TALIBON, Bohol, May 6 (PIA) -- The Philippine Red Cross (PRC) through Chairman Richard Gordon, along with Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado and Talibon Vice Mayor Dave Evangelista,  turned over 70 full shelters to Talibon victims of super-typhoon Odette on May 6.

Set in a municipal government relocation site in Brgy. San Carlos Danao, some six kilometers away from the town proper, the 70 housing units would be the new semi-concrete houses of the families settled along Poblacion, Talibon shores in Sitio Pasil to Sitio Eskinita.

Houses in these said areas are mostly made of light materials that were built on stilts and thrashed by the strong waves and gusty winds brought by Odette on Dec. 16, 2021, prompting the Talibon officials to declare the site as a “no-build zone.”

While the local government unit admits it does not have the funds to effect a resettlement for these storm-affected families, the government through the Office of the President’s Socio Civil Projects Fund (SCPF), the National Housing Authority, and the United Nation’s Development Programme (UNDP) pooled its resources to facilitate the acquisition of the seven-hectare property for the relocation site.

PRC, through its Full Shelter Assistance program, also funded for the 21.54-square meter single unit attached shelter with floor area measuring 7.11 meters by 3.4 meters with latrine provision.

In his message, Gordon committed the humanitarian organization’s help in easing the suffering of the vulnerable communities, and holding their hands until they can independently stand on their own.  

He also underscored that the Full Shelter Assistance may be funded by the PRC and its partners like the Embassy of the Republic of Korea, Singapore Red Cross, the Red Crescent, Starbucks, Reckitt and Honda.

The beneficiaries also put in their labor counterpart for the construction of each unit.

Gordon said “mabuti ang mga tao [dito], at kapag binuhusan natin nga tulong, malamang sila-sila na rin ang magtutulongan,” as he openly declared Bohol to be one of the most beautiful places on Earth and has the potential to become a gold mine for tourism in the country.   

Exuperia Agujar, 57, married to Reynaldo Aguhar who works as a laborer, said she was thankful in a way that Odette happened as she had never imagined for her family to have a semi-concrete house of their own.

Living on a flimsy house on stilts in Balite near the old slaughterhouse in town, Aguhar once dreamt of a decent house for her family until she realized they were getting older and the cost of getting a lot alone is way beyond their combined incomes.

Meanwhile, Rowela Bernaliza, 36, used to live with her husband, Bernardo, and three children in Sitio Eskinita before the typhoon.

The whole area where her house used to stand was totally washed out after the storm.

The Aguhars and the Bernalizas are just two of the 70 families who were among the beneficiaries of the PRC shelter assistance.

Their houses are among the ones funded by the PRC from the P25,900,000 fund they gave to Bohol to build full shelters and transition shelters for the storm victims. 

Aumentado, who also signed as witness to the ceremonial signing of the certificates of occupancy which would officially allow the beneficiaries to lay claim on the new houses, also thanked the Red Cross through Gordon and aired Bohol’s willingness to always partner with the humanitarian organization which has also helped Bohol in Water Sanitation and Hygiene, welfare, disaster management and health. (RAHC/PIA7 Bohol)