House repair aid to increase from P5k to P10k in ‘Yolanda’ areas—Binay

Typhoon survivor Epifania Plana, 76, stands outside her temporary shelter with a refrigerator door serving as the main door, along a side road at typhoon-ravaged Palo town, Leyte province, at sunrise Wednesday, Nov. 27, 2013. The National Housing Authority (NHA) will increase from P5,000 to P10,000 the amount of assistance it will give to families whose homes were partially destroyed by supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), according to Vice President Jejomar Binay. AP

MANILA, Philippines—The National Housing Authority (NHA) will increase from P5,000 to P10,000 the amount of assistance it will give to families whose homes were partially destroyed by supertyphoon “Yolanda” (Haiyan), according to Vice President Jejomar Binay.

“NHA provides construction materials for families whose homes were partially destroyed by the typhoon. We initially provided a maximum of P5,000 worth of materials, but we changed that to P10,000 after we got a clearer picture of the extent of the damage,” Binay said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Vice President, who heads the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said they would study the impact of relocation on the livelihood of those affected by Yolanda and those who should be moved to safer areas.

“For example, we just can’t relocate farmers or those living in coastal areas because the sources of their livelihood will not follow them,” he said, referring to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council’s earlier announcement that the government would be enforcing ‘no-build’ zones along areas 40 meters from coastlines.

Moreover, Binay said he wanted to study what assistance could be extended to residents or tenants of residential buildings, noting that many of such buildings were destroyed in Tacloban City after being battered by the supertyphoon.

The Vice President previously said that members of the Home Development Mutual (Pag-IBIG) Fund with existing housing loans and whose homes were damaged by the supertyphoon would be covered by the agency’s mortgage redemption insurance.

“Pag-IBIG has also allocated P5 billion for calamity loans and an additional P5 billion for housing loans for members living in areas affected by Yolanda. We will increase this amount if there is a need,” Binay said.