Soliman turns over P317.52M to Bohol

SAGBAYAN, BOHOL , Philippines    â€” The national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), will rebuild houses and communities, according to Sec. Dinky Soliman, who arrived in Tagbilaran City Saturday.

Soliman proceeded to this town for the turnover of  P317.5 million check to finance the rehabilitation of houses, totally or partially damaged by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that devastated Bohol last Oct. 15.

The turnover ceremony, held at the damaged covered court here, was attended by Gov. Edgar Chatto, Reps. Rene Relampagos (1st district, Bohol) and Aris Aumentado (2nd district), the town mayors and Charlie Ayco, executive director of Habitat for Humanity Foundation, Inc. (HHFI), among other officials.

Soliman said the turnover program was held in this town because it was the epicenter of the earthquake, thus it will be the epicenter of massive rebuilding of more than 8,000 houses in the entire province.

The event also included the signing of the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the rehabilitation program.

The mayors who also signed the MOA were Roberto Tabanera of Cortes town, Mayor Jacinto Naraga (San Isidro), Allen Piezas (Clarin), Domi Chatto (Balilihan), Marlon Amila (Tubigon), Mario Pahang (Antequera), Ricardo Suarez (Sagbayan), Josephine Socorro Jumamoy (Inabanga), Jun Toribio (Carmen), Natividad Redulla-Gonzaga (Danao), Virgilio Lurot (Catigbian), Junie Yu (Calape) and Juliet Bucag-Dano (Sevilla). Vice Mayor Fructuso Redulla of Maribojoc represented Mayor Leoncio Evasco.

Chatto, after thanking the national government for the downloaded funds for the rehabilitation of the province, said the recipients will get building materials and not cash. Soliman, for her part, said the houses will be restructured to withstand earthquake.

Under the MOA, the "Core Shelter Assistance (CSA) will provide environment friendly, structurally strong shelter units that can withstand up to 220 kph wind velocity and earthquakes of up to intensity 4 of the Richter scale and other natural hazards in relocation sites ... using locally available materials to revitalize local economy."

The MOA stipulated that the cost of the CSA per unit will be P88,000 for totally damaged house, broken down as follows: P70,000 from the DSWD and the P18,000 from HHFI, in the form of cash, labor including volunteers, land for the project, facilities or equipment, administrative cost, communal facilities, such as day care centers and libraries, social services such as medicines missions, feeding programs.

The total cost for a total of 8,083 core shelters would  be  P711,304,000, with the DSWD providing a total of P565.81 million, equivalent to P70,000 per unit.

Soliman released P317.52 million as the first tranche turned over to HHFI during the ceremony. The second fund release of  P248.29 million will come next. Another provision in the MOA is the "cash-for-work" program to be carried out by HHFI for the community.

"Habitat shall implement its cash-for-work program in the community, the MOA provides. The DSWD, HHFI and the concerned LGU "shall choose one person per family who will be entitled to the cash-for-work incentive," and will be paid "75 percent of the daily minimum wage per day" of  work in the project.

Meanwhile, Soliman gave a hotline number: 0920-946-3766 in case there are complaints in the rehabilitation program. She urged complainants to be specific so that the agency could act at once on the complaints. (FREEMAN)