Stay-out evacuees briefed on risks of returning home

VICTIMS of the Barangay Tinaan, Naga City landslide, who opted to stay with their relatives or rent living quarters will be given a briefing by personnel from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) on the risks they need watch out for when they go back to their homes, located in the green and red zones.

“Tomorrow (December 17), we will be getting the certifications from camp managers of each evacuation center to know the exact number of stay out IDPs (internally displaced persons) in each camp,” said Ruth Alensonorin, Naga City information officer.

The evacuation centers where the Barangay Tinaan, Naga City landslide victims were housed, are now empty as the over 1,600 families composed of at least 6,500 individuals were given clearance to go back to their homes.

The city government will give P3,000 as financial aid for 1,500 families affected by the landslide.

However, Alensonorin said those who stayed inside the evacuation centers would be given priority in the distribution of the cash assistance to be given out on December 20.

“The City Government had allocated goods for 1,500 households. If it will be enough for the stay-out IDPs, we will give them the P3,000 cash assistance. But we will stick with the allocation for 1,500 families kay mao ra sad na ang available for our funds,” Alensonorin told Cebu Daily News.

There are at least 300 families composed of about 1,200 individuals who opted to spend the past three months, since the September 20 landslide, either living with their relatives or temporarily renting homes.

“We’re doing an IEC (Information Education Communication) for them, the stay-out evacuees, next week. They should also know the dangers that they will have to look after when they go home,” Alensonorin told CDN.

During the IEC conducted for the in-house evacuees last week, early warning cards were distributed to each family, to serve as a reminder for the residents to be alert about changes in their surroundings when they return home.

The signal for the evacuees to go home came with the endorsement of MGB Central Office of the harmonized and revised reassessment of the delineated critical zones.

The harmonized assessment revised the description of two of the three zones surrounding the landslide area.

While the main landslide area and its immediate vicinity designated as the maroon zone, remains a no entry zone. The red zone which lies next to the maroon zone is now classified as a temporary habitation zone from being a no habitation zone.

Residents living within the red zone can go back to their houses but would have to evacuate when necessary.

No large construction or development will be allowed on the green zone unless there are detailed studies to support the development.

An early warning system will also be put in place in coordination with the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) and the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).