Oro Catholic group asks govt to give city 4,000 houses more
Lito Rulona1 min read
By LITO RULONACorrespondent
THE Social Action Center (SAC) of the Roman Catholic archdiocese here has called on the Duterte administration to provide four thousand houses more for survivors of the 2011 Typhoon Sendong devastation and impoverished families.
The call was made during Friday’s “Dayalogo” at the Barangay Nazareth Gymnasium that was graced by Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco Jr. and National Housing Authority general manager Marcelino Escalada Jr..
Astrid Jose Bana, SAC Housing Project coordinator, said the number of families that needed a relocation site after the 2011 disaster reached some 12 thousand. Only 7,536 houses have been provided so far by the government and private groups, including the local archdiocese and the Jesuitun Xavier University.
Meanwhile, Evasco warned that local officials who allow demolition orders to be carried out without providing relocation sites could be charged with criminal and administrative cases.
He said President Duterte has made it clear that no demolition should be done without relocation sites provided by local governments.
Evasco said this after a group from Barangay 31 complained that city hall failed to provide them with a relocation site after their houses were demolished in November 2015 on court orders.
“Nakaadto na me ni Mayor Oscar Moreno pero nag-ingon lamang siya nga ongoing pa ang among relocation. We are counting on the assurance of President Duterte that no demolition would be made if no relocation would be provided by the local government,” said Mira Lumongsod, spokesperson of an urban poor group from Barangay 31.