Village politics delays Negros shelter aid

BACOLOD City, Philippines - –Political conflict among barangay officials in Negros Occidental has reportedly delayed the release of shelter assistance to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda.

Provincial social welfare and development officer Liane Garcia said they could not yet release the P3,000 shelter assistance as the list is still muddled with “insertions” of unverified beneficiaries.

A number of incoming barangay officials, who were elected last Oct. 28 and have yet to assume their posts on Nov. 30, have reportedly clashed with incumbent village officials in making the list of beneficiaries for shelter assistance.

The list is being prepared by barangay health workers and will be submitted to Garcia’s office.

“It’s hard because we are the victims here... We are caught in between the conflict between incoming and outgoing barangay officials,” Garcia said.

Garcia said there was a time when they had to stop the distribution of relief goods in typhoon-hit areas because of the conflict among barangay officials.

The provincial board placed Negros Occidental under a state of calamity last week, authorizing the realignment of P32 million from the calamity fund into a quick response fund for shelter assistance, Garcia said.

Of the fund, Vice Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson said P22 million is allocated for shelter assistance. 

Only the owners of destroyed or “totally wrecked” houses will be given P3,000 in shelter aid, while those whose houses were damaged will be assisted by their respective local government units, Lacson said.