CARLITO C. DAR
BAGUIO CITY, Sept. 21 (PIA) - - The relocation of around 170 families and rehabilitation of barangayTamac, Villaviciosa in Abra which were badly affected by typhoon Ineng are the focus of the Cordillera Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, in partnership with the provincial government of Abra and the concerned local government units and disaster risk reduction management councils.
At the height Typhoon Ineng last month, there was a big landslide at Tamac which isolated the area and force the evacuation of several families. Post-Ineng site inspection of the CRDRRMC officials and geologists of the Mines and Geo Science Bureau of the DENR discovered the strong probability that with another heavy rainfall or an occurrence of strong earthquake, the mountain there will continue to move and will endanger more than 100 families below.
With the MGB report, CRDRRMC chaired by Office of Civil Defense Regional Director Andrew Alex Uy, and other council members, Philippine Red Cross and Abra local chief executives met with the affected community in sitio Tamac last September 11 to discuss this pressing concern.
“We need to start at the right track and continuously work together to move forward for the welfare of the people here”, he said.
For the relocation program, the Abra Provincial LGU and the municipal government of Villaviciosa will take the lead and the concerned CRDRRMC government agency members will also bring their program such as the Core Shelter Program and Food for Work of DSWD and DILG’s SalinTubig (Sagana at Ligtas na Tubig para sa lahat) Program, among others.
In terms of recovery and rehabilitation effort, Uy said they have already requested non-food and food items for the affected families their central office.
The DSWD aside from family food packs, also provides Food for Work program and cash assistance to those with damaged houses. For DPWH, road clearing projects are continuously being implemented.
Another partner for rehabilitation in the area is Philippine Red Cross – Abra chapter, which is helping the DSWD in providing tents, food packs and collapse water containers to the affected families, as well as in bringing in nurses that provide health services. (JDP/CCD with reports from Ivy Carasi– OCD CAR)