Towns show recovery efforts after Yolanda

CEBU, Philippines - The second day of the blogging event aimed to help boost the recovery of Bantayan Island after it was battered by typhoon Yolanda was focused on building houses and livelihood programs for the island’s residents.

Yesterday, participants of #iBLOGforBANTAYAN helped paint and clean Gawad Kalinga relocation homes in Bantayan town.

The #iBLOGforBANTAYAN, an initiative of the Philippine Information Agency and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, aims to showcase how the geographically isolated part of northern Cebu has bounced back from the horror of Yolanda which destroyed homes, schools, and livelihood resources of the residents.

The three-day activity, which kicked-off Saturday, started with site tours of resorts located in both Santa Fe and Bantayan towns, which have revived its operations as early as two months after the typhoon.

On the second day of its activity, the participants worked on the town-owned relocation site located in an eight hectare lot with 300 units so far and 58 occupied homes.

Prior to the home building experience, the bloggers and journalists were served fresh seafood which is abundant in the island.

The group also visited people’s organizations empowering women and mothers like the Women’s Association of Basawon, a sitio in Barangay Sulangon, Bantayan town which assists in making bags made of recycled sack of rice.

The Bantayan Chamber of Commerce and Industry also presented to the bloggers and media their plans of action on the road to their full recovery.

One of the primary things that the newly-created chamber is pushing for is the adjustment of the ferry fare from Hagnaya in San Remigio and Santa Fe in Bantayan.

The chamber said that if this would be implemented, the businesses in Bantayan island can lessen their operational costs, especially in shipping their products and supplies.  (FREEMAN)