128 houses turned over to Cebu Yolanda victims

CEBU, Philippines - November 8, 2013 when a monstrous typhoon named Yolanda (international name: Haiyan) ravaged the Visayas, including the town of Daanbantayan in northern Cebu.

Hundreds of families were left homeless and many were compelled to take shelter in makeshift tents while waiting for aid to come to build new and permanent houses.

Rosemarie Arma’s house built in light materials was not spared. Almost two years after that fateful day, her family was still staying in a makeshift house built from what was left by the typhoon and from galvanized iron sheets they received from a private organization.

She shared with The FREEMAN that their meager income could hardly build a stronger house so they were left with no option but to make use of the available resources.

She opts to take care of their two children, aging a month old and four years old, while her husband is a construction worker who earns P180 a day.

But yesterday, a new hope came to Arma’s family and 127 others as they moved to their new concrete houses at the Red Cross Village, a relocation site located in Barangay Paypay in Daanbantayan town.

The village with 128 “typhoon resilient” housing units is the first fully developed resettlement site for typhoon victims in the Philippines. Each housing unit measures 30 square meters equipped with a bathroom and latrine including septic tank and a decentralized treatment system for waste waters.

Richard Gordon, chairman of the Philippine Red Cross, said the structures were designed to withstand 120 kilometer-per-hour typhoon.

The site is located 200 meters from the sea and is close to the farming areas and the main barangay road where they can maintain their sources of livelihood or develop new ones with the support of the Red Cross. Inhabitants also have easy access to schools and markets and to communication.

“The Red Cross has been working with farmers and fishermen in the barangay to help them increase their income, through training and supporting local associations. We have also seen people, who benefitted from Red Cross cash grants last year, already taking the opportunity to set up new businesses they can move to the Red Cross Village,” Gordon said.

Electricity is also available in the village through a 33kilowatts photovoltaic power plant installed through the efforts of the Red Cross and Electricians Without Borders, a French non-government organization. The solar power plant also provides electricity for the multipurpose hall which houses a newly built day care center and barangay health station, and the livelihood center.

The livelihood center which is run by a local association of users will offer services such as battery charging, refrigerators and stainless tables, and will allow farmers and fishermen’s associations to process food in the premises.

The 84-million-peso project was implemented with the support of the French Red Cross, and in partnership with the Habitat for Humanity Philippines and France-Philippines United Action. The project was also made possible through donations from French companies such as Total, Sanofi and Caisse des Dépôts, as well as donations from the French people.

French ambassador to the Philippines Theirry Mathou, who joined local officials during the turnover ceremony of housing units yesterday, commended the efforts shown by the groups to help out in the road to recovery.

He said Daanbantayan seemed to have not felt the brunt of Yolanda two years after.

Along with other beneficiaries, Arma was thankful for the donors for another opportunity to start over again.

She said she and her husband are planning to establish a small business after they moved to their new house.

The interview with the 24-year old mother ended with her gently patting her one-month-old son sleeping in a stronger and safe shelter, which she considered as an early Christmas gift from the Almighty, whose son was born and took refuge in a cold stable. — Michael Vencynth H. Braga/NSA (FREEMAN)