Government hit over inaction on relocation

Sunday, February 19, 2012

CAGAYAN DE ORO CITY -- Thousands of families displaced by Tropical Storm Sendong are dismayed with the government’s unclear plans on their relocation two months after the disaster.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) estimated the total number of affected persons from Sendong at 384,431 or 69,666 households in the provinces of Lanao del Norte, Misamis Oriental, and Bukidnon as of February 1, 2012.

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Sendong, which hit Northern Mindanao region on December 16, 2011, is considered one of the deadliest disasters in the country’s history with a death toll of more than 1,200, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).

In a statement released to media during the opening of the Mindanao Summit on Disaster Risk Reduction and Geo-Hazard Awareness in Cagayan de Oro on Saturday, internally displaced persons (IDPs) appealed to the government to draw up a clear plan for their relocation, which was promised by President Benigno Aquino III when he visited the city in December last year.

The IDPs are calling on Aquino to check on them anew and order the local government to hasten the development of appropriate responses to their issues and concerns.

In particular, IDPs from Isla Baksan, Isla Bugnao, Isla Delta 2, Isla Delta 1, Isla de Oro, Tambo and Cala-cala, which have been declared as no-build zones by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), need an assurance from the government on relocation.

Many of the IDPs are still living in tent cities – clusters of tents – which generally have no electricity and are poorly ventilated, rendering them inhabitable during hot days.

Other IDPs whose houses were damaged but not washed away by the floods have not been prioritized by the government in the tent cities.

The IDPs also said distribution of relief goods has not been organized and some IDPs have not been treated properly by some relief assistance providers.

They said a systematic Camp Management Mechanism (CMM) needs to be put in place to provide clear procedures and ensure effective coordination among humanitarian providers.

They said the CMM will also help beneficiaries understand the procedures they need to follow to avail themselves of assistance while service providers should also observe protocols and employ maximum tolerance in activities like distribution of goods that are expected to be chaotic if a camp system is not properly set up.

The Humanitarian Response Consortium (HRC), an alliance of five local humanitarian organizations supported by international aid agency Oxfam, urged the government to observe the rights of IDPs to have their voices heard in decision-making processes that redound to their welfare.

Rey Magbanua, response manager of the HRC, urged the government and humanitarian agencies to fast-track the processing of permanent and temporary relocation sites and ensure that relocation and other plans are communicated to the IDPs themselves to stem confusion.

Magbanua also urged the government to empower the IDPs to regain control of their lives through active participation in decision-making as well as the planning, implementation and monitoring of relief and rehabilitation interventions. (Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro)