OVER a month and a half after the onslaught of Typhoon Odette, some residents of Sipalay City in the southern portion of Negros Occidental have yet to rebuild their damaged and destroyed houses.
Mayor Ma. Gina Lizares , in an interview over the weekend, said housing materials remained to be the priority of the city residents.
“We’re done with feeding, although we will not refuse everybody who will send us relief goods. But the priority is really to rehabilitate, which means fixing and building houses, roads and everything that was destroyed,” she added.
The mayor reported that at least 3,000 houses were destroyed, affecting about 18,000 individuals with 18 casualties and four missing locals.
Lizares said a lot of them started to rebuild their houses even without getting help from the government.
“But we still give them what they need. So what we need is building materials, that’s what we’re buying now, she also said, adding that “in fact, we also increase our purchase for construction materials.”
Aside from shelter, the City Government is also purchasing livestock animals to replenish the ones that the residents have lost like carabaos, goats, chickens and cows.
“We are also procuring seeds for farmers,” the mayor said, adding that “we are on time with our three-year recovery plan.”
Sipalay City is one of the localities in the southern Negros Occidental badly hit by Typhoon Odette.
Though help from the national and provincial government as well as the private sector poured in, the mayor said they still need assistance, especially construction materials and other donations for household use like kitchenware.
“In terms of electricity, we are now at least 60-percent restored,” she said, adding that the City Government targets to achieve significant developments in its recovery programs in six months' time.
Robredo’s shelter aid
On Saturday, February 5, some 50 families of the city’s Barangay Gil Montilla received shelter starter kits personally distributed by Vice President Leni Robredo with representatives of partner organizations, including Negros Volunteers for Change (NVC).
These residents whose homes were destroyed by the typhoon were from Puroks Lubi, Pinya and Kapayas. They received housing materials like corrugated GI sheets, coco lumber, fiber cement board, tek screw and nails.
Robredo, in her speech, said this is just a “small help” but is hoped to ease the burden and difficulties being experienced by the residents.
“Sana kahit papaano ay makabawas ito sa mga iniintindi ninyo,” she said.
“Alam ko po marami kayong iniintindi ngayon, and iba sa inyo hindi pa nakakapagsimula,” Robredo added.
The vice president also hopes that the recipient-families could start rebuilding their homes and that it could give them peace of mind.
Robredo said the design of the houses can be improved like those they previously helped build in Marawi City.
“Pag meron an po kayong pang-improve, pwede nyo po itong mapaganda,” Robredo said, as she thanked the local government unit for “welcoming us here” and partners for the realization of the project.
Aside from the housing materials, the project also included a construction capacity workshop for the residents to be facilitated by the CC buencamino Architects and United Architects of the Philippines-Buglas Sur Chapter.
After she visited Sipalay City, Robredo then proceeded to the nearby Cauayan town to also distribute similar housing starter kits to 45 families.
Other beneficiaries included 50 families in Kabankalan City, 45 from Hinoba-an town, and 30 each from Candoni and Ilog towns.
In total, the Office of the Vice President has allocated P6.2 million worth shelter starter kits distributed to 250 typhoon-hit families in the southern portion of Negros Occidental, particularly the Sixth District.
Call for help
One of them is 54-year-old Jimmy Cardinal, of Purok Lubi, Barangay Gil Montilla, Sipalay City.
A father of four, Cardinal emotionally recalled what they have gone through during the onslaught of the typhoon on the evening of December 16, 2021.
Their house was swept away a few meters away by the flash flood.
“My wife, Jennylyn, and my four children were in the hacienda during that time. I was left here with my dog. The water started to rise around 9 p.m. then the power was cut off,” he said.
Cardinal, along with his dog, swam through the flood going to a higher place to seek temporary shelter.
“It was like the end of the world,” he said, adding that “I was so nervous and if I was trapped inside our house I could have died also.”
Cardinal’s family has yet to receive shelter financial assistance from the City Government.
For now, they are temporarily staying at their damaged house, saying that “ginaagwanta lang anay namon, nagaginutok kami, ang importante buhi kami tanan."
With the materials they received from the Office of the Vice President and its partners, the father hopes to start rebuilding a house for his family.
He, however, said they need more help, especially construction materials.
“We are thankful to those who extended help, this is really a big help,” a teary-eyed Cardinal told SunStar Bacolod, adding that they are knocking on others’ hearts for more help, especially housing materials so they can fully rebuild their homes and start a new life.