Only 2 towns submit proposal for shelter assistance

CEBU, Philippines - Only San Remigio and Tabuelan from the 16 towns hit by super typhoon Yolanda last year, so far, that have submitted proposals for the Core Shelter Assistance (CSA) from the Department of Social Welfare and Development -7.

Jenny Abastillas, Social Welfare Officer II of the DSWD Disaster Unit, said the common reasons why most local government units failed to submit their proposals are the requirements needed to avail of the CSA.

Under the CSA, LGUs need to present a relocation site approved by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). The concerned local government is also required to submit a certification from the MGB that the relocation site is not prone to landslides, floods and other geo-hazard risks.

Some also failed to present a land title.

“Kining ubang lugar ilabi na ang isla maglisod gyud ug kuha ug land titles kay restricted areas mana sagad diha unya ang uban hasulan na sa mag-comply sa requirements,” Abastillas explained.

For the CSA, each beneficiary will be provided with a house worth P75,000 through the LGU.

“Balay na gyud ang i-turn over instead of cash and it’s the LGU ang mupa-construct,” she said.

So far, the municipalities of Madridejos, Santa Fe, Tuburan, Sogod, Tabuelan and Catmon, which have a total of 9,698 beneficiaries whose houses were destroyed and 9,702 beneficiaries whose houses were damaged received a total of P106.7 million the Emergency Shelter Assistance fund.

Shalaine Marie Lucero, deputy regional director for operations of DSWD-7, said the towns mentioned were able to comply with the necessary documents before the other local government units of the remaining 10 towns submitted theirs.

A remaining balance of P3.2 billion is yet to be given to the remaining LGUs, including Bantayan with P375,880, Daanbantayan with P5.6 million, Medellin with P2.2 million, San Remigio with P1.3 million, Bogo City with P2.6 million, Borbon with P138,800 and Tabogon with P103, 840.

In Camotes Islands, DSWD is also set to allocate P4.9 million for Pilar, P4.4 for Poro, P9.6 for San Francisco  and P1.8 for Tudela.

Sta. Fe town has 1,791 houses that were totally destroyed and 2,536 houses that were damaged. Families whose houses are damaged were given P30,000 each while those who own houses that were damaged were given P10,000.  (FREEMAN)