Cebu’s tent city still needs latrines, water supply – DSWD

Images coming out of devastated areas, isolated by the breakdown of communication facilities, show the extent of the devastation caused by Supertyphoon “Yolanda.” Visayans, including these girls in Daanbantayan town in northern Cebu province, are still in a daze in the aftermath of the supertyphoon. TONEE DESPOJO/CEBU DAILY NEWS FILE PHOTO

CEBU CITY, Philippines — The tent city for Supertyphoon Yolanda (Haiyan) evacuees in the South Road Properties (SRP) is supposed to be ready for occupancy this week, according to the pronouncement of authorities here.

But Ester Concha, chief of the Cebu City Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS), said that as of Tuesday, the site was still in the process of getting latrines and water supply.

Concha told the Philippine Daily Inquirer she found this out when she inspected the one-hectare site for the tent city on Tuesday. The area is part of the three-hectare City Hall block at SRP.

Some 30 tents out of the 120 tents that the Philippine Red Cross has promised to put up have been put in place.

Concha said these would house the 79 families or 318 individuals now staying at the evacuation centers in this city.

There are still four evacuation centers in the city. These are the Tinago Sports Complex, Cogon Ramos Sports Complex, Guadalupe Gym and the Capitol Parish Gym.

Last week, a 30-man team from the PRC inspected the site at the SRP.

The ongoing filling, compacting and levelling of soil in the area have temporarily stopped while the tents were being installed.

The PRC has promised to give away 150 tents. Each tent is 5.5 meters by 4.2 meters and can house one family.

The Tent City will have its own water and electricity supply. It will have a playground for children, meeting hall, cooking and dining area, comfort rooms, shower rooms and washing area.

Meanwhile, Concha said the Cebu City DSWS has recorded an increase of Yolanda transients in Cebu City, following the closure of the evacuation centers in Mandaue City and Lapu-Lapu City.

Concha said she would meet with the respective social welfare heads of the two cities to discuss how the other cities could help the transients.

“It would be unfair if only Cebu City takes care of all (the evacuees). I thought we’re helping each other,” she pointed out.

As of Tuesday, Concha said they have monitored 90 transients returning to Tacloban and other places in Eastern Samar. She said the evacuees might have heard that their area has been slowly recovering from the calamity that hit them.

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