2,894 ‘Odette’ survivors in Negros Occidental town get aid from NHA

BACOLOD CITY—The Negros Occidental provincial government has distributed P14.4 million from the National Housing Authority (NHA) to 2,894 residents of Isabela town who lost their homes to Typhoon “Odette” at rites held on June 7.

The NHA Special Emergency Housing Assistance Program aid of P5,000 each was distributed at the Isabela Municipal Covered Court and Isabela Cultural Center. Board Member Rita Gatuslao and Isabela Mayor Irene Montilla attended the event.

Only those whose houses were destroyed were covered by the NHA aid.

Numerous Isabela residents who said they were also victims of the typhoon complained that they were not in the list of beneficiaries.

Montilla said 14,000 households in Isabela were affected by “Odette.”

“All were listed, but after validation, only 2,894 were included in the NHA list of recipients,” she said.

”We have complained about it a long time ago,” Montilla added.

She said one of the reasons for Isabela getting less aid could be because the opposition-controlled Sangguniang Bayan did not declare a state of calamity despite a resolution requesting it from the Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office.

Some typhoon victims received assistance from other donations, including those from the private sector, Montilla said.

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