Red Cross turns over full shelters

to 70 families at CPG Ville Talibon

CORTES, Bohol, May 6 (PIA) –Exactly 195 days after its groundbreaking, the Philippine Red Cross through Chairman Richard Gordon, along with Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado and Vice Mayor Dave Evangelista turned over 70 full shelters to Talibon victims of super-typhoon Odette, May 6, 2023.

Set in a municipal government relocation site in Barangay San Carlos Danao, some 6 kilometers from the town proper, the 70 units would be the new semi concrete houses of the families settled along Poblacion Talibon shores in Sitio Pasil to Sitio Eskinita.

Houses in these said areas, mostly made of light materials were built on stilts and were thrashed by the strong waves and gusty winds brought by Odette on December 16, 2021, that the local government unit authorities of Talibon declared the site as a ‘no-build zone.’

While the LGU admits it does not have the funds to effect a resettlement for these storm-affected families, the government through the Office of the President’s Socio Civil Projects Fund (SCPF), the National Housing Authority and the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) pooled its resources to facilitate the acquisition of the 7 hectare property for the relocation site.

The Philippine Red Cross (PRC), through its Full Shelter Assistance program also funded for the 21.54 square meter single unit attached shelter with floor area measuring 7.11 meters by 3.4 meters with latrine provision.

In his message, PRC chairman Gordon committed the humanitarian organization’s help in easing out the sufferings of the vulnerable communities, and holding their hands until they can independently stand on their own.

He also underscored that the Full Shelter Assistance may be funded by the PRC and its partners like the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Singapore Red Cross, the Red Crescent, Starbucks, Reckitt and Honda, the beneficiaries also put in their labor counterpart for the construction of each unit.

Gordon, who once steered the tourism department has been believing in the Boholano, said ‘mabuti ang mga tao [dito], at kapag binuhusan natin nga tulong, malamang sila-sila na rin ang magtutulongan,’ openly declared Bohol to be one of the most beautiful places on earth and has the potential to become a gold mine for tourism in the country.

Exuperia Agujar, 57 married to Reynaldo Aguhar, for one said she was thankful in a way that Odette happened as she had never imagined to have for her family a semi-concrete house of their own. Thanks to the PRC, she repeated again and again during the interview.

Living on a flimsy house on stilts in Balite near the old slaughterhouse in town, Aguhar once dreamt of a decent house for her family until she realized they were getting older and the cost of getting a lot alone is way beyond their combined incomes. Her husband works as a laborer.

Meanwhile, Rowela Bernaliza, 36, used to live with her husband Bernardo and 3 kids in Sitio Eskinita before the typhoon. The whole area where her house used to stand was totally washed out after the storm.

The Aguhars and the Bernalizas are just two of the 70 families who were among the beneficiaries of the PRC FSA, their house among the ones funded by the PRC from the P25,900,000 fund they gave to Bohol to build full shelters and transition shelters for the storm victims.

Bohol Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, who also signed as witness to the ceremonial signing of the certificates of occupancy which would officially allow the beneficiaries to lay claim on the new houses, also thanked the Red Cross through Chairman Gordon and aired Bohol’s willingness to always partner with the humanitarian organization which has also helped Bohol in Water Sanitation and Hygiene, welfare, disaster management and health. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

ROW HOUSES. From flimsy stilt houses that sway with the waves, residents of Poblacion’s sitio Eskinita and Pasil would have to be relocated here in Barangay San Carlos some 6 kilometers away. The Philippine Red Cross funded these single detached units, while the LGU Talibon, Bohol, NHA, Office of the President’s Social Fund and the UNDP facilitated the lot acquisition for the 7-hectare resettlement site. (RAHC/PIA_7/Bohol)

SOMETHING THEY CAN CALL THEIR OWN. The Bernalizas of Sitio Eskinita in Poblacion Talibon had their house repaired a day before Odette landed and totally blew it away. Now, with no house of their own, the Red Cross and the help of other agencies pooled resources to fund for their new house, which sits on a 21 square meter lot, which is just enough for a family of 5. (rahc/PIA-7/Bohol)

CAN NOT BE SOLD, ASSIGNED OR BARTERED. Beneficiaries of the shelter assistance can not sell, barter or assign the units to anybody, as long as the beneficiaries find no need for the houses, it shall be reverted to the PRC who will have the authority to assign the property to another beneficiary, states the Certificate of Occupancy Agreement, which the homeowners association represented by their president, agreed. (RAHC/PIA-7/Bohol)