NHA vows to build housing unit for quake victims

ORMOC CITY, July 14 -- The National Housing Authority (NHA) will be able to implement the housing project for earthquake victims in Ormoc and Kananga, a month after the August board meeting of the agency.

NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr said that the agency has an available fund which only needs an approval from their board before it can be released. 

“As of the moment, we can source the fund from our own corporate receipts and be reimbursed by the Department of Budget and Management, as long as we can immediately provide the needs of the victims,” Escalada said.

Fourteen villages in Ormoc were affected by the 6.5 magnitude tremor on July 6 and the 5.4 magnitude aftershock on July 10, according to the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council (RDRRMC) data as of July 12. 

Kananga town has three affected villages while Carigara has one affected village.

A total of 286 houses were destroyed while 760 were partially damaged, based on the RDRRMC data.

But the RDRRMC data did not match with the record of the city government of Ormoc, prompting another check to finalize the numbers, Escalada said.

Data from the city government of Ormoc showed that the city has a total of 748 totally damaged houses with partially damaged at 1,420. 

Reports of the Office of Civil Defense with the Department of Social Welfare and Development placed the number of both totally and partially damage houses at 1,046 but the city government of Ormoc has a total of 2,210.

“If we can make the final definite or final figure between the 286 or the 748 we shall come up with our final figure on computing for our permanent shelter program,” said Escalada.

NHA house and lot package is worth PHP300, 000 per housing unit.

“As soon as the DSWD provides the emergency shelter assistance, we will proceed with our permanent shelter,” Escalada added. (Roel T. Amazona/PNA)