1200 served in NHA-organized

People’s Caravan in Tubigon

TUBIGON, Bohol (PIA)—In one swoop, National Housing Authority (NHA), in partnership with Local Government Unit of Tubigon opened the Tubigon Cultural Center to an estimated 1,200 residents, some of them from the towns with NHA sites for the People’s Caravan: Serbisyong Dala ay Pag-asa, Thursday.

Thirty government agencies, government controlled corporations and private sector partners set up frontline services booths to render medical, dental, social and legal assistance services to Tubignons as well as Boholanos from as far as Duero, on the opposite side of the island province, and local island residents.

For housing needs and concerns, the NHA along with the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Home Development and Mutual Fund set up booths to facilitate transactions with the people not necessarily going to the city where these offices are generally based.

The Department of Health, Tubigon Municipal Rural Health Unit, Philippine National Police Medical Group and Tubigon Disaster and Risk Reduction Management rendered free medical and dental consultations and tooth extraction as well as first contact points for PhilHealth’s Yakap registration while the Philippine Charity Sweepstakes, the DOH and the MHO dispensed free medicines after consultations.

For social services, Social Security System accepted member registrations and updating, the Philippine Statistics Authority brought in their National identification registration and late registration of births, the National Bureau of Investigations rolled out their Mobile Clearance services, the Department of Information Communications and technology opened their egov.ph registration and internet accessibility services while the Department of Agriculture brought their Registry System of Basic Sectors in Agriculture registration assisted by the Municipal Agriculture Office.

The Armed Forces of the Philippines sent in 47th Infantry Battalion barber crew for their Libreng Tupi.

Land Transportation Office opened their drivers licenses application, vehicle registration and other related services, the Department of Social Welfare and Development on Uplift verification, 4Ps registration, while the DA also sold the Benteng Bigas to the marginalized sector, a presidential promise fulfilled.

The Commission on Higher Education handed out tertiary scholarships, while the Department of Labor and Employment, Public Employment Placement Office, Overseas Workers Welfare Administration of the Department of Migrant Workers conducted mini jobs fair with the participation of private sector employers.

Technical Education and Skills Development Authority, private technical vocational institutions, the Department of Trade and industry came in with their business assistance services.

Free legal services were provided by a team from the Public Attorney’s Office in Tagbilaran and Maribojoc, while the Integrated Bar of the Philippines also sent in a delegation of private lawyers. (PIAbohol)

ONE STOP SERVICE BAY. Tubigon Cultural Center transformed into one big free government frontline services bay Thursday as the National Housing Authority, Tubigon and the provincial Government of Bohol opened the People’s Caravan: a one stop service caravan which brought key government frontline services, like this free dental services, to the community. (PIAbohol)

Sinking isles residents phase 1

resettlement rises in Tubigon

TUBIGON Bohol, (PIA)—The first of the 150 concrete row houses which the National Housing Authority (NHA) and Municipality of Tubigon now rises with 80 structures in Pulang Araw, Barangay Genonocan, Tubigon Bohol.

Intended for the 322 families of Tubigon islands and islets now affected by the post 2013 earthquake subsidence, the rising tides caused by climate change and storm surges experienced during typhoons, the row houses have been built by the NHA from the General Appropriations Act funds allocation as requested by the past District Congressional Representative, according to Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Bohol field officer Ammabel Canlas.

An ocular inspection of the project site shows completed structural components, and the ongoing installation of steel trusses is also followed by the installation of steel roofs.

Concrete road access have been completed and sanitary drainage and sewer systems have also been installed.

The initial 80 concrete row houses form the first phase of the project, and is already well into completion anytime this year.

The phase 1, of the project sits on the 7,842.22 square meter lot, each row house has 28.40sq.m floor area on a 40 square meter lot in the relocation development, uses steel trusses, complete with concrete roads, reinforced concrete pipes for drainage, and sanitary facilities.

And like all NHA development areas, the site would come complete with a multi-purpose public court, tricycle terminal, a materials recovery facility and a wet market, according to NHA Bohol head Generis Caesar Manalili.

Each rowhouse with a 28.40sq.m floor area will sit on a 40sq.m. lot in the relocation development with concrete roads, reinforced concrete pipes for drainage, sanitary facilities, he added.

Residents from Tubigon’s Batasan, Bilangbilangan, Panggapasan, Inanuran, Bagongbanua , Mocaboc and Ubay Island have noticed that sea water now breaches into their housed during extremely high tides, some school classrooms and community public areas in knee-deep to waist deep waters during high tides.

Identified in need of immediate relocation, the residents were organized by the Presidential Commission for Urban Poor (PCUP), but many residents did not believe a resettlement site would be available, so they did not join the organization, shares Mary Queen Anne Cajegas, president of the Tubigon Island and Mainland Home Owners Association (TIMHOA).

For Tubigon, it was fortunate because the town had been land banking, and an area was immediately available, as soon as the funds were available, PCUP Bohol Canlas said.

With the members ranked by the NHA in partnership with the local housing board, the first 80 and the phase 2’s 70 families have already been identified, Cajegas added.

With more island residents now convinced that the promised resettlement would happen with a turn-over or the site anytime, Cajegas pointed out that the two phases would just be for 150 resettled families, another equally the same number of families praying that the present congressman can facilitate the insertion of another allocation for the remaining families n=ow at real risk of getting swept off by the tides. (PIAbohol)

BLOCK 1 ROW HOUSES. Readied as resettlement site for families affected by the slowly rising tides in the islands, these 80 NHA row houses form the first phase of the project where 150 island and mainland residents would make their homes. (PIAbohol)