Is there hope for relocation of La Libertad quake victims?

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Homeless victims of the magnitude-6.9 earthquake in La Libertad town of Negros Oriental have wanted to know if there's still hope for them to be resettled, after more than one year of waiting for the promised housing project for them.

Vice Mayor Emmanuel Iway told The Freeman that the National Housing Authority has earmarked P10 million for the housing program, and that the municipal government had already processed the required documents, which have been submitted already to the agency since.

Iway said the relocation site in Barangay Solongon consisted of a total of 249 parcels of land and, to this day, the LGU is still waiting for the release of the funds to start the housing project.

The NHA has already extended assistance in the form of housing materials to 1,029 earthquake victims of the town, said the vice mayor.

Meanwhile, a group of Japanese, headed by Katsuo Foroukawa and included 15 schoolchildren of the Miagi prefecture in Japan, arrived in that town and stayed for a week to help paint temporary school buildings they helped built following the earthquake in February 6, last year.

Foroukawa, a classmate of ex-congresswoman Josy Limkaichong in Silliman University, was among the beneficiaries of the campaign, "Piso-piso para sa Tsunami" victims in Japan in March of 2011, initiated by the solon and the provincial SK federation headed by Scot Wayne Husain.

Iway said that when Foroukawa learned of the quake that hit La Libertad, he came with donations to build temporary school buildings at Barangays Manluminsag, Manghulyawon, Biga-a and Tala-on and comfort rooms at the elementary school in Solongon.  (FREEMAN)