Bohol earthquake commemoration Gov't to turn over 2T shelters to survivors

TAGBILARAN CITY , Philippines –  The shelter cluster of the Bohol provincial government is now set to turn over 2,114 core houses to beneficiaries in 17 hard-hit towns on October 15, in time for the commemoration of the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that devastated the province last year.

Liza Quirog, shelter cluster coordinator, said in her partial accomplishment report that at least 1,009 houses had been completed by now and 1,105 more are expected to be finished before October 15.

Undertaking the housing project is the Habitat for Humanity Foundation, with funds from the Department of Social Welfare and Development facilitated by the provincial government.

The HHF had finished 68 of 316 houses in Clarin town, 67 of 458 in Calape, 107 of 667 in Loon, 157 of 676 in Sagbayan, 107 of 111 in Balilihan, 11 of 13 in Corella, all of 113 in Danao, all of 188 in San Isidro and all of 226 in Cortes.

Helping HFF and the provincial government in the project are the mayors of the 17 towns and non-government organizations: Bohol Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Diocese of Tagbilaran, Bohol Livelihood Development Foundation, IDEA Philippines, United Nations international Organization for Migration, Latter Day Saints Charities, Montana on Mission, International Federation of Red Cross and PROCESS-Bohol.

The original target number of beneficiaries was 8,083, but Quirog explained that validation processes had trimmed this to 5,609 who are now qualified to receive assistance from the government and the HHF.

On the status of the ongoing construction of these shelters, Quirog said her office is now preparing the septic tanks, while delivering construction materials such as hollow blocks, cement, tie wires, steel bars, steel frames for windows and accessories, among others.

According to Quirog, every LGU was asked to establish a grievance committee that has continued the process of assessment of the rest of those previously delisted beneficiaries from the original 8,083. As of now, these committees had already processed 2,438 beneficiaries in the 17 towns.

Moreover, another 2,716 of the listed beneficiaries were found out to have the capacity to build replacement houses on their own.

In the Rebuild Better Bohol core shelter program, qualified beneficiaries are indigents classified as those earning P10,000 or less per month. It will then be up to the beneficiaries to expand their core shelters gradually on their own.

There are two other types of assistance under emergency shelter program, said Quirog. One is from the National Housing Authority and the DSWD, while the other comprises of repair kits provided by the NGOs.

The assistance from NHA was released to the 17 towns immediately in November last year or at least a month after the earthquake, except in Carmen and Calape where the distribution is still going on now.

Under the DSWD, the shelter assistance of P10,000 per beneficiary was just released this year and the distribution is still going on in Clarin, Corella, Sevilla, Danao, Balilihan and Inabanga towns, added Quirog.