TACLOBAN CITY- About 32 families who completely lost their houses during the onslaught of supertyphoon Yolanda who sought temporary shelters at the San Fernando Central School (SFCS) were transferred to their transitional houses on October 8. The families’ transitional houses were developed by the Catholic Relief Services (CRS) backed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).
The transitional houses made of cocolumber, corrugated iron sheets and equipped with latrine and with a floor area of about 18 square meters to 24 square meters, depending on the number of children, are located in Barangay Utap, this city. Each unit is also connected with power and water supply.
About 77 transitional houses were constructed in the private lot owned by the family of Councilor Evangeline Esperas with the 31 families, consisting of more than 150 individuals, were the first to be relocated.
It was learned that the USAID provided the financial assistance to the CRS which will pay the monthly rental of P4, 400 to the lot owner for the next two years. The families transferred were from the villages of 51, 52, 54, 54B, 48B and 60A, all located along Sagkahan district. One of the beneficiaries was Tindia Carpina, a 22 year old mother of a one-year old girl whose been staying at the SFCS for almost a year now.
“We are so blessed and grateful for the donation given to us by the CRS,” she said who share the house with her parents and siblings. The remaining families are expected to be transferred from their evacuation center to their transitional houses within the month. The CRS has committed to build 117 transitional houses. (KATHRYN A.ORBIGOZO/JEANE MARIE M. FAMINOGAN, LNU Intern)
