Red Cross built 66,011 houses for ‘Yolanda’ victims

Philippine Red Cross Chairman Dick Gordon. INQUIRER.net PHOTO

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) has built 66,011 houses at the cost of  P2.2 billion for victims of Supertyphoon “Yolanda” in the past two years, its chair, former Sen. Richard Gordon, said Thursday.

The figure represents 86 percent of the 80,203 houses the PRC has targeted to build under the PRC’s Haiyan (Yolanda) Recovery Program.

“Remember, there are 1.6 million families affected by this (Yolanda) or 8 million people. I have been very wanting. There is not enough resources to build homes. I wish there were,” Gordon said at a news conference.

“We have to do a better job,” said Gordon, who noted that many organizations were involved in the recovery and rehabilitation effort in the typhoon-devastated region.

“Government has to identify evacuation centers and new townships,” Gordon said, refusing to answer questions about whether he thought government efforts were lacking in Yolanda.

Asked when all Yolanda victims could fully recover, Gordon said, “There is no timeline.”

“Many are still not fully recovered. So let us find a way to help them … You are restricted by money, resources. If you have money, use it. If there is none, then look for money,” he said.

A PRC press release said the agency had provided livelihood assistance worth P582 million to 59,218 families out of the target 62,289 households—or 95 percent—through conditional cash grants. It said it had repaired 38 health facilities, improved access to water and sanitation facilities in 32 schools and that rebuilt or repaired 410 classrooms for 39,165 students.

Gordon also announced that the PRC had acquired a former US Navy vessel for $1.7 million for use in his humanitarian activities. The ship, which could carry 129 passengers, is scheduled to arrive in February.  Kristine Felisse Mangunay