Naga City turns over housing units to Tinaan landslide victims

Naga City Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong led the ceremonial turnover of new houses to families displaced by the landslide that hit Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tina-an on September 20, 2018.  The city will mark this Sunday the second anniversary of the tragedy that claimed at least 78 lives. | via Morexette Marie Erram #CDNDigital

CEBU CITY, Philippines – At least 46 of the families that were evacuated from ground zero in Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tinaan in Naga City will finally occupy a house that they can call their own.

This after Mayor Kristine Vanessa Chiong led the turnover on Friday, September 18, 2020, of new homes that were built at the relocation site in the neighboring Sitio of Tapon.

Chiong said in an interview that they prioritized the selection of those who were left homeless by the landslide for the city’s free-housing program.

“Families whose houses were either totally damaged or totally buried in the landslide were prioritized for the city-funded relocation,” said Chiong in a mix of English and Cebuano.

Chiong said that the 46 families come from Sitio Sindulan that was badly affected by the landslide that killed at least 78 individuals.

READ: Naga landslide fatalities remembered

The mayor said that some of the affected families did not avail of the housing program and instead opted to receive the city’s cash aid.

“Some opted not to (of the housing program) because they were able to rebuild their own house someplace else using the building assistance, which ranges between P100,000 to P150,000 that we provided them right after the tragedy occurred,” she explained.

Chiong said that the city government has spent around P74 million since 2018 to aid the landslide victims and for the implementation of recovery programs.  Of the amount, P25 million was spent on the construction of the 54 new housing units in Sitio Tapon.

This Sunday, September 20, marks the second anniversary of the deadly landslide that covered two-hectares of land in Sitio Sindulan in Barangay Tinaan and claimed at least 78 lives. The area, where the tragedy that damaged more than 50 homes and displaced around 8, 000 residents is located, is close to a large-scale mining site. / dcb