Outgoing Naga city mayor and vice mayor-elect Kristine Vanessa Chiong together with her dad, incoming Mayor Valdemar Chiong. | Futch Anthony Inso
CEBU CITY, Philippines — Hazard reduction activities in the landslide area in barangay Tinaan, Naga City are already 66 percent completed based on the monitoring of the city government.
Outgoing Naga City Mayor and Vice Mayor-elect Kristine Vanessa Chiong told reporters that she had created a technical working group (TWG) composed of department heads which she mandated to monitor the activity conducted by Apo Cement Corp.
“The TWG submits reports to me while twice a month, MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) is visiting the area,” Chiong said.
In September 2018, a massive landslide hit Barangay Tinaan where Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC) allegedly was operating a quarry activity in the area.
The tragedy claimed 78 lives while six individuals had remained missing.
Read more: Killer landslide in Naga ‘unique’ – MGB
Chiong said that, as of the moment, the debris, which blocked the waterways in Pangdan River, had already been cleared and drainage systems had already been installed.
She said that with these developments, Apo Cement Corp. could now proceed to the second phase of the hazard reduction activity, which would be the knocking of the Tagaytay wall in order to stabilize the landslide area.
Read more: ALQC: Developments in Naga landslide area are part of DENR-approved rehab plan
Meanwhile, Chiong said that on March 29, 2019, the city had already started the construction of the relocation site in Barangay Tinaan.
She said that the city had been planning to build 80 housing units worth P30 million.
Aside from this, around 196 housing units will also be constructed by the National Housing Authority (NHA) which will be built in the 2 hectare lot in the Balili property.
The lot was donated by the Cebu Provincial government.
But out of 444 households, which were first identified to be located in the “No Permanent Habitation Zone,” 240 of them had opted to avail the building assistance of the city worth P150,000.
“Gihatagan nato sila sa P150,000 so sila na’y mangita og luna ug mga pagtukod sa ilang balay ug dili na sila maghulat sa relocation,” she added.
(We gave them P150,000 so that they would be the ones to find a lot where they could build their houses and they would not have to wait for the relocation site to be completed.)
Read more: 444 landslide families to get cash assistance
Chiong also asked barangay officials in Tinaan to monitor these 444 households to ensure that these families would no longer be staying in the area.
“Every week ang monitoring sa atong mga barangay officials. Pero sa tinud-anay lang, naay gamay nga ilang giingon nga mobalik ra sa buntag pero dili ra sab sila didto mangatulog,” she said.
(The barangay officials have been monitoring them every week. There are some residents who would return to their lot in the morning but they would not stay there at night.)
These families are either temporarily renting a house or are now living together with their relatives./dbs