‘Tent cities’ to shelter typhoon survivors

Tent cities will be set up in some parts of Cebu for the evacuees from Leyte and Samar who are expected to arrive in the province within the next few days, the Cebu provincial government said yesterday.

“This morning, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) asked if Cebu can prepare space for the evacuees, I told them yes, we will,” Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III told the Cebu Provincial Board (PB) in a meeting yesterday.

But Davide said parameters should be drawn up on the evacuees’ stay here and a full documentation should be undertaken once they are settled in the selected sites.

He said what is needed are “clean, open spaces” for the typhoon victims.

Davide said the national government will shoulder all the expenses in the housing the evacuees including their food and other basic needs.

About 1,000 evacuees from Leyte and Samar, most of them elderly and injured, have started arriving at the Mactan Airbase since Saturday.

Most of them were housed in the sports complex of barangay Tinago in Cebu City.

Food, clothing and even money were handed out to the evacuees at the Tinago barangay gym.

Anisha Longridge of the Citichurch said she was sent by her group to deliver relief goods sent from their churches in others parts of the world.

A ready-to-wear store owner doing business in downtown Cebu City also handed brand-new pants and blouses and children’s clothes to the 35 evacuees.

Barangay Tinago chairman Joel Garganera said they are prepared to accommodate 300 persons.

Today, an additional 2,500 is expected to land in Cebu on board air force C-130 aircraft and naval vessels.

The towns of Barili, Carmen and Naga including provincial lots in sitio Sudlon, barangay Lahug were identified as possible evacuation sites.

PB Member Julian Daan said the sports centers of towns and cities in Cebu’s 1st district can be used for the purpose.

PB Member Thadeo Ouano suggested the use of the controversial Balili property as an evacuation site. Davide also ordered the provincial police to monitor the movement of escaped inmates from Tacloban City jail.

The Cebu City government identified the Guadalupe, Ramos and San Nicolas sports complexes as shelters for typhoon victims.

Instead of “evacuees,” the victims arriving in the province should be referred to as “Internally Displaced Persons” (IDP) said Ester Concha, head of Cebu City Hall’s Department of Social Welfare and Services (DSWS).

Concha said 2,000 will be housed in Cebu City while 1,000 will be in Lapu-lapu City.

An “Oplan Kalinga” to be spearheaded by a group led by lawyer Joy Pesquera finalized preparations for the typhoon survivors.

Cebu City Mayor Michael Rama said he received word that a Philippine Navy ship bound for Mactan Island is carrying 2,000 which include those coming from Guian in Eastern Samar, Tacloban and other parts of Leyte.

Rama said Cebu City Hall can convert the area near the Big Foot building at the South Road Properties (SRP) into a Red Cross tent city.