Land development stage yet: Government still to turn over houses in north Cebu

CEBU, Philippines - Two years after super typhoon Yolanda ripped through the Visayas, the National Housing Authority admitted that it has not turned over any house yet for survivors of the super typhoon.

The government agency blamed slow titling of the lots because most of the lands were still classified as protected and not alienable. Sometimes, the lots are also covered by the Agrarian Reform law.

Engr. Constancio Antinegro who represented NHA in Central Visayas, said that the beneficiaries’ non-acceptance of identified lots as well as the high cost required to purchase lots were also added problems.

In particular, sites in Bantayan islands are covered by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ suspension order on the issuance of environmental compliance certificates on land improvements.

The suspension came on the heels of the mandamus case filed by residents led by environmental lawyer Antonio Oposa against the DENR for allegedly destroying the Bantayan Group of Islands, a protected area for wilderness under Presidential Proclamation 2151 issued by then President Ferdinand Marcos in 1981.

 The petitioners of the said case accused the DENR of issuing ECCs for developments in a protected area even without the required Protected Areas Management Plan.

Atiniero said they would ask intervention from higher authorities for the exclusion of the identified housing sites and the lifting of the court order against the issuance of ECCs

He said they would also ask permission from the Commission on Audit for them to utilize sites covered by tax declarations through a tenurial instrument, while awaiting reclassification and issuance of land titles.

NHA noted that some areas identified as relocations sites for Yolanda survivors in northern Cebu are covered only by tax declarations.

The COA requires that land titles, not tax declarations, be considered by the government in purchasing land to be developed into relocation sites.

“We are not just implementing the project, but we also need the documentation because we will turn over the units with the land title,” Atiniero said.

The NHA-7 has intended to build 22,423 houses for Yolanda victims in northern Cebu and in the Camotes and Bantayan group of islands, with 4,300 houses to be built in Daanbantayan town covering six resettlement sites.

It, however, lags behind non-government organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, the Red Cross, Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc., and aid agencies of foreign governments in terms of providing houses to beneficiaries, many of whom already received theirs.

The NHA is currently still doing land development in the implementation of its permanent housing program in four of six affected local government units of Cebu.

Based on data presented by NHA-7 during the commemoration at the Capitol yesterday, land development is still underway at identified relocation sites in Daanbantayan, San Remigio, Medellin and Tabuelan towns.

In Daanbantayan, which is one of the most affected towns, land development of a 55,425-square-meter site in Barangay Maya, where a total of 650 housing units are set to be built, is nearing “50 percent completion.” The project, worth P187.8 million, is expected to be finished within 325 calendar days.

In particular, land development is also ongoing at the sites in Barangay Tambongon in San Remigio with 680 housing units, Barangay Antipolo in Medellin (631 units), and Barangay Olivo in Tabuelan (220 units).

Various government agencies presented at the Provincial Capitol yesterday their accomplishments for northern Cebu two years after the super typhoon Yolanda hit the Philippines.

They include the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Science and Technology, Department of Health, Department of Social Welfare and Development, NHA, and the Department of Public Workds and Highways.

On the part of the DSWD, spokesperson Jeniffer Abastillas said P1.8 billion in Emergency Shelter Assistance (ESA) was already released to the various government agencies in Cebu. This is still below the P2.441 billion intended for Yolanda victims in northern Cebu.

Abastillas said that some of the beneficiaries are still “pending” because of the lack of relocation sites.

 Gov. Hilario Davide is also expected to present accomplishments later on. Initially, he said that the Capitol was able to provide a total of P300 million financial assistance to its constituents in Northern Cebu.

He acknowledged the slow release of the ESA, primarily because of the lack of sites to rebuild the homes of Yolanda victims

Providing details to the Capitol’s assistance, PDRRMO Chief Baltazar Tribunalo said the Capitol provided P269 million as assistance in 2014 and P148 million in 2015.

The DPWH, on the other hand, said it had completed 96 percent, or about P227.5 million, in flood control structures and 77 percent or P46 million in the repair of government centers Yolanda destroyed.

There are about 15 LGUs affected by the super typhoon in 2013, but only a handful of mayors from the affected LGUs were present during the commemoration yesterday.

Those that attended include Bogo City Mayor Celestino Martinez Jr., and Sogod Mayor Moonyen Durano.

Beneficiaries of the government assistance projects were also not present at the commemoration program in Cebu City.

The commemoration started with the launching of a photo exhibit outside the Capitol Social Hall.  (FREEMAN)