TACLOBAN CITY -- The national government is eyeing to complete post-“Yolanda” permanent housing projects within two years amid issues of substandard houses hounding the resettlement efforts.
Presidential Assistant for Special Concerns Wendel Avisado said that most projects have been bid out by the National Housing Authority (NHA), raising optimism that construction would go full blast next year.
The NHA reported that 95 percent of the 205,128 housing units needed for "Yolanda"-hit central Philippines have already been bid out to contractors as of end of October.
“We’re doing our best to build the remaining houses and make sure that construction materials are in good quality,” Avisado said in his speech during the 4th "Yolanda" commemoration here Wednesday.
The official assured of filing charges against contractors who built substandard houses, particularly in Balangiga, Eastern Samar.
NHA Eastern Visayas Regional Manager RizaldeMediavillo said accelerating housing projects implementation is more attainable two years after the super typhoon.
“We are over with those years of birth pain due to land acquisition issues delayed fund allocations,” Mediavillo said.
For Eastern Visayas alone, about 11,000 out of 56,000 target permanent houses for typhoon survivors have been completed as of October. Most of these housing units are in this city.
The NHA targets to build 14,433 units in this city alone. About 8,000 houses have been awarded to beneficiaries.
“Our concern is not just building houses since there are sites where we will build basketball courts and community centers if there are still available spaces,” Mediavillo added.
On November 8, 2013, super typhoon "Yolanda" unleashed its wrath in central Philippines, killing around 6,300 people and leaving more than 4.4 million people displaced and homeless.
The city, the regional hub of Eastern Visayas region, was considered as "Yolanda’s" ground zero. (with reports from Mikaela Angelica Ramirez & Christine Quimbo, OJTs/PNA)
