Sendong survivors frustrated over inaction of city council

By LITO RULONA,
Correspondent

The chairman of the city’s Shelter and Housing Development Multi-Sectoral Task Force Engr. Ermin Stan Pimentel chided members of the majority bloc in the city council who reportedly disregarded the immediate call of Sendong survivors to purchase the lot for their relocation site in Barangay Lumbia, here.

Pimentel said federated members of urban poor mostly Sendong survivors has been pressuring the members of the majority bloc in the city council for the past several months to pass the resolution allowing Mayor Oscar Moreno to enter into an Absolute Deed of Sale with the Gador family, who owns the lot in Barangay Lumbia where the future relocation site of the Japan housing grant of 722 units will stand.

“But it only landed on deaf ears. Grabe na ang ilang hinangyo-ay apan dili gani nila i-agenda diha sa city council,” he said.

He said Sendong survivors are starting to frustrated when they were told to wait for all the paper works before the city council could do anything.

“Sa kadaghan na nga panahon apan wala gayud sila’y nahimo. The deadline set by the Japan Non Project Grant Aid (JNPGA) was initially last September pero nangayo ta og extension until December 1 pero wala lang gihapon,” he said.

Pimentel said presence of the members of the urban poor comprising Sendong survivors is enough justification that they indeed need a relocation site to have a permanent and decent living.

He said the Task Force decided to elevate the issue to the central office of the Department of Social and Welfare Development in Quezon City so that they can be brief of what had happened in the local level.

“Kami sa task force nanigurado pud mi nga dunay tukuran. Mag-unsa man ang housing materials kung walay lote. Problema kini tungod kay ang Japan government istrikto kaayo,” he added.

In a letter issued by Moreno to the city council last month, it said that should the city government fail to provide the relocation site where housing units must be constructed for Tropical Storm Sendong survivors the Japan Non Project Grant Aid (JNPGA) will withdraw the housing materials it donated with the deadline set Tuesday, December 1.

The City Government has been tasked by Japan to enter into a Deed of Absolute Sale with the Gador family.

It may be recalled that legislators enacted Ordinance No. 12991-2015, authorizing City Mayor Oscar S. Moreno to enter into and sign the Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD  covering the  implementation of  the Japan Non-Project Grant Aid (JNPGA) of housing materials for the construction of 722  housing units and two multi-purpose buildings for the victims of Typhoon Sendong, as recipient of the said grant, under certain terms and conditions.

The project covers housing materials for the construction of 722 housing units and two multi-purpose buildings for victims of typhoon Sendong, as the recipient of the grant.

Pursuant to the MOA, the city shall be provided with construction materials to build permanent shelters, multi-purpose buildings and storage for construction materials and other support facilities for the relocation site.

It cites that following the guidelines of the DSWD, the city shall implement its cash-for-work program in the community and chose one person from each family who will be entitled to the cash-for-work incentive. The DSWD shall pay the chosen individuals 75-percent of the daily minimum wage for each day in the project. The cash-for-work incentive however, should not exceed 15 days for each individual.

Pursuant to the MOA, the city shall provide a suitable, adequate, secure and safe resettlement site; provide an adequate, secure and safe warehouse for the safe keeping of the construction materials, fabricate the required number of concrete hollow blocks needed for the construction of the 722 shelter units and buildings.