NHA cuts number of housing beneficiaries in Negros Occ

BACOLOD CITY, Philippines — The National Housing Authority has reduced the number of housing beneficiaries for typhoon Yolanda victims in Negros Occidental.

This was confirmed by Cadiz City Mayor Patrick Escalante, who revealed that only 21,021 people will benefit from the housing project out of the original number of 29,650.

Escalante added that only seven of the nine local government units will be given housing assistance.

The NHA initial list included the cities of Sagay, Cadiz, Victorias, Silay and Escalante and the towns of Manapla, EB Magalona, Toboso and Calatrava.

In the final list, however, Calatrava and Toboso were stricken off the list. Toboso was supposed to have 1,457 beneficiaries while Calatrava had 1,138 people listed.

According to Mayor Escalante, the two towns were excluded from the final list since their location was outside the 50-kilometer radius from the typhoon's eye.

Calatrava town Mayor Araceli Somosa questioned why her town was stricken off the NHA list since it was part of the rehabilitation plan for Yolanda-hit areas.

"What will happen now to my constituents who were affected?" she asked, noting that many of the typhoon victims borrowed money from financial institutions after the municipal government declared a state of calamity.

The mayor said she will ask help from the provincial government and the congressional office of the first district regarding the matter.

Toboso town Mayor Richard Jaojoco, for his part, said the delisting would not matter since his town has already received assistance from the provincial government and non-government organizations. 

Further, the NHA trimmed down the number of beneficiaries in the seven LGUs.

In Cadiz City, only 6,087 beneficiaries were listed from the previous 8,742; Sagay City — 6,971 from 7,850; Manapla — 2,954 from 2,964; Victorias City— 2,071 from 2,321; EB Magalona — 858 from 1,168; and Silay City- 62 from 1,992. Escalante City retained the same number of beneficiaries at 2,018. — (FREEMAN)