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Yolanda survivors to gov’t: Don’t relocate us to ‘death zone’
Around 100 survivors of super typhoon Yolanda on Friday held a protest rally in front of the National Housing Authority (NHA) office in Quezon City to decry the government’s “anomalous” resettlement projects as they commemorate the disaster’s sixth anniversary.
The protesters called for justice and demanded that NHA officials responsible for the construction of “substandard” housing units in far-flung locations be held liable. They stressed the utter lack of consultation with the affected communities in the rehabilitation efforts.
WATCH: Around 100 super typhoon Yolanda survivors from Eastern Visayas gather in front of NHA to protest the “anomalous” housing project of the gov’t as they commemorate the 6th anniversary of the disaster that claimed over 6,000 lives. @gmanews pic.twitter.com/Dfrs0ewzG2
— Dona Magsino (@donamagsino) November 8, 2019
Even as the government claims that 70% of the housing projects have already been completed, some Yolanda survivors lamented that they continue to be victims as their impending relocation would mean deprivation of access to livelihood and other basic social services.
"Nandoon pa rin kami sa dating location namin sa tinatawag na 40-meters no build zone dahil doon kami nabubuhay," said Imelda Tacalan who hails from a coastal community in the town of Balangiga in Eastern Samar.
She said that the issue on the government's housing project goes beyond its slow completion because their community has no plans of transferring to the problematic relocation sites.
"Inaalis nila kami sa danger zone, dinadala nila kami sa death zone," Imelda said.
"Malayo sa aming mga hanapbuhay, dagdag gastusin sa aming mga ina dahil may mga anak kaming nag-e-eskwela," she added.
Meanwhile, Lita Bagunas, a resident of Giporlos town, said that the disaster survivors need more than just housing.
They need livelihood assistance to start over again, she stressed.
Lita recalls the sight of a devastated copra field as the most heartbreaking memory of Yolanda for her.
"Pagtingin ko sa bukid, sa mga pananim namin, parang naluha ako dahil lahat kalbo na 'yung mga pinaghirapan namin na pananim," she said.
"Ang ano ko na lang sa Diyos na salamat at nabuhay kami pero paano kami mabubuhay kung wala nang kabuhayan?"
Six years later, her family's copra field is still not ready.
"Nagtanim kami pagkatapos ng Yolanda at ngayon ay parang mamumunga na. Siguro mga two years pa ang hihintayin namin, magkakaroon na ng bunga," she said.
She added that, in the meantime, her family heavily relies on planting fruits and rootcrops for livelihood.
"Sana matulungan kami ng gobyerno, dahil kopra ang inaasahan namin, 'yan ang aming kabuhayan sa Eastern Samar, sana magkaroon kami ng dagdag na pangkabuhayan para i-sustain namin ang aming mga pamilya sa pagkain man lang sa araw-araw," Lita said.
Lita and Imelda are both leaders of the local organization Uswag Este Katarungan which promotes participative rehabilitation of Yolanda-hit communities.
A day before their protest activity in Metro Manila, some of the Yolanda survivors formally submitted a recommendation to the Office of the Deputy Ombudsman for Visayas to file administrative and criminal charges against NHA officials involved.
