Army, PNP, Local Govt. & Private Units Help Transport Families To Yolanda Housing Site

On Monday, November 28, military trucks from the Philippine Army, the Philippine National Police, Office of the Civil Defense, local government units, and the private entities were mobilized to transport the Yolanda typhoon victims to their permanent resettlement centers.

As early as Saturday last week, November 26, members of these families have been visiting their new homes at North Hill Arbours to clean up so that, on Monday, their homes would be ready for occupancy.

Around 280 families are scheduled to join the first batch of the Yolanda victims who will move to their permanent homes and they estimated that more than 8,000 households may enjoy Christmas in their new homes.

Presidential Assistant for Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino assured that the beneficiaries will be equipped with water and electricity before the transfer.

“I’m very happy to hear the report from our men and women of the Task Force Bulig that the people are already excited to start a new life in their new homes,” Dino said.

Task Force Bulig was formed through the Office of the Presidential Assistant for the Visayas after President Duterte publicly ordered Dino in front of Taclobanons to lead the completion of all Yolanda resettlement sites in Leyte so that the families hit by typhoon three years ago can transfer before Christmas.

Dino acknowledged the collaborative effort among the national government agencies, local government of Tacloban, the Philippine Army, Philippine National Police, private sector, and the typhoon victims themselves in making the permanent resettlement happen.

Maria Jasmin Patrimonio, 27 years old, with three children, a resident of Sitio Kataisan, Brgy 88, was expressed gladness because they have been waiting this day for more than three years now.

They can look forward to a better Christmas that has long been overdue, as staying in the temporary bunkhouses far from the workplace of her husband has been all but untenable.

“Dito madali kaming makakuha ng pagkain di gaya doon (Here, obtaining food is easier, unlike there)," Patrimonio told InterAksyon.

According to Dino, his office has also coordinated with the Department of Trade and Industry to put up rolling store in the community.

The Leyte Electric Cooperative and the local water utility have also been requested to waive the charges for the electricity and water connection of the households.

There are 250 households that have been hooked up to electricity with the cooperation of the Leyte Electric Cooperative.

Furthermore, Ceres Buses have arrived in Tacloban and now parked at the Astrodome, they are getting ready to transport hundreds of families.

These buses will transport all the settlers from their bunkhouses to their new homes.

According to Dino, the buses will not leave immediately and they will stay for six more months to transfer the students in their school and workers whose jobs are in the city.

The buses will not leave until a new PUV route is established from the relocation site in the City.

Dino hopes that the government can relocate all the families in the nearshore danger zones by the end of December, or in the first quarter of 2017.

Records show that, out of the 14,443 houses targeted for construction by the National Housing Authority, 4,346 have been finished, while 3,353 were classified as substantially finished, and 3,490 are now in various stages of construction.

Of the 4,346 finished units, 2,101 are already occupied.

The Tacloban North area has designated 11 relocation sites identified by the National Housing Authority.

Meanwhile, Tacloban City Mayor Christina Romualdez thanked President Duterte for pushing the various line agencies to hasten the relocation of the Yolanda survivors living in the danger zones.

See What’s Inside the Newly-Built Yolanda Housing Village: