Laoag gov’t eyes 50 more core shelters for typhoon victims

By Dominic B. dela Cruz

Staff reporter

Laoag City—The city government here is eyeing to put up at least 50 more core shelters for typhoon “Lando” (Koppu) victims here.

To realize this, the Sangguniang Panlungsod passed a resolution authorizing Laoag mayor Chevylle V. Fariñas to represent the city in a memorandum of agreement with the Dept. of Social Work and Development for the core shelter project. The DSWD will be represented by regional director Marcelo Nicomedes Castillo.

Laoag councilor Shirley Ong-Sin, main sponsor of the resolution, pointed out that the proposed project will be a partnership between the Laoag government and the DSWD regional field office I.

The proposed project is still in line with rehabilitation efforts for the damages caused by “Lando”, which hit the city in October 2015.

Mrs. Sin said the proposed project will feature 50 core shelter units. It has a projected cost of P160,000—or P8,000 per unit; and it will be placed on the resettlement site at Sitio Cabatingan, Brgy, 62-B (Navotas).

Should this push through, it will be the fifth stage of the core shelter project. The said project, is funded by DSWD with the city government providing the lots.

Prior to the passage of the resolution, Laoag councilor Pamela Portia Salenda asked how many families will stay in a core shelter. She learned that it would be one family per core shelter.

Ms. Salenda then queried the sponsor on the total number of families affected by last year’s typhoon; Mrs. Sin however has no specific statistics on the total. Mrs. Sin then disclosed that it is the DSWD which decided the 50 units with inputs from the City Social Work and Development Office.

Joining the discussion, Laoag vice mayor Michael V. Fariñas said he believes the 50 families that would benefit from the project would be those whose houses were totally destroyed.

Mr. Fariñas added that the city government in partnership with the first district congressional office of Rep. Rodolfo C. Fariñas, gave construction materials to those whose houses were either partially or totally damaged.

Mr. Fariñas also took the opportunity to thank the DSWD for this project. However, he also instructed the city government offices concerned to investigate rumors that finished core shelters are being sold at Brgy. Navotas, as well as the Gawad Kalinga project in La Paz.

Though admitting that the information is “raw”, he stressed the need to investigate. He revealed that he learned that core shelters are being sold from P30,000 to P40,000.

On this note, he asked the CSWDO to strictly evaluate beneficiaries and that only those who really need shelters will be considered.

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