MANILA, Philippines - Thousands of urban poor residents displaced by the massive flooding due to tropical storm “Ondoy” have left evacuation centers and are returning to their homes – or what’s left of them – along river banks and other flood-prone areas in Metro Manila, an official of the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor (PCUP) told a news forum yesterday in Quezon City.
PCUP undersecretary Percival Chavez told reporters that in Pasig City, at least 25,000 families had gone back to their homes in Manggahan floodway, one of the hardest hit areas in Metro Manila.
The Manggahan floodway, instead of bringing the water out to sea, sent back floodwaters to Pasig and Marikina.
“Affected families are returning to the danger zone and we are coordinating with local governments to address the problem,” Chavez said.
He said aside from the Manggahan floodway, residents along the Tullahan River, Marican and Lagarian creeks are also returning to their shanties in the flooded waterways.
He said of the 700,000 families affected by the recent flooding, at least 150,000 are living in waterways and other danger zones in Metro Manila.
Chavez said the government is now in the process of documenting affected families and has already identified 5,000 families who lost their houses and are set to be relocated in Laguna.
He admitted that it would take time before the government could relocate 100,000 residents in danger zones along waterways.
Meanwhile, the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is set to conduct an emergency recovery conference with local chief executives in Metro Manila, Laguna and Rizal to map out strategies for the evacuees’ immediate relocation.
Marikina families relocated to Sta. Rosa
Around 145 families from Marikina who lost their homes due to Ondoy were relocated to Southville 3 in Sta. Rosa, Laguna and were also assured of livelihood assistance for their slipper- and bag-making businesses, for which Marikina is known.
Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli de Castro welcomed on Wednesday the relocated residents from Barangays Tumana, Concepcion Uno and Dos and Fortune in Marikina.
Around 145 families have already volunteered to relocate to Southville 3 in Sta. Rosa. A thousand more are being processed and are expected to be transferred as soon as DSWD, LGU-Marikina and NHA complete the social preparations of the affected families.
“The President gave me instructions to prioritize the displaced families from Marikina, particularly those who are in the evacuation centers and have no more homes to go back to,” De Castro said.
The Vice President said the DSWD and NDCC are also processing displaced families from other areas affected by Ondoy, such as Quezon City, Pasig City, Cainta, and Taytay.
Sta. Rosa Mayor Arlene Nazareno assured Marikina Mayor Marides Fernando that she would take care of the new Sta. Rosa residents.
“These families lost almost all of their belongings, that’s why we’re providing them more than the regular relief assistance to tide them over this difficult period. DSWD will also provide cash for work to the affected families. What is important is to assure them of a roof now, and then we’ll work at providing them training and livelihood assistance so that they can move on and get some normalcy back in their lives.” De Castro added.
Fernando discussed with Nazareno the commitment of Marikina to expand its livelihood projects to the relocated families in Sta. Rosa.
“I appreciate that Mayor Nazareno, our receiving LGU, is supportive of the national government effort to provide shelter security to the displaced families. I’m also confident that Mayor Fernando, as the sending LGU, will support her constituents in the interim as they start a new life in Sta. Rosa. We have seen this partnership work among our rail relocatees. I am sure it’ll work just fine for the relocatees from the esteros and river banks,” he added.
A medical mission was also conducted for the families in Southville 3 to prevent an outbreak of waterborne and other diseases among the families. Some parts of Southville 3 are still under water.
Some 1,500 individuals availed of the medical assistance provided by the Office of the President and HUDCC.
De Castro also inspected the ongoing developments in Calauan Resettlement Project that will be made available within one month to families displaced by the typhoon as well other families in danger areas. HUDCC estimates that there are about 107,139 families living in danger areas in Metro Manila alone. – With Pia Lee-Brago