BY IME SORNITO
ILOILO — Thirty families once living under constant threat of landslides in Barangay Nangka, Batad town have finally been permanently relocated to safer, disaster-resilient homes, as the Iloilo provincial government shifts its disaster response strategy from evacuation to long-term resettlement.
The relocation marks a decisive move by the provincial government, led by Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr., to remove vulnerable residents from high-risk zones and provide them with durable housing designed to withstand calamities.
On Thursday morning, March 19, Defensor led the turnover of 30 permanent housing units to families who had long resided at the foot of a mountain in Purok 3, where a large crack posed an imminent landslide threat.
The housing site, now called “Resilience Village,” stands on a 5,000-square-meter lot donated by the Municipality of Batad, the pilot local government unit for the province’s Purok Resilience Program.
The provincial government invested P36 million in the project, aimed at addressing the urgent need to permanently relocate residents from danger zones.
“If we want to spend money on evacuation centers, why not allocate it in building houses for our relocatees. We know who these residents are that we evacuate every typhoon or disaster,” Defensor said.
Unlike conventional relocation programs, the Purok Resilience Program emphasizes proximity to livelihood, ensuring that beneficiaries remain close to their sources of income.
Each housing unit, measuring 36 square meters, is move-in ready and equipped with a kitchen, bathroom, and a bedroom that can be expanded into two, with provisions for a loft or second-floor mezzanine.
The site is also fitted with rainwater harvesters, solar-powered streetlights, underground power lines, and a water system, further enhancing its resilience and sustainability.
Defensor said the program will be expanded to other municipalities, including Oton, Concepcion, and Pototan towns.
The turnover ceremony was attended by Vice Gov. Lee Ann Debuque, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Batad’s Mayor Elvira Alarcon, Vice Mayor Steven Michael Andrada, and other mayors from the 5th District, along with representatives from national government agencies and provincial offices.
The Purok Resilience Program has also gained national recognition, earning the Excellence in Disaster Preparedness award under the Department of the Interior and Local Government’s EXCEL Awards./PN