Tacloban mayor asks NHA: Build homes faster

SHELTERS, like this tent with a UNHCR marking, dotted the landscape of Tacloban City following the onslaught of Supertyphoon ‘Yolanda’ in November 2013. The completion of permanent homes for residents who lost theirs to Yolanda has been slow, prompting city officials to appeal for a faster construction pace. RAFFY LERMA

TACLOBAN CITY—Mayor Alfred Romualdez appealed to the National Housing Authority (NHA) to speed up the construction of new homes for survivors of Supertyphoon “Yolanda,” saying the pace of construction of the permanent shelters appeared to be too slow.

The pace of release of financial aid to Yolanda survivors has been slow, too.

After more than a year, only 2,000 permanent homes had been built out of a target of 14,000 units for 14,000 families who lost their homes during storm surges in this city.

Only half of the P8.5 billion intended for Yolanda survivors in Western Visayas had been released.

“I think they should update the President on the progress of the work,” Romualdez said.

Marilyn Lauzon, NHA officer in charge here, said bad weather and land development were among the reasons for the delay in the construction of permanent shelters for Yolanda survivors. She declined to elaborate.

The NHA made a commitment to build 14,000 housing units for Yolanda survivors and has a budget of more than P2 billion for the project.

But only more than 2,000 units had been built in 14 sites in northern parts of the city more than a year after Yolanda struck in November 2013.

Of the 2,000 units, only 17 are occupied by families from Barangay (village) 88, San Jose District, one of the areas hardest hit by Yolanda.

At the rate the NHA is building the houses, Romualdez said the agency could probably deliver only 3,000-4,000 units by the end of the year.

The mayor said the quality of construction also matters. “We should make a distinction here between ready for occupancy and completely finished with all the basic necessities provided,” he said.

Iloilo

In Iloilo, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Western Visayas reported the release of P4.2 billion in emergency shelter assistance (ESA) to beneficiaries as of May 15.

Rebecca Geamala, DSWD regional assistant director, said the amount was half of the P8.5 billion for 191,727 families who lost their homes and 227,507 others whose homes are in need of repair.

Families whose houses were destroyed each received P30,000 in ESA to help them buy materials to rebuild their homes. Those who need funds for home repairs received P10,000 each.

Geamala said the Department of Budget and Management was to release another P1.8 billion in ESA funds in the last week of May and another P1.9 billion this month.