangay Gil Montilla, Sipalay City, on Saturday. (Photo courtesy of Aeson Baldevia)

SIPALAY CITY, Negros Occidental — Vice President Leni Robredo on Saturday, Feb. 5, visited Negros Occidental to turnover shelter starter kits to 250 families whose homes were destroyed by Typhoon Odette (international name: Rai) in December last year.

She also met with the members of the Barangay 2 Small Fishermen’s Association in Sipalay City who were the recipients of livelihood assistance from her office.

The residents were taught how to build houses that are typhoon-resilient with a design prepared by the CC Buencamino Architect firm.

“They are training residents how to build such homes so they will have the knowledge to do so on their own in the future,” Robredo said.

“This is not much that we are giving you but I hope it can help ease the burden you are facing now, with many of you having to start from scratch again, ” she added.

Robredo said the houses to be built by the recipients will be done in collaboration with the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC) headed by Millie Kilayko and the United Architects of the Philippines.

She said she saw an NVC Facebook post that they were building houses for the typhoon victims and asked if the foundation could help her office with those they are building in southern Negros Occidental.

NVC is the ground implementer that distributes the starter kit materials and is tasked to ensure that the 250 houses are built.

Robredo said this is not the first time she has partnered with NVC as they have worked together even when she was a congresswoman in conducting feeding programs to address malnutrition.

Jimmy Cardinal, 54, and a farmer, whose house was washed away by Odette and lost all his crops and carabao in a harrowing experience that nearly took his life, thanked Robredo for giving his family hope and a new lease on life.

Cardinal was one of the 250 families in southern Negros Occidental who received shelter starter kits from the vice president.

Jimmy said his wife and four children went to an evacuation center even before Odette hit on December 17 because their barangay captain urged them to leave their homes in Purok Lubi, Barangay Gil Montilla.

He stayed at their house to watch their belongings but as the winds lashed and the waters rose, he and their dog Brownie swam to higher ground.

“I thought we would die,” Jimmy said.

When the waters subsided, he found his house washed away, his crops destroyed and his carabao gone.

Jimmy used to plant rice and squash which he said were ready for harvest before the typhoon hit.

He thought it would be very difficult for him to rebuild a home for his family, having lost his means of livelihood.

Since the typhoon, his family has been living like sardines in what was left of their old home.

One resident of Purok Lubi died in the Typhoon and another is missing.

Many residents of Purok Lubi had harrowing stories to tell of how their houses were washed away by the floods, how some nearly drowned, and how they lost their means of livelihood.

Robredo was the first presidential candidate who visited Sipalay City to see the situation on the ground and deliver aid after the typhoon.

From Siplay City, the vice president traveled to Barangay Mambugsay in Cauayan town to turn over shelter starter kits to families.

Former Negros Occidental Gov. Rafael Coscolluela, provincial chair of the Robredo People’s Council, said a lot of people provide aid for the typhoon victims through the vice president because they know that it will reach the people.

“Shortly after the typhoon hit Negros Occidental, I got a call from the Vice President Robredo, asking for an update on the situation and asking how she could help, Cococolluela said.

Robredo visited Kabankalan City and Himamaylan City in Negros Occidental to deliver food assistance in December and left a team to visit other typhoon-hit areas to determine their needs.

The vice president wanted to ensure that sturdier houses are built for the typhoon victims and tied up with NVC, because of its track record at delivering projects for the poor.

/MUF