VP NOLI WELCOMES RELOCATEES AFFECTED BY TYPHOON ONDOY IN STA. ROSA, LAGUNA

October 7, 2009

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Noli ‘Kabayan’ de Castro welcomed yesterday (October 7) relocatees from Barangays Tumana, Concepcion Uno and Dos, and Fortune, in Marikina .

Around 145 families have already volunteered to relocate in Southville 3 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna. A thousand more are being processed and are expected to be transferred as soon as DSWD, LGU-Marikina, and NHA complete the social preparations of the affected families.

“The President gave me instructions to prioritize the displaced families from Marikina, particularly those who are in the evacuation centers and have no more homes to go back to,” De Castro said. The DSWD and NDCC are also processing displaced families from other areas affected by Typhoon Ondoy, such as Quezon City , Pasig City , Cainta, and Taytay.

Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando turned over the relocatees to the Vice President and Sta. Rosa Mayor Arlene Nazareno. Mayor Nazareno assured Mayor Fernando that she will take care of the relocatees from Marikina . The families were provided relief goods and medicines by the Office of the President and HUDCC-NHA.

“These families lost almost all of their belongings, that is why we are providing them more than the regular relief assistance to tide them over this difficult period. DSWD will also provide cash for work to the affected families. I understand the dislocation that the families are going through. What is important is to assure them of a roof now, and then we will work at providing them training and livelihood assistance so that they can move on and get some normalcy back in their lives.” De Castro pointed out.

In the meantime, Mayor Fernando discussed with Mayor Nazareno the commitment of LGU-Marikina to expand its livelihood projects, such as “tsinelas” and bag making, to the relocated families in Sta. Rosa.

“I appreciate that Mayor Nazareno, our receiving LGU, is supportive of the national government effort to provide shelter security to the displaced families. I am also confident that Mayor Fernando, as the sending LGU, will support her constituents in the interim as they start a new life in Sta. Rosa. We have seen this partnership worked among our rail relocatees. I am sure it will work just fine for the relocatees from the esteros and river banks,” De Castro explained.

A medical mission was also conducted for the families in Southville 3. “We will undertake sustained medical assistance in our relocation communities that have been badly hit by Typhoon Ondoy to avert the outbreak of waterborne and other diseases among the families. As you can see, some parts of Southville 3 are still under water,” De Castro said.

Some 1,500 individuals availed of the medical assistance provided by the Office of the President and HUDCC.

Enroute to Sta. Rosa, De Castro also dropped by the Calauan Resettlement Project of NHA in Laguna. He inspected the on-going developments in the site. The Calauan Resettlement Project will be made available in a month’s time to families displaced by Typhoon Ondoy as well other families in danger areas. HUDCC estimates that there are about 107,139 families living in danger areas in Metro Manila alone.

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