NHA EHAP

Loon ‘Odette’ victims

richer by P 23 million

LOON, Bohol, Feb 6 (PIA)—Loon is P23 million richer.

This is how Loon Municipal Disaster and Risk Reduction Management Officer Marina Loquinte, saw amidst the buzz of activity inside the Loon Townsquare Cultural Center, where typhoon Odette victims in 2021, line up to claim the government’s P10,000.00 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) as typhoon beneficiaries, three years later.

“Seeing the sudden cash inflow bids well for the local economy,” she said, seeing that the hard ware stores and variety stalls are also cashing in on the brisk sales.

A town with the most number of barangays in Bohol at 67, Loon which sits in the western side of Bohol is among the hardest hit during typhoon Odette.

Three years later, residents have already repaired their houses, the trace of destruction hardly visible now, except when one knows where and what to look.

Still, the cash inflow, belated it may be, still stimulates the local economy when the beneficiaries start spending.

In 2021, Loon listed 2,454 households with totally damaged houses, 629 or some 25% of these are those houses in Cabilao Island.

The assistance is for house repair, but many have already repaired their houses over the years, that some of the beneficiaries immediately brought home some groceries, canned goods and even ready cooked food, bought from the stalls around the town square.

Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, who was in Loon for the distribution asked Loonanons to stretch their patience a little bit, as the NHA themselves and not the LGUS would be handing out the assistance.

He also cited how the NHA is also tagged with similar tasks in the 13 other towns in the two-week distribution schedule and the appreciation of the documents which other LGUS have submitted for assistance funding.

Maayo na lang nang late, [kay sa wala], dili dali sa NHA nag pagdistribute kay daghan ang biktima, mao nga daghan pod ang angay tabangan. Manghinaut kami nga inyong ipadayon ang pagsalig sa goberno, ayaw sabta nga wala maghunahuna ang goberno. Unta, kanang inyong P10K, inyong gamiton para ipaayo sa balay, kay atong himunduman ang katuyuan sa tabang, Aumentado urged.

Florencia Plazos Pantoja, 76 years old from Calayugan Sur off Sandingan Island said like most, she has almost forgotten that there was an assistance, that tin sheets from what is left of their roof that was blown off at the heat of the storm, is what they nailed to temporarily shelter her family.

Pantoja said the storm blew their roof off and carried it past two houses, and that they had to evacuate to a safer shelter days after that.

With the assistance, she would be buying plywood sheets and pay a carpenter to replace the tin sheets that have become their walls after Odette splintered their walls then.

On the other hand, Apolonio Bastida, homeowner, has to send his wife Daniela to claim their government assistance. The Bastidas were among the 49 house owners of Canhangdon, who totally lost their houses to the typhoon’s rage.

National Housing Authority (NHA) Bohol head Genesis Manalili said this time, the NHA targets to get to 7452 beneficiaries from 14 towns whose requests for assistance have been sufficiently complied with documentary requirements following government validation.

In some towns, the NHA initially gave P5,000 to owners of totally damaged houses, and the other half, they are giving out in the next two weeks of EHAP distribution.

This batch of EHAP distribution covers beneficiaries of the towns of Guindulman, Loon, Duero, Valencia, Sevilla, Batuan, Bilar, Dauis, Loay, Antequera, Cortes, Maribojoc and Balilihan, Manalili named.

This entails the 78,205,000 to be distributed to the beneficiaries from the municipalities above.

It may be recalled that in 2021, after the syper-typhoon wreaked havoc in Bohol, the NHA asked the local government units to submit a list of totally and partially ruined houses.

Some LGUS were quick to submit their lists, and the process was for these LGUS to request funds which the NHA has to submit to the central office, and along that while, the NHA has to personally validate the list.

There are LGUS that quickly complied, others were not as fast, and with the long process and documentary requirements for compliance, it will take some time. In fact, there are still some LGUS which have not fully complied with the requirements, Manalili updated.

On this, for beneficiaries who were not able to claim their assistance on the days they were supposed to claim it, can go to the NHA Office this February 17-20, for their benefits. (PIABohol)

SORTING OUT DISCREPANCIES. NHA Bohol chief Genesis Manalili, (rightmost) led the Bohol team in fixing out the documents from the beneficiaries to straighten out their claims for the EHAP, where the government gave out P10,000 for emergency housing assistance in Loon. (PIABohol)