CITY of Naga officials submitted a P1.7-billion rehabilitation and recovery investment program (RRIP) before the Regional Development Council (RDC) 7 during its fourth quarter meeting on Friday, Dec. 14.
The projects and programs aim to construct important infrastructure and help the 1,907 families who were affected by the landslide that struck Sitios Sindulan and Tagaytay in Barangay Tina-an last Sept. 20.
Ruth Alensonorin, City of Naga information officer, said the Apo Land and Quarry Corp. will spend an initial P300 million to implement the hazard reduction plan at Ground Zero of the landslide site.
The RDC 7, though, only approved P844.83 million of the proposed P1.7 billion.
Of the amount, P199.8 million will be used to build 444 houses for affected families whose houses are located inside the critical zone of the landslide area.
Some P461.9 million will be allocated from the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management fund, the quick response fund, the calamity fund and the Balanced Housing Development Compliance.
Implementing agencies
This will be used to improve the Pangdan River in Barangay Pangdan (P150 million), for the site development of the three relocation sites (P184 million), to build 192 houses (P86.4 million), to come up with livelihood projects at the relocation sites (P2.2 million), to build temporary learning spaces in public high schools (P770,000), to build disaster-resilient evacuation center (P36 million) and to establish an early flood warning system at the Pangdan River (P510,000).
The RDC 7 also approved P382.9 million worth of proposed projects that will be considered for inclusion in the 2020 annual budget.
These include the construction along and improvement of the Pangdan River (P150 million), the construction of 252 houses (P113.4 million), livelihood projects at relocation sites (P2.2 million), provision of facilities, materials and supplies for day care centers (P600,000), construction of 13 high school classrooms (P27.3 million), construction of 22 elementary school classrooms (P54.6 million) and the construction of a new city jail in the City of Naga (P34.8 million).
Agencies that will implement the projects include the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, the National Housing Authority, the Department of Labor and Employment, the Department of Education, the Office of the Civil Defense, the Department of Science and Technology and the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
Efren Carreon, National Economic and Development Authority 7 director, said the RRIP was made through consultations and workshops with the City Government of Naga and other government agencies.
“It was not only made by one agency alone. It is a product of consultations and is based also on the post-disaster needs assessment conducted by the City Government,” he said in Cebuano.
Carreon said after the RDC 7 approves the RRIP, they will submit it to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
The NDRRMC, in turn, will recommend it to concerned national government agencies for inclusion in their priority projects and programs once they draft the 2020 annual budget, he said.
In a related development, the City of Naga said evacuees living in danger and regulated zones can go back to their homes starting on Monday, Dec. 17.
Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong said some of them have already undergone an information, education and communication briefing so they understand the risks that await them once they go back. SCG of Superbalita Cebu / JKV