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IDF to Start Transfer in February
Xavier Ecoville Welcomes 2nd Batch of Families
Schools being used temporarily as evacuation centers are going to be vacated soon by the internally displaced persons as they are now going to start transferring to transitional tents come second week of February.
This was pronounced by Secretary Corazon Juliano-Soliman of the Department of Social Welfare and Development to the internally displaced families (IDF) staying in West City Central School and City Central School, this city, both of which have the highest number of evacuees.
Secretary Soliman said that as soon as the tents in Calaanan Tent City will be vacated by families who will transfer first to the permanent shelter, families who are staying in the school-evacuation centers will then occupy the tents.
She added that the beneficiaries who will move to the tents first will be done through raffle-draw so that it will be “fair and square” to every internally displaced family.
As of January 28, 2012 there are now 501 families in West City Central School and 255 families in City Central School.
The national government is currently building permanent homes in the 12.4 hectare land provided by the local government unit (LGU) of Cagayan de Oro City in Calaanan, Barangay Canitoan.
With the help of concerned non-government organizations, such as the Habitat for Humanity (HFH) and International Organization for Migration (IOM), an initial number of 1,500 units will be built for the families.
Families whose areas of origin were from the no-build zones such as sitio Calacala, Isla Delta, Isla de Oro, Isla Baksan, Isla Bugnao, Tambo (Macasandig) and Isla Puntod will be the first families to occupy the permanent resettlement site in Calaanan.
Secretary Soliman assured however that all families, particularly those who are informal settlers, will be able to receive a new house and that “no one will be left behind.”
Meanwhile, the DSWD is currently implementing its livelihood program which provides seed capital for the internally displaced families’ small-scale businesses.
“This will ensure that the families have an income while they are still waiting for their houses to be completed,” Secretary Soliman says.
Meanwhile, Xavier Ecoville, the joint relocation and resettlement project of Xavier University and the Local Government of Cagayan de Oro, welcomed Friday the second batch of relocatees to their new neighborhood in Lumbia.
President Benigno Aquino III, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon Soliman and Xavier University President Fr Roberto Yap SJ at Xavier Ecoville (photo by Johnny R Cabreira)
With the first batch of 40 families that moved in on January 25, 40 days since Sendong and also the blessing of the temporary site at Xavier Ecoville, there are now 76 families in the temporary shelter provided with help frompartner organizations, namely the International Organization for Migration which built 42 bunkhouses, the Department of Social Welfare and Development and the 52nd Infantry Battalion of the Philippine Army which built 12 bunkhouses, and the Philippine Red Cross which pitched 500 tents. Latrines, washrooms and kitchen facilities have been provided by the Human Resources Consortium, electricity lines by CEPALCO and water supply by Rio Verde.
XU is in the process of finalizing the master plans for both site development and community development, Xavier Ecoville being not just a housing project but a community building program. The University, which is taking the lead in this joint projectwith the Cagayan de Oro City Government, is exploring partnerships with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, GawadKalinga and other private foundations for housing development in the permanent site.
Although no specific agreements have been reached, the partnership framework outlines a detailed action plan to build row houses that can accommodate 500 families, and to implement best practices in environmental management and disaster risk reduction and preparedness.
“This is clearly an example of PPP (private-public partnership),” said Fr Roberto Yap SJ, XU President, during the blessing of the temporary site which was attended by Mayor Vicente Emano, Vice Mayor Caesar Ian Acenas, members of the City Council, heads of City Government offices, and various organizations working in the project.
“I hope all benefactors and donors will work together to make Xavier Ecoville successful,” he said.
President Noynoy Aquino, Vice President Jojo Binay, DSWD Secretary Dinky Soliman, DPWH Secretary Babes Singson, DEPED Secretary Armin Luistro, Secretary Neric Acosta, Congressman Rufus Rodriguez also visited Xavier Ecoville last January 25. On the birth anniversary of his mother, President Cory, President Noynoy was pleased that people power was being harnessed to build new homes, new communities and new lives for Sendong survivors. (with a report from Charmaine P. Tadlas/DSWD)
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