Applicants withdrawing from NHA housing project

BALANGIGA, EASTERN SAMAR, Philippines — At least four applicants for housing units of the National Housing Authority at Barangay Cansumangkay in Balangiga town in Eastern Samar went to the Municipal Social Welfare Development Office to withdraw their filed applications.

Citing fear for their safety as the reason for withdrawing their applications, the four—all Yolanda survivors — submitted a letter to Municipal Social Welfare Development officer Myna Deñado and NHA-8 Regional Manager Rizalde Mediavillo.

The applicants wrote that they were forced to secure and fill up NHA application forms after hearing from Deñado that they may lose their spot in the relocation site.

However they said that, after “weighing things,” they decided to withdraw citing “our family’s safety is the most important factor to consider in our decision.”

Their letter also reminded both agencies that their withdrawal as applicants should not mean that they can no longer be identified as beneficiaries in other government housing projects.

They also expressed dismay on the continuous processing of applications even for substandard units, saying that this is tantamount to condoning anomalies in housing projects, placing Yolanda survivors in more danger.

During the fourth year commemoration of the Yolanda tragedy last November 8, the applicants also asked the NHA why there seem to be no action against the erring contractors or persons involved in the substandard housing units. “Nasaan po ang pangakong malasakit at pagbabago ng administrasyong Duterte?” they asked.

Tessie Elacion, president of the Balangiga Municipal Unsafe Zone Federation, said that they support the call of the applicants.

“One application form withdrawn is too many. It means that they know the NHA housing project in Cansumangkay is not safe for relocation. What the government needs to do now is to stop soliciting applications and instead conduct a structural audit and convene the affected families for consultation,” Elacion said.

Meanwhile, Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez, as chairperson of the Regional Development Council, reported that close to only 2,000 housing units will be built out of 14,500 permanent shelters allotted for the displaced Yolanda survivors.

Mediavillo, during the congressional inquiry in Tacloban earlier, reassured the public that early next year is NHA’s target completion of the housing program for Yolanda victims. And on the issue of using substandard materials for the project, he said the NHA has been doing its best to resolve it.

Leyte's 3rd district Representative Ching Veloso urged Yolanda survivors and the people of Leyte and Samar to provide him with more evidences regarding the irregularities in the construction of housing projects. " If there are politicians involve, then we will file charges against them," he added. (FREEMAN)