ODETTE REHAB. National Housing Authority regional manager Rizalino Cabahug on Wednesday (March 16, 2022) said their office has downloaded PHP PHP127.5 million funds sourced from their Special Emergency Housing Assistance Program for Typhoon Odette victims in Western Visayas. It was reported that "Odette" has left HP15.584 billion in damages and losses to shelter in the region. (Photo screengrab from zoom meeting)
ILOILO CITY – The National Housing Authority (NHA) has provided PHP127.5 million from its Special Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) to families displaced by Typhoon Odette in Western Visayas (Region 6).
NHA Western Visayas regional manager Rizalino Cabahug, during Wednesday’s special full council blended meeting of the Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (RDRRMC), said Negros Occidental was allotted PHP90 million; Antique, PHP5 million; Iloilo province, PHP20 million; Guimaras, PHP6.25 million; and Iloilo City with PHP6.25 million.
However, Cabahug said that they will only handle affected areas in Regions 4-A (Calabarzon) and 7 (Central Visayas) in the succeeding release of special EHAP funds.
“Other regions -- Region 6, Region 8, 9, 10, and 13 -- will be catered by the DSWD (Department of Social Welfare and Development),” he added.
As per validated report of the housing and settlement cluster headed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), “Odette” has left around PHP15.584 billion in damages and losses to shelter in the region.
The damages that were validated were composed of houses that were either totally or partially destroyed while the losses were on the lost income due to absence from work or livelihood activities.
“For the damages we have a total of PHP12.4 billion and with the losses around PHP3.12 billion,” the report stated.
DHSUD-6 (Western Visayas) Office of the Director officer-in-charge Eva Maria P. Marfil said the output of their cluster was in collaboration with the NHA and the Social Housing Finance Corporation.
In its report, the housing and settlement cluster is looking forward to the creation of a functional housing board by concerned local government units to oversee housing programs and projects this second quarter of 2022.
The city or municipal welfare and development offices (C/MSWDO) are also expected to document damaged houses in their areas to avoid the duplication of the provision of housing assistance this second quarter.
Further, the DHSUD and the NHA have to finalize the criteria for identifying households that will be recipients of relocation, EHAP, or calamity loans during the third quarter of this year.
“For the hard-hit province, Negros Occidental, we have here a different program that is up for discussion -- the resettlement assistance program for LGUs affected by Typhoon Odette amounting to around PHP20 million per LGU. But it’s still up for discussion and the national government is still trying to find fund source for the program,” the DHSUD report added. (PNA)
