In order not to deprive the school children of their classes whose classrooms are used as evacuation centers for the victims of typhoon ‘Sendong’, the Department of Education (DepEd) in cooperation with Congressman Rufus Rodriguez of the Second District here will transfer the evacuees to where they will be better served. 
“The decision was made with all guts and sincerity not to deprive the pupils when classes resume after the Christmas break, and the relief operation for the flood victims will continue at the identified centers where they will be transferred.” Rodriguez said in a Media Forum with the DepEd.
He said that they have identified other public schools in the city, not affected by the flood, covered courts and churches, with ample ground space where tents will be set up for every family, and where comfort rooms, electricity and water are available.
Plan International and Disaster Aid, both humanitarian organizations, will provide the tents, while Holcim, a cement company, will take care of the construction of the toilets.
“Later on, flood victims who are barred from going back to their places of origin, because government declared the areas as not fit for habitation, will be relocated where their houses will be constructed by the National Housing Authority.” Rodriguez said.
On New Year’s eve, DepEd, with the help of other government agencies, started transferring some of the flood victims from the classrooms to the identified evacuation centers and slowly decongested school buildings in preparation for the classes on Jan. 3, and the transfer is on going until school buildings are free of evacuees.
“We hope, next week, classes will normalize in Cagayan de Oro and Iligan City,” said Luz Almeda, DepEd regional director for northern Mindanao.
She said that the shift of the evacuation centers is done in a manner that smaller number of families are assigned to the different areas so that the continuing relief effort would be more manageable rather than in cramped school buildings where the flood victims initially stayed.
Meanwhile, Rodriguez said that the P1 billion NHA project will start construction of houses next month in a 40has., 18has., land and would start permanently relocating about 18,000 people in April and May.
Rodriguez said that the beneficiaries will have their respective houses on a 60 sq meter lot, with a floor area of 20 sq meter. And each family will pay an amortization of P200 a month for 30 years.
“We are not only relocating the affected families, rather we are building a community. We will not call it a relocation area, but a village complete with amenities.” Rodriguez said.
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