71 houses turned over to typhoon victims

CEBU, Philippines — The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies officially turned over 71 Full Shelter Assistance (FSA) houses with solar-powered panels amounting to ?30 million for families that lost their homes due to Typhoon Odette in Barangay Poblacion, Alegria town, Cebu.

PRC chairman and chief executive officer Richard Gordon said in a press conference after unveiling the project that they built 71 houses for 71 families, with each house costing ?350,000 excluding the lot price.

“As I've said, PRC stands for hope and we are always hopeful that what we are doing is paving the path for these families towards healing and recovery. Red Cross is not in the business of giving dole-outs - we are in the business of giving hope. What's also special about the additional shelters is that these are all solar-powered," said Gordon.

Alegria Mayor Gilberto Magallon said that the counterpart of the local government unit is the lot development which includes the use of heavy equipment as well as labor and cost of fuel.

“More or less, the municipality spent ?7 million excluding the lot,” the mayor said.

The 71 houses are in a one-hectare property in Barangay Poblacion with an assessed value of ?400 per square meter. It will now be called Red Cross Village.

Gordon commended the mayor for acting fast in the realization of the Red Cross Village. He said that aside from the ?30 million, each of the 71 families also received ?10,000 as livelihood assistance from the PRC.

Gordon said the beneficiaries cannot sell or rent out the houses because these had been given to them for free.

This FSA project was initiated to provide housing for 71 families who lost their homes due to Typhoon Odette and completed through the collaborative effort of Alegria, Cebu Province, and the PRC. It was funded by IFRC and Red Crescent Society under Typhoon Odette Operation in 2021.

The PRC said there are other FSA projects in Bohol and Surigao del Norte, the other provinces severely affected by Typhoon Odette. Last May 2023, the PRC already turned over 70 full shelters in Talibon, Bohol.

Typhoon Odette was the strongest typhoon that struck the Philippines in 2021 where more than half of Cebu’s population of five million were affected by the disaster, according to the Department of Social Welfare and Development.

In Cebu alone, the PRC and its partners already built 8,741 houses, repaired 1,263 houses, provided livelihood assistance to 8,854 families, gave cash grants to 12,517 families, and food items to 21,789 households.

These provisions are part of the ?1 billion worth of developmental projects given by the PRC to people in the province left vulnerable by Typhoons Odette and Ursula, the Naga City landslide, and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Among those who attended the event yesterday includes PRC secretary-general Gwendolyn Pang, PRC-Cebu Chapter Board of Directors assistant secretary Jacqueline Roble, who also represents her father, PRC Governor Jose Emery “Joy” Roble, as well as other PRC and Alegria officials. — (FREEMAN)