ALABEL, Sarangani Province (February 4, 2011)- Previously homeless families dwelling in calamity danger zones and squatter areas are now afforded with homes to call their own in a hilly resettlement site at Barangay Spring.
SpringHill Village, overlooking Sarangani Bay, provides homes to fifty-two families, some of them were displaced by the flashflood in 2008, at the turnover ceremony Friday (February 4). A total of 107 units will be constructed here.
Vice- Governor Steve Chiongbian Solon said this is a joint project of the municipal government of Alabel, the provincial government, Department of Social Welfare and Development Region XII, and the province of Albay purposely “to move these families out from high-risk areas into safer homes.”
Solon said Albay’s support to Sarangani shows their concern that Sarangani won’t experience what they had been experiencing back to their province.
Rogelio Claro, 67, said his family, along with his six children, shall no longer worry when a storm comes now that they already have a permanent house “made of concrete walls”. Claro and several other squatter families lived shanties for about 15 years.
The municipal government purchased the resettlement site for P2.3 million.
Alabel and Albay province placed P900,000 fund for the site development while Sarangani provincial government will donate a water system.
According to Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD)- Central Office project officer Rey Martija, the local government augmented P15,000 for every P50,000 subsidized by DSWD for each of the 107 housing units.
The resettlement project has a total of P5.3 million and complies with the requirement of Moderate Shelter Assistance Project.
Through bayanihan system, Martija said the stewardship scheme for the project implementation motivated homeowners because they have shared responsibilities in building their own houses.
Solon said requiring the stewards to work as their counterpart would instill in them a “sense of ownership”.
Claro said they only had to work thrice a week until they can complete the 86-day requirement as estimated in the program of work.
“Like other resettlement sites in Sarangani, stewards are encouraged to develop their houses within five years since awarded,” provincial social welfare and development officer Hermelo Latoja said,.
“This is a good venue for these families to start a community,” Solon said, “which thru teamwork they can develop later.” Solon promised to donate P50,000 for a day care and multi-purpose center the homeowners can start with.
Mayor Corazon Grafilo likewise enjoined them to cooperate for development and to live peacefully in the community and become a model community.
The local government and DSWD also turned-over to homeowners the Juanicoville resettlement site in Malapatan last month. (Beverly Paoyon/SARANGANIINFORMATION OFFICE)
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