Tent city ‘finally’ opens Friday

CEBU, Philippines - After several postponements, opening of the Philippine Red Cross tent city at the South Road Properties (SRP) would finally opens this Friday.

SRP Management Office head Roberto “Bu” Varquez said the evacuation committee has decided that the moving in of recipient families would already be on Dec. 20, or five days before Christmas.

As of yesterday, the committee has listed 38 families that would be accommodated in the tent city.

City Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS) Chief Ester Concha said that apart from transients staying at evacuation centers in the city, authorities are also considering as recipients displaced super typhoon Yolanda victims who are home-based.

Home-based internally displaced persons are those who fled their home provinces of Samar and Leyte to seek temporary shelter with relatives in Cebu.

DSWS data shows that a total of 3,000 individuals composing 528 families are currently staying with relatives in the cities of Cebu, Mandaue, Lapulapu, and Talisay.

Meanwhile, installation of power from the Visayan Electric Company and water supply by the Philippine Spring Water Resources Inc. at the tent city is expected to finish today.

Water tanks would also be installed today for standby water supply.  Softdrink companies also donated freezers for use by the tent city clinic and for food storage.

Varquez said compacting of a gravel path is currently being finished.

Concha said that each week, DSWS is giving six kilos of rice and 10 canned goods per family to both the transients based in evacuation centers and those staying with relatives.

Varquez also said the rains that occurred the past days were a blessing because they were able to identify areas prone to “ponding.”

The evacuation committee would do a final check tomorrow on some other concerns that must be addressed before the official opening the following day. (FREEMAN)