For Yolanda victims Solons back Romualdez bloc's call expediting housing projects

CEBU, Philippines – More lawmakers have expressed their strong support to the call of the House independent bloc for the government to expedite its implementation of its permanent housing projects for the victims of super typhoon Yolanda.

Representatives Albee Benitez of Negros Occidental and Luzviminda Ilagan of Gabriela party-list echoed the position of Leyte Rep. Ferdinand Martin Romualdez, head of the independent bloc, for the government to involve the communities in finding permanent lands where they can build their own permanent housing.

Benitez, chair of committee on housing and urban development, said the government can fast track the permanent housing projects in Yolanda-hit areas by giving materials to the people. "We should tap the community where we can give the materials for the construction of their permanent housing," he said after conducting a joint probe with the Senate on Yolanda housing projects in Tacloban City.

Ilagan lamented the snail-paced government action, aggravating the sad condition of Yolanda survivors, who she said "continue to suffer because of some incompetent and corrupt government officials."

Earlier, Kabataan party-list Rep. Terry Ridon called on the House committee on social services to conduct an onsite investigation of bunkhouses built for Yolanda victims that were easily destroyed by the recent typhoon Ruby.

Ridon, in House Resolution 1763, asked Congress to "look into bunkhouses built for victims of Yolanda that were damaged or destroyed after the onslaught of Ruby, to determine possible liabilities for substandard construction that compromised the safety and welfare of the survivors."

Ridon also sought for a probe on the slow-paced construction of permanent housing in Yolanda-affected areas, noting that a total of P13.5-billion was appropriated for the construction of 46,129 permanent housing units there. However, as of this month, only 1,595 permanent housing units were constructed, he lamented. — From Ryan Ponce Pacpaco in Top Stories