Providing Pablo victims with sturdy houses as their permanent refuge from storms is the next step that will be undertaken by the Department of Social Welfare and Development, concerned local government units, and development partners as part of the rehabilitation efforts in typhoon ravaged Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
This was the highlight of the planning workshop organized earlier this month by the DSWD with the local chief executives of Compostela Valley and Davao Oriental.
“We have invited the two governors, the mayors, the local social workers and engineers of hardest-hit towns as well as the provincial/municipal focal persons on shelter and food assistance for us to review our coordinated response in the past eight months and be able to determine the next steps in recovery and rehabilitation,” Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman said.
During the planning workshop, the DSWD, concerned LGUs, and Habitat for Humanity each presented their proposed housing designs, costs, and implementation schemes.
“If we have the funds and materials, and a comprehensive and doable plan for shelter construction, we can build the houses fast,” emphasized Compostela Valley Governor Arturo T. Uy.
Taking up the challenge to construct 6,380 permanent shelters in his province by December this year and 7,464 in 2014, Governor Uy pointed out, “Secretary Dinky Soliman was always there in the frontline. DSWD workers did their part, so we will try our best to deliver. We assure you“walang perang masasayang (no funds will be wasted).”
Meanwhile, Davao Oriental Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon said, “We cannot start talking about other things with the affected families unless we provide homes first. Talking about other matters will not make sense to them. Hence, I need to finish my commitment this year. I admit that the work DSWD is doing is excellent. I salute them,” the Governor added.”
Davao Oriental is set to complete 7,586 permanent shelters within the year and 12,229 in 2014. The Engineers of the two provinces presented their respective shelter designs, costs and implementation mechanism while DSWD also showed the design of its Modified Shelter Assistance Program (MSAP).
Following the presentation of proposed housing designs, DSWD Assistant Secretary Camilo G. Gudmalin said that in building disaster-resistant homes there is a need to consider and undertake social preparation activities like family validation, site validation, source of building materials and target units per municipality. He assured LGUs that shelter funding will immediately be released.
“We commit to support the LGUs and will continue our close coordination with them. We can celebrate on December 4 as we rise from the rubbles of typhoon Pablo,” Assistant Secretary Gudmalin emphasized.
The DSWD committed 33,659 permanent shelter units to be constructed on site at P70,000 each. On the other hand, NHA committed 17,480 shelter units to be constructed off site or in resettlement sites.
Internally displaced families or disaster victims in the two provinces may avail the Cash For Work at P 226.00 per day while constructing the shelter units. ###
