Thousands remain homeless in 3 towns

CATIGBIAN, BOHOL, Philippines — Thousands of families of this landlocked town and those of Pilar and Loay were still homeless after their respective houses were wrecked to the ground by the magnitude 7.1 earthquake that hit Bohol last Oct. 15.

Of the three towns, Catigbian suffered the most with a total of 1,066 houses that collapsed and 1,840 houses partially destroyed in 15 out of 22 barangays, according to Municipal Council Secretary Ardisa Estavilla, in an exclusive interview with The Freeman.

Estavilla said that in Barangay Bagtic alone, residents of 220 houses have evacuated to an open space in nearby Brgy. Baang and lived in tents. "What they (people) need now is help for more drinking water," she said.

Five deaths and 42 injured have been reported here, she said, adding that the Catigbian church and the Municipal Hall were badly damaged also, as well as school buildings.

In Pilar town, adjacent to Carmen town and more than 75 kilometers from Tagbilaran City, a total of P11,159,000 in damages to infrastructure and private houses was documented, Mayor Necitas Cubrado told The Freeman yesterday.

Cubrado, after convening the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction Management Council, immediately dispatched relief goods to the affected families.

Cubrado said that four deaths were reported although these were not earthquake-related, but the Municipal Hall and 404 houses were damaged, as well as the newly built building of the Pilar Technology Vocational High School, which is now rendered unfit for holding classes.

Mayor Rosemarie Lim Imboy of the coastal town of Loay told The Freeman that 108 houses were a total wreck and 301 partially damaged, while 609 families or more than 2,000 persons were displaced.

Imboy assured her constituents of enough food supply and other assistance, but she dispelled allegations of her political rivals that she has been selective in giving relief goods to the victims. She called on her detractors to work together instead because this disaster is a time for help and not of politics.

The three towns are now generally in dire need of potable water supply, but not much of power because it was restored already in some areas. (FREEMAN)