Last 24 bunkhouses for ‘Yolanda’ survivors to be completed by Feb. 15

Bunkhouses. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — February 15 is the new deadline for the construction of 222 temporary shelters the government had planned to build for the survivors of  Super Typhoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan) in Eastern Visayas.

This was disclosed to the Philippine Daily Inquirer on Monday by Rolando Asis, director of the Department of Public Works and Highways office in Region 8, who reported that “as of Jan. 31, a total of 198 bunkhouses had been put up by private contractors.”

“The completed bunkhouses are in Tacloban City, 43; Ormoc City, 42; Palo town, Leyte, 30; Eastern Samar, 51; and Western Samar, 32,” he said.

According to Asis, “the 24 remaining bunkhouses have been substantially completed.”

At least 135 bunkhouses have been turned over by the agency to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

Asis explained “the construction of the bunkhouses has been hampered by bad weather in these areas.”

“Continuous heavy rains brought about by tropical depressions Agaton and Basyang have delayed the delivery of construction materials, which came from Metro Manila, Bicol and parts of the Visayas and Mindanao,” he said.

Earlier, the DPWH official expressed confidence the construction of the remaining bunkhouses would be finished by the end of January.

Only 122 temporary shelters were put up before the Christmas break. Two of them, both in the municipality of Palo, were turned over to typhoon victims by President Aquino during his visit to the area on Dec. 22.

Last week, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson announced that instead of building more bunkhouses for typhoon survivors, the DPWH would provide them with construction materials under its Permanent Shelter Program for storm-ravaged areas.

Families whose homes were destroyed would get P30,000 worth of building materials while those whose homes were damaged would get P10,000 worth of materials, he said.

Singson also said priority would be given to families living in coastal areas in Leyte and Eastern Samar provinces, adding “it would be good if a cash-for-work component is included in the reconstruction of typhoon-damaged homes.”