More than a decade after the massive devastation of supertyphoon “Yolanda” in Eastern Visayas, the national government is yet to complete the housing units to thousands of residents who were rendered homeless in 2013.
On Sunday, Jan. 19, Yolanda victims were given fresh assurance of project completion as the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) vowed to finish 4,702 housing units under its Yolanda Permanent Housing Project (YPHP) by December this year.
“As ordered by President Marcos, we will complete all the Yolanda housing projects in Region 8. And we assure the public that we will complete these before the end of this year,” said Acuzar.
Based on the DHSUD data, the National Housing Authority (NHA) has already completed 53,917 units out of the 58,619 permanent housing requirements under YPHP.
Out of the completed units, a total of 45,454 units are already occupied by beneficiaries.
Last week, President Marcos led the ceremonial turnover of 3,517 housing units in Burauen, Leyte.
In his speech, the President urged the housing agencies to build climate-resilient houses to ensure that each unit can withstand typhoons and other natural disasters.
The housing units are located in Cool Spring Residences, Riverside Community Residences, Mont Eagle Ville Subdivision, Coconut Grove Village, Dagami Town Ville and Pastrana Ville, all in Leyte; Marabut Ville Sites 1 and 2 in Samar; and the Culaba Housing Project in Biliran.
Qualified beneficiaries of the YPHP received the housing units as grant, at no cost, after being displaced by the onslaught of "Yolanda" in November 2013 and are residing in identified hazard-prone areas.