Property developers offer to help build homes for flood victims

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Plans to build a new community for flood victims here are starting to take shape as leaders of a group of real estate developers offered to help build homes for those displaced by the flooding, which killed 31 people.

The floods displaced 15,000 families and destroyed scores of houses, mostly made of light materials, in the villages of Matina Pangi, Matina Aplaya, Matina Crossing and Bangkal.

These villages are along two rivers in the city—Talomo and Pangi—that overflowed at the height of rains that lasted for at least three days.

Carlos Vargas, head of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders’ Associations here, said Wednesday that his group saw how huge the task is of rebuilding homes should the flood victims be relocated to a new community away from high-risk areas.

Developers, he said, have discussed the offer with the city government although he did not say what the official response was.

“We have to do it fast because it is urgent to rebuild houses in order to rebuild their lives,” Vargas said.

He said at least 26 developers have already committed to help build houses, at no cost to the flood victims, with the use of materials and funds donated by the private sector, including Creba. “It is our social commitment,” said Vargas.

Days after the deadly floods, the Davao Light and Power Co. announced that power has been fully restored in the flood-hit areas.

Roger Velasco, DLPC crisis management head, said at least 1,000 electric meters had to be replaced because these were soaked in floodwater.

“It’s the first time DLPC encountered such magnitude of meter damage,” he said.

In Cotabato City, officials of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao raised fears of a food shortage as a result of the destruction wrought on farms by floods in the region.

Naguib Sinarimbo, ARMM executive secretary, said the region’s Cabinet met last week after reports indicated that the floods destroyed at least P300 million worth of crops in the provinces of Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, Basilan and Tawi-Tawi.

He said the floods also destroyed farms planted to vegetables and fruit-bearing trees.