HELP continues to pour for landslide-stricken Itogon town in Benguet.
Another P10 million was downloaded to the town by the National Housing Authority (NHA).
Marcelino Escalada Jr., NHA general manager, turned over the P10-million check for the acquisition of a property that will be developed as a resettlement site for families affected by the massive landslide at the height of Typhoon Ompong.
The turnover was followed by a memorandum of agreement signing by NHA and Itogon represented by Mayor Victorio Palangdan.
The NHA earlier turned over P10 million for to help affected families buy housing materials such as nails, sand and gravel, cement and steel.
The NHA official said the local government will identify the relocation site, which would not necessarily be within the town. Itogon has been declared as a geo-hazard zone.
“NHA will not impose restriction na dapat sa Itogon lang. Kapag walang makitang lupa in Itogon, the LGU should find a safer area,” Escalada said.
(NHA will not require the relocation site to be located within Itogon. The LGU should find a safer area if no property is found in Itogon.)
But Benguet Governor Crescencio Pacalso said the municipal government will have a hard time convincing residents to relocate if the resettlement site is located outside the town.
"The only issue here is, gugustuhin ba ng mga taga Itogon na lumipat somewhere (would Itogon residents want to relocate)?" he asked.
Senators Sherwin Gatchalian and Joseph Victor Ejercito also visited the town and held a dialogue with the affected residents.
Aside from the P20 million from NHA, Itogon also received a P2.5-million assistance for the affected families and P500,000 for the local government unit from Valenzuela City.
Ejercito turned over P1 million from San Juan City, another sister city of Itogon.