CITY of Naga Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong yesterday said they will start developing the site for landslide survivors even though they still await the final assessment of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
She said the City has allocated P25 million to build at least 40 houses at the relocation site. This is in addition to the P200 million the National Housing Authority will provide to build an estimated 200 houses on a portion of the Balili property in Barangay Tina-an, said her father, former mayor Valdemar “Val” Chiong.
The Provincial Government has committed to donate the area to the City of Naga for the survivors’ relocation.
Val said the City will also allocate an additional P40 million to build houses for the survivors.
“As of now, we are waiting for the design to implement the project. We want to give the landslide victims a decent life,” he said.
Last Sept. 20, a landslide struck Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tina-an, killing some 78 persons. Hundreds of families who lived in the danger zone were forced to evacuate.
Meanwhile, Kristine said they are preparing to equally distribute the cash donations to about 450 to 500 families.
“We are thankful to the private sector, Provincial Government and National Government agencies for extending their assistance in cash and in kind to the victims of the landslide,” Kristine said.
She said MGB geologists had told her the landslide area and its surrounding areas are not yet safe.
“You have to know that once an assessment of the landslide area and its neighboring places will be released, for sure there will be MGB recommendations, which could be engineering, or monitoring,” she said.