Part of ‘Yolanda’ assistance
MARABUT, Samar- Close to five years after super typhoon ‘Yolanda’ pummeled this town, 297 families from two villages here received their new and better houses from the Kuwait Red Crescent Society on Monday(January 29).
The donation of these housing units located in Barangay Amambucale and Legaspi, is part of their government’s assistance to the Philippines towards recovery after the onslaught of Yolanda, said Dr. Hilal Al-Sayer, deputy president of the Kuwait Red Crescent Society.
Aside from Al-Sayer, also present during the turn-over of these housing units were Kuwaiti Ambassador to the Philippines, Musaed Saleh Ahmad Althwaikh, Samar Vice Governor Stephen James Tan and Marabut Mayor Elizabeth Ortillo.
Lene Grefil, a mother of two from Barangay Amambucale, said that she is happy for their new and sturdier home adding that the site is just within their village which means that they could still continue their fishing which is their main source of livelihood.
“I am thankful to the humanitarian agency that helped us. This house will secure my family during a typhoon,” she said.
Dionisio Ragut, a father of nine and from Brgy. Legaspi said that they will no longer evacuate because their new house is sturdier than their present house that is made from light materials.
“My family will now be safe. We’ll no longer worry to evacuate whenever there is a typhoon,” he said.
For Remedios Abun, 73, the housing unit awarded to them by the Kuwait Red Crescent Society is a blessing for her family.
“After almost five years of waiting, we now have this unit. I’m thankful that we were chosen to be a recipient,” Abun said.
Of the 297 housing units, 138 are located in Amambucale while 159 are located in Legaspi, two of the hard-hit villages of Marabut.
The housing project of Kuwait Red Crescent is part of the $9 million donation of Kuwaiti government to Yolanda survivors.
“Kuwait has always been a good friend to the Philippines that is why the Red Crescent immediately came and supervised the construction of the 297 units of houses to help the people of the Philippines. Kuwait has always been a friend of the Philippines that’s the main reason the Red Crescent Society help in the re-establishing of the people who lost their homes,” Al-Sayer said.
Aside from the housing project in Marabut town, they also sent food and non-food items and constructed school buildings to help the recovery of the education sector in different towns in Eastern Samar and Samar provinces devastated by Yolanda that pummeled the region on November 8, 2013.
The construction of housing units for Yolanda victims is a manifestation of the growing relationship between Kuwaiti and Philippine government, said Vice Gov.Tan.
“Even though our place was not that highlighted in the media after super typhoon Yolanda, you still noticed us and for us that is very much important. We really appreciate that,” he said. (ROEL T. AMAZONA)
