TACLOBAN CITY- Survivors of supertyphoon “Yolanda” from different towns of Eastern Samar staged their rally before the regional office of the National Housing Authority (NHA) on Friday(Oct.4).
The survivors claimed that it’s been three years now and yet the NHA failed to deliver its promise to provide them permanent houses.
Lita Bagunas from Giporlos town and member of the Uswag Este-Katarunghan, a group of informal settlers, admitted that while they live in areas identified as no build zones, they are still entitled to be provided with permanent houses considering that they are also Yolanda survivors.
The members of the group claimed that their houses, mostly made of light materials, were washed out when Yolanda battered the region on November 8, 2013.
Citing the NHA data, there are 7,573 families from various towns in Eastern Samar hit by Yolanda that need to be relocated to safe zones or be provided with permanent houses.
“My family still lives in a temporary shelter. Rainy season is coming and the houses we temporarily live is fast dilapidating,”Bagunas said.
The 200 survivors were from the towns of Lawaan, Balangiga, Giporlos, Gen. MacArthur, Hernani, Llorente and Maydolong.
The NHA has cited lack of titled lands and high cost of lands suitable for housing as the reasons why the delay on the construction of permanent houses for Yolanda survivors in Eastern Samar.
Bagunas, however, said that the exorbitant asking price for private lands that are said to have caused the delay could have been solved if only the local government units be given the right to exercise their power of eminent domain.
(MEL CASPE/RONALD O.REYES)
