DAVAO ORIENTAL, November 24, 2014—Some 2,779 families in the
typhoon-ravaged towns in the province’s eastern coast became recipient
to a new batch of housing units implemented under the Modified Shelter
Assistance Program (MSAP) through the partnership of the Department of
Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Provincial Government.
DSWD
Sec. Corazon ‘Dinky’ Solimanpersonally handed over last Friday,
November 21, the certificate of occupancy to residents who have lost
their homes from super typhoon Pablo almost two years ago in three towns
of Boston, Cateel, and Baganga.
She said she is in awe
of Davao Oriental’s remarkable recovery, which is now being benchmarked
by the national government in terms of rehabilitation and recovery from
disasters. In fact, its Building Back Better Agenda is now being
adopted in the rehabilitation of other provinces stricken by disasters.
The
department secretary lauded the leadership of Gov. Corazon N.
Malanyaon, who stirred many astounding development in the province not
only in terms ofhousing but also in other economic endeavors,
particularly in agriculture and tourism industry.
Governor
Malanyaon said she is very overwhelmed by the DSWD’s support to her
province. “If there’s one agency who we should really thank for their
support, then that would be the DSWD,” she says. “I personally have been
a witness to their massive support to the province since day one until
now in our rehabilitation phase.”
She also lauded the
efforts of the department for standing ready especially when it comes to
providing long-term shelters to the hapless typhoon victims, who can’t
build houses on their own, given their lack of financial resources.
She
further underscored how convergence and partnership between the DSWD
and the provincial government had successfully accomplished many
undertakings for development, especially in the implementation this
massive housing project.
To date, a total of 10,173
housing units have already been turned over to beneficiaries in the
three towns. Around 5,095 shelters, on the other hand, are about to be
completed and will soon be turned over to its respective beneficiaries.
Although
originally designed as a core shelter, the provincial government made
sure that these houses will still have a ceiling and exterior painting
just like any other typical housing project. Resettlement sites are also
being equipped with electrification, drainageand water system.
The
MSAP is one of the many programs of the national government intended to
help typhoon victims in these towns recover as quickly as possible.
In
the implementation of permanent shelters under the MSAP, the cost for
construction was financed by the DSWD, while the land acquisition and
development was borne by the provincial government—in line with its
principle of counterparting.
Recipients of these new
houses say they are overawed for this new opportunity to start over with
their lives. They say they are grateful for the assistance provided by
the DSWD together with the provincial government as well as the local
government.
Support to Livelihood
Aside from shelter provision, the DSWD also provided livelihood assistance for the locals.
Sec. Diliman, during her visit,turned over P31 million cash
assistance under the Cash for Building Livelihood Asset (CBLA) Program.
The said funds will be used as cash-for-work for the desilting of
irrigation canals of the Cateel Irrigation System.
This newly inaugurated Cateel Irrigation System, which was built and
managed by the Provincial Government, now supplies water from the
irrigation dam to the rice fields. Touted as one of Mindanao’s biggest,
this irrigation system is now supplying water to about 2,000 hectares of
rice fields in Cateel, thus, anticipated to improve not only rice
sufficiency level but would also help boost local economy.
To date, DSWD has already shelled out about P49 million pesos under
Sustainable Livelihood Program, which provides different livelihood for
typhoon-affected residents. KLD-PIO DavOr
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