ILOILO – The Iloilo provincial government, through the Provincial Engineer’s Office (PEO) and the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO), began its pre-construction works at the proposed project site of 30 housing units and land development under the Purok Resilience Program in Barangay Nangka, Batad.
A team from the PEO and PPDO recently conducted a topographic survey in the barangay using a sophisticated drone equipped with LiDAR technology.
The objective of the survey is to determine changes in elevation on a parcel of land, which provides a wealth of information regarding the proposed site, as well as to integrate data into the detailed engineering design and program of works to eliminate variations in the construction phase.
Also, representatives from the PPDO met with Mayor Elvira P. Alarcon to discuss project safeguard requirements, including environmental impact compliance, the process of land use conversion, and the reclassification of the project site.
They also discussed plans for a launch activity for the Purok Resilience Program.
Furthermore, they addressed concerns regarding community engagement strategies and outlined plans for stakeholder consultations to ensure local participation and support for the successful implementation of the Purok Resilience Program.
The Purok Resilience Program is a socialized and localized housing program and, likewise, a climate change response that shall relocate residents exposed to natural and other related hazards.
In July 2022, Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. issued Executive Order 333 for the implementation of a small-scale, socialized, and localized housing program for residents of the province living in hazard zones.
Under the program, the localized housing project with houses and lots or home lots, with sites and service development, will be undertaken by the province or with convergence partners for beneficiaries qualified under Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.
Another feature of the program is the establishment of Purok Resilience in barangays that will serve as resettlement areas for residents who will be evacuated from areas exposed to hazards.
It will be established on identified lands owned by the province, owned and donated, or made available by convergent partners for the program.
Defensor eyed the pilot implementation of “Purok Resilience” in Batad as the local government unit has a readily available lot.
“Because the Purok Resilience is a convergence, maayo gid kon ang munisipyo naton may duta nga available. So, Batad has it, and there are around 30+ households that are always evacuated during the rainy season,” said Defensor.
According to Defensor, Purok Resilience is not just about building housing units but also about forming a community where the recipients are not stripped away from their source of livelihood.
“In our experience, kon ang aton gani relocation site malayo sia, it’s not working for them. So, amo na barangay-based, lapit sa pamilya, lapit sa uma, lapit sa dagat, and lapit sa ila sakayan,” the governor added. (With a report from PPDO)/PN