Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, August 10) — The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) on Wednesday said it is looking at three resettlement sites in Abra where over 900 houses can be built for residents whose homes were damaged by the magnitude 7 quake that hit Northern Luzon late in July.
“For Abra, DHSUD is eyeing three resettlement sites for quake-affected residents with a potential to build 930 housing units in the municipalities of Tayum, Bucay and Peñarrubia,” the department said in a statement.
Citing data from its regional office in the Cordillera Administrative Region (CAR) and the local governments, the DHSUD said 264 houses were “totally destroyed” while 19,165 were damaged in six municipalities due to the major quake.
Since the tremor, DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said they have been providing temporary shelter materials to affected residents. Apart from this, financial assistance, through the Emergency Housing Assistance Program, has also been released.
“We now need a proactive response through a more permanent solution to the damage this calamity has caused. Building shelters should now become a priority,” Acuzar said.
Acknowledging the government’s limited funds, the DHSUD secretary said help from the private sector will be needed.
“I recognize our funding limitations in the government. But we cannot stop there. We need to explore other means, for as long as it is legally allowed, to provide for the housing needs of our fellow Filipinos. The active participation of our partners in the private sector will be a big boost for this purpose,” he noted.
The department said Acuzar has reached out to some of the country’s developers for potential development projects for the affected families.
As of Wednesday, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office reported that the quake’s cost of damage to infrastructure has reached ₱1.8 billion.
The death toll stood at 11 while injured individuals climbed to 615, where 579 are from CAR, two from Cagayan Valley, and 34 from the Ilocos region.
