Tacloban leads in 'Yolanda' permanent housing program

TACLOBAN CITY, Nov. 8  -- Tacloban City is the most successful model in the Yolanda Permanent Housing Program implemented during the Duterte administration, having the most number of resettlement houses occupied at 10,703 units from a total housing target of 14,433 houses.

 
 


A report from the National Housing Authority (NHA) released on October 30 show that it has 1,873 units currently under construction while another 1,721 units are already undergoing land development. 



In a letter to President Rodrigo Duterte, Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Gonzales-Romualdez personally thanked the president for fasttracking the construction of the housing units. 



Romualdez also thanked the President for tasking Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino to assist in the relocation of the beneficiaries in a manner most convenient to them.



Initially, the beneficiaries declined to be relocated to other sites of resettlement areas due to lack of power, water facilities, and transportation.



Through the Department of Energy and Leyte Electric Cooperative, the resettlement areas were provided with power. Stop gap measures were put in place while permanent water pipelines have yet to be installed.



A Memorandum of Understanding among NHA, Local Water Utilities Administration, Leyte Metropolitan Water District, Department of Public Works and Highways, and the Tacloban LGU was signed for the medium-and long-term water supply for the resettlement sites in Tacloban.




Also, Dino secured six units of Ceres buses that were lent to Tacloban City to provide free transportation to beneficiaries who initially were reluctant to be relocated away from their source of livelihood and schools. 




Vallacar Corporation, the owner of Ceres buses, will donate the buses to Tacloban City.

A ceremonial turn over of the buses will be made today, November 8, on the fourth anniversary of supertyphoon "Yolanda".
 (PR/PNA)