Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines – The huge number of affected families, not “undue delays,” is the reason evacuees still languish in temporary shelters a year after the Zamboanga City siege, Malacañang said Tuesday.
Communications Secretary Herminio Coloma Jr. dismissed accusations that it was taking the government too long to address the concerns of families displaced during the armed confrontation between the Nur Misuari-led faction of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) and Philippine government forces.
“Ang tugon po sa atin ni (National Housing Authority) General Manager Chito Cruz ay nasa takdang oras naman o panahon ‘yung kanilang pagtatayo ng mga permanent housing. Kaya nga lang dahil sa dami ng mga pamilya na dapat na mailipat sa permanent housing, hindi naman kinaya na doon sa loob lamang ng isang taon,” Coloma said.
(National Housing Authority General Manager Chito Cruz said the construction of permanent housing was within their timeframe. However, because of the large number of families who had to be transferred to permanent houses, one year was not enough.)
“Kaya wala namang undue delay na tinutukoy (There was no undue delay),” he added.
The Secretary insisted that everything was being done to expedite the process.
A year after the siege, thousands of Zamboanga evacuees remain at the Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex. Media reports said illnesses have been spreading in encampments because of overcrowding and poor sanitation.
Coloma assured the public that the funds allotted for the rehabilitation of the city was already available and that permanent housing will be completed by December.
“(Zamboanga City) Mayor (Beng) Climaco clarified to me via text message last night that the funds—she confirms as Secretary Abad has declared—are available and have been released, especially for permanent housing so wala namang delay sa pagre-release ng pondo (so there is no delay in the release of funds,” he said.
Meanwhile, the sanitation and other problems faced by the evacuees are being addressed by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), the local government and private humanitarian agencies like the Red Cross.
Coloma said they recognize the challenges faced by the displaced families, including being affected by storms and flooding.
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