Outgoing DSWD chief turns over 100 housing units
Outgoing Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) Secretary Esperanza Cabral turned over last Monday 100 row housing units to the victims of Typhoon Frank at San Isidro, Jaro relocation site.
Cabral along with representatives from Habitat for Humanity awarded the certificates of occupancy to the beneficiaries. Lakas-Kampi-CMD standard bearer Gilbert Teodoro, DSWD Assistant Secretary Vilma Cabrera, DSWD-6 OIC regional director Joel Galicia, Mayor Jerry Treñas and San Isidro Barangay Capt. Benjamin Juaneza joined in the turn-over rites.
Cabral, who is going to assume as the Secretary of Health also pledged to the recipients for the construction of a barangay health center and a Botika ng Barangay at the relocation site.
The beneficiaries of the housing units were identified by social workers and were properly evaluated by the joint team of the social welfare department and city government.
The 100 row housing units are part of the 500 core shelter pledged by the social welfare department for Iloilo City. Each housing unit cost P70,000. At present, there are already 200 row housing units awarded to the beneficiaries.
The core shelter is funded by the social welfare department and implemented by the Habitat for Humanity. The 100 housings units is the second batch of the core shelter units awarded to the beneficiaries. The first batch of housing units was awarded Dec. 7, 2009.
The beneficiaries are typhoon victims whose houses were destroyed when Typhoon Frank hit Iloilo in 2008. The identified beneficiaries used to occupy the danger zones, either in the river banks or waterways particularly in the district of Jaro.
The district of Jaro has the most number of affected families during typhoon Frank. They were placed in the priority list of beneficiaries in the housing project. Affected families stayed at the transit housing units while waiting for the free housing units provided by the government and non-government organizations.
The government and non-government organizations pooled their resources in giving decent houses to the affected families in the 16.3 hectares relocation site.
