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)