Aid to settlers today but rebuilding to take time

CASH and material assistance will be released today to the fire victims of barangay Mambaling in Cebu City to help them rebuild their homes anew.

DSWS chief Ester Concha said house owners will receive P10,000 cash assistance and construction materials from the city to help them rebuild their burnt shanties.

But rebuilding their homes in the fire site, an urban poor re-settlement area, will take time following road restoration work and a survey, said Colin Rosell, chief of the Department of Welfare for the Urban Poor (DWUP).

“We still have to verify the status of some settlers because there may be some of them who aren’t the original lot beneficiaries,” Rosell said in a phone interview.

All fire victims including the house sharers and renters will be given relief aid that includes three kilos of rice per person and the city’s disaster starter kit that will include a pail, basin, blanket, undergarments and kitchen utensils.

“We worked fast so that we will be able to release the cash and relief assistance within a period of three days because any delays would result to additional cost on the city government’s part,” Concha said.

Fire victims received packed meals from the city last Sunday morning. Their food ration will continue until tonight.

DSWS records showed that the dawn fire burned 68 structures and left 150 families and 640 persons homeless.

Most fire victims occupy makeshift tents near their burnt structures while others either stayed with relatives or occupied the nearby gym in sitio Viking.

One of them, City Hall casual Sofia Empinado is happy that she will receive aid.

A single mother of seven, the 53-year-old Empinado said she had to rely on whatever cash assistance she will get from the city to start rebuilding their shanty.

Until then, her 10 months and two-year old grand children will have to stay with relatives for their shelter.

Since her contract was renewed only last July 1, Empinado said she’s unsure when she will be paid.

But Empinado said she is lucky that several of her City Hall colleagues sent her food and clothing.

She said her seven children were lucky to have been able to save some of their clothes. Chief of Reporters Doris C. Bongcac