KALIBO, Aklan – After seven years, 104 family-survivors of super typhoon “Yolanda” (international name: Haiyan) would finally be able to occupy their housing units in Barangay Briones here.
They are the second batch of Kalibo beneficiaries of the Yolanda Permanent Housing Project, an integral component of the government’s Yolanda Comprehensive Rehabilitation and Recovery Plan.
The housing units are free and already have power and water lines, according to Engineer Marlo Villanueva, municipal planning and development coordinator.
The turnover ceremony, in coordination with the National Housing Authority (NHA) and local government of Kalibo, is tomorrow, March 31.
Only around 24 families have occupied units at the housing project as of Feb. 19.
Five of the completed housing units were distributed through a raffle during the Local Inter-Agency Committee (LIAC) meeting after the intended beneficiaries were disqualified.
According to Villanueva, these recipients violated the specific guidelines of NHA.
“Hindi sila sumunod sa guidelines sa pagpili sa kanila bilang beneficiaries. Dapat willing sila to relocate and demolish their existing houses. Ngunit nakikitira lamang ang mga ito, at walang sariling bahay na i- demolished,” he stressed.
The capital town of Kalibo is one of the pilot areas of NHA housing projects after “Yolanda” hit the province of Aklan in November 2013.
Like the resettlement sites in Nalook and Briones, Kalibo, several housing units were also constructed in the towns of New Washington, Batan, Altavas and Malay for qualified families./PN
