150 Tacloban families moved to permanent houses from temporary shelters

TACLOBAN CITY, Oct. 6 (PNA) –- At least 150 households from transitional shelters in northern villages have been transferred to their permanent houses this week.

These families have been living in temporary shelters months after supertyphoon Yolanda devastated the city in late 2013, according to National Housing Authority (NHA) estate management specialist and community relations officer Dorcas Secreto.

A total of 67 families from Tagpuro temporary shelters were transferred to Villa Sofia, also in Tagpuro village, eight-kilometers from the city center.

Another 67 families will be moved to their new homes in New Kawayan village on Oct. 7 to Villa Diana. The transfer is spearheaded by the city government after several meetings and consultations with the members of the sub local interagency committee (Sub-LIAC) of which NHA is a member.

These families are from temporary shelters of Suhi Badato, New Kawayan LGU Duplex 1 and Duplex 2, Operation Blessing in Sto. Nino village and Operation Compassion TRS transitional shelters.

The NHA has built 1,000 permanent concrete houses at Villa Sofia, Ridgeview and Diana sites. They also built the 1,000-houses in Sta. Elena village, which is ready for occupancy after water supply is connected to each housing unit.

The 150 households will join the 2,000 Yolanda survivors in these permanent houses at the northern barangays. The number of families to be transferred this week represents half of more than 300 families still living in temporary houses.

Secreto added that those with housing permits are the only families allowed to transfer to make sure their units are safe and livable.

“The families are reminded that once they settled in the permanent resettlement areas, they will be responsible in maintaining cleanliness in their surroundings, peace and order within the community,” Secreto said.

It is a risk for the families to transfer without the occupancy permit and besides there will be penalty, according to the NHA official.

Secreto added that there were issues like land acquisition, site development, environmental certificate approval from Environmental Management Bureau and Mines Geosciences Bureau, drainage, sewerage, site evaluation, among others.

“But these permanent houses for the Yolanda survivors are resilient, built to withstand 220 kilometers per hour winds and are beautifully designed,” Secreto added.

Under its long term plan, the government will transfer 14,951 families or 74,755 individuals to northern relocation sites from danger zones until 2018.

Currently, more than 2,000 families have been moved to their new homes, according to the city government. (PNA)

JMC/SQM/VICKY C. ARNAIZ/EGR