Bontoc folks from disaster area urged: Finish houses

By Alpine L. Killa

BONTOC, Mountain Province – Mayor Franklin Odsey urged beneficiaries of the Core Shelter Assistance Project of the De­pt. of Social Welfare and Development  Barangay Caneo of this capital town to finish incomplete construction of their core shelters units.

Beneficiaries were part of at least 79 families in Sitios Fabfey and Chawwang whose houses were confirmed by the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau- Cordillera Administrative Region in 2014 as within a disaster-prone area and recommended their relocation.

As a long term solution, the Bontoc LGU in coordination with the provincial government sought assistance from concerned national government agencies which resulted to the implementation of the project in the said barangay in 2014.

Odsey met beneficiaries on May 22 in Caneo and committed additional counterpart of the Bontoc local government unit to ensure all core shelter units in the said village are 100 percent complete and ready to be turned over to the beneficiaries.

Latest report from the Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office said of the 79 CSAP family-beneficiaries, only 28 completed construction of their core shelter units while the remaining 51 have yet to construct windows, doors, comfort rooms and flooring.

With this, Odsey said the Bontoc LGU shall shoulder the purchase and delivery of 10 bags of cements to each beneficiary, toilet bowls and steel bars for those who have yet to complete the construction of flooring and comfort rooms of their units.

Sand, gravel and manpower shall be the counterpart of beneficiaries.

Meanwhile, the mayor cited officers of the CSAP and beneficiaries who constructed their units.

An amount of P70, 000 was provided by the DSWD to every CSAP family-beneficiaries purposely for the purchase of construction materials needed to build their core shelter units.

Aside from this, food for work packs were also distributed to the beneficiaries.

As its counterpart, the Bontoc LGU provided eco-blocks, eco-bricks and toilet bowls for the construction of the Comfort Rooms, and the delivery of construction materials purchased out from the 70,000 grant provided by the DSWD. 

It has also mobilized officials and employees as additional manpower during the construction of the core shelter units. Schools, various organizations and volunteers were also tapped to provide additional manpower.

With the additional counterpart to be provided again by the Bontoc LGU, the mayor expressed high hopes that the construction of the core shelter units in Barangay Caneo will be 100% complete before the year ends.