DSWD allots P8.6M for typhoon victims

By Andrew Dogaong

BONTOC, Mountain Province - The Department of Social Welfare and Development has released P8.6 million to fund the construction of shelter units for 123 families whose houses were totally destroyed by last year’s Typhoon ‘Pepeng ’ and those located in geo-hazard areas.

Provincial DSWD head Rosalinda Belagan said the initial 123 beneficiaries of the Core Shelter Assistance Program of DSWD are from barangays Bun-ayan and Bao-angan in the municipality of Sabangan and barangays Kayan East, Lubon, Bunga, Tue, Duagan and Tadian Poblacion, all in the town of Tadian.

The Mines and Geo-Science Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Department of Science and Technology earlier identified portions of barangays Bun-ayan and adjacent Bao-angan in Sabangan and barangays Kayan East, Tue, Lubon and Poblacion Tadian as landslide prone.

In the MGB’s report to the Provincial Disaster Coordinating Council, they recommended residents in these critical areas relocate to safer places so as not to experience another Kayan East tragedy.

Thirty six residents of Sitio Bulala, Kayan East died and their houses destroyed when a landslide buried their village during the onslaught of Typhoon Pepeng last year.

Belagan said the core shelter unit measuring 4 by 5 meters cost P70,000 each which the beneficiaries themselves and as an organization will construct through bayanihan style and with the supervision of their respective local government units.

Belagan said the CSAP beneficiaries complied with the DSWD criteria.

Aside from their houses being located in hazardous location or their houses were totally destroyed by typhoon Pepeng, they have proof of ownership or a deed of donation to the lands where they are to be relocated and that they are not also recipient of any assistance from any source.

Kayan Catholic Mission and the Christian Children’s Fund provided materials for the reconstruction of the houses of some of the Kayan East typhoon victims.

Belagan said the DSWD through its Emergency Shelter Assistance Program also released P5,000 or P2,500 to 84 families for repair of their houses or fields partially damaged by the previous typhoons.

The social welfare officer said she hoped the DSWD will approve other proposals from other municipalities whose houses are in disaster prone sites to avail of the CSAP.