A YEAR since the magnitude 6 earthquake struck Magsaysay in Davao del Sur, Municipal Mayor Arthur Davin said they had yet to finish constructing new houses for some of the 1,500 displaced residents.
The National Housing Authority (NHA) in December last year started constructing the relocation houses for the affected residents in Barangay Malawanit, Magsaysay.
NHA has earmarked funds for the construction of 2,002 units all over the town.
Davin said in a virtual presser that they have already turned some 500 housing units, while they are planning to turn over another some 100 units this month.
"Naa nami sa tunga-tunga, while ongoing pa ang construction sa the rest of [those] at the evacuation center (We are half way in our target, while the rest are still under construction for those residents who are still temporary sheltered at our evacuation centers)," Davin said during the One Davao on Covid-19 virtual presser.
He said they ensured that the location of the housing will not be far from the lands the farmers are tilling.
"Pwede pa sila mamalik sa ilang pananum sa luna. Ang delikado lang is ang balay kay naa sila sa hazard area (They can still return and continue planting on their agricultural land. What we forbid is for them to return to their abandoned residence since it is a hazard area)," he said.
Magsaysay town was one of the worst-hit areas in Davao del Sur during the October quakes with hundreds of houses destroyed.
Houses that did not crumble during the October quakes had shattered when the 6.9-magnitude quake struck Padada town, also in Davao del Sur, on December 16, 2019.
The construction of the housing, the mayor said, continues despite the local government responding in the Covid-19 pandemic.
The mayor, however, did not mention if the pandemic had also contributed to the delays in the construction of the relocation houses.
Meanwhile, the Municipal Government of Matanao, still in Davao del Sur, is also planning to construct a permanent relocation site to the affected 75 household residents in Barangay Asinan.
Matanao Mayor Vincent Fernandez said the local government currently provided 75 "semi-permanent" houses to evacuees, while they already submitted a request to NHA for the funding for the construction of their permanent houses.
Fernandez said they had to relocate the residents of Asinan to Barangay Bangkal since the latter is no longer suitable for inhabitation, according to the recommendation of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau.
He said the area of Asinan is located in an elevated area, which is considered hazardous once another earthquake hits. (With reports from PNA)