MORE NEWS, LA UNION

80 houses wrecked: Relocation site eyed for 93 families hit by storm
By Freddie Lazaro

ARINGAY, La Union -- The municipal government here is looking into the possibility of relocating 93 three families, composed of 471 persons, in Barangay Berlin-Alaska of this fishing village who were displaced by a storm surge that hit the shoreline Jan. 10.

A lot owned by the Philippine National Railways located in Barangay Poblacion is being considered as possible relocation site.

Claudia Barcelona, chief of the operations division of the Department of Social Welfare and Development office in Region 1, said 80 houses were totally damaged by the storm surge and 13 other houses were partially damaged.

"The families affected were temporarily evacuated to the Berlin-Alaska Elementary School but they left the evacuation center last Monday and stayed with relatives and friends, while others were staying in makeshift shelters," she said.

She said that the DSWD together with ABS-CBN "Sagip Kapamilya," the municipal government of Aringay, the provincial government of La Union, the Department of Health, PNRC and Rep. Butch Dumpit (2nd District, La Union) gave relief assistance to the victims.

"Our office had distributed 150 food packs to the victims," Barcelona said.

"Continuous monitoring and rehabilitation of the affected area had been done," she added.

The cost of property damage was not immediately known as the Municipal Disaster Coordinating Council of Aringay was still conducting its assessment.