CALAANAN, Cagayan de Oro City: President Benigno S. Aquino III expressed his sincere personal commitment in carrying out the promises he made to the people especially those who were greatly affected by the devastation of typhoon “Sendong” that hit Northern Mindanao late last year as he led the inauguration of the permanent housing units for the thousands of displaced local residents here.

In his speech during the “Shelter Build Activities” where he launched the Calaanan Relocation site at Barangay Canito-an, here, President Aquino assured the people that the free housing units to be distributed to the typhoon victims are just part of the Aquino administration’s unyielding efforts to bring back to normal the lives of the people living in the area.

“Gaya po ng ipinangako ng inyong gobyerno, matapos humagupit ang bagyong “Sendong” hindi natin hahayaang tuluyan kayong malugmok sa pagdurusa at kagipitan…. Mahigit isang buwan po ang nakalipas, nagtitipon tayo ngayon upang saksihan ang konkretong hakbang ng inyong pamahalaan upang tulungan ang mga nasalanta ng bagyo bIlang pagpapahalaga sa inyong tiwala at pagiging totoo sa aming mga binitawang salita,” the President said.

“Titiyakin natin sa relokasyong ito, hindi mapapatid ang suporta ng inyong pamahalaan sa pagkakaloob ng mga kabuhayan at paghubog sa inyong magandang kinabukasan…talaga naman pong nakakamit natin ang tagumpay sa pagtutulungan ng pamahalaan at ng pribadong sector,” he added.

The President said that the national government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), in cooperation with the National Housing Authority and the private sector, has allocated some 200 million pesos for the building of permanent houses for the typhoon victims.

“Gamit ang DSWD Quick Response Fund… agad tayong naglaan ng mahigit dalawandaang milyong piso sa pagpapatayo ng permanenteng bahay sa Calaanan, nariyan din ang pag-agapay ng National Housing Authority at Habitat for Humanity upang tulungan ang mahigit walong libong pamilya na makapagtayo ng mga tahanan sa Lumbia, Balulang, Gusa, Idahag at Villanueva Misamis Oriental,” the President noted.

He further added that the reconstruction and repair of damaged roads and bridges are underway. Other forms of infrastructure are also being considered to help in hampering such disastrous events to happen again.

“Bukod pa rito, tinututukan na rin natin ang pagsasaayos ng mga inprastrakturang winasak ng bagyong Sendong, tuloy-tuloy din po ang paghahatid natin sa inyo ng mga pangunahing pangangailangan para maibalik sa normal ang inyong komunidad,” the President said.

“Umpisa pa lamang po ito, iyong mga problema sa mga ilog po natin na talagang mabababaw na, nakaplano na po at gagawin na po ang mga imprastraktura tulad ng tinatawag na Sabo dam para talagang mabawasan yung dalubsok ng mga baha sa mga darating na panahon,” he added.

The Chief Executive urged the people to always be vigilant and abide by the advices of their respective local government officials especially in times of natural calamities.

“Paalala ko lang po, matuto na sana tayo sa ating mga kamalian at mga pagkukulang… huwag na sana tayong maging pasaway sabi nga ng iba… sumunod tayo sa ating mga kinauukulan sa panahon ng kalamidad at agarang lumikas sa banta ng sakuna,” President Aquino said.

“Inaasahan ko din sa mga pinuno na huwag nating kunsintihin ang mga katigasan ng ulo ng iilan ng kanilang sinasakupan,” he added.

Also present during the event were other high-ranking government officials led by Vice President Jejomar C. Binay and Social Welfare and Development Secretary Corazon “Dinky” Soliman, Public Works and Highways Secretary Rogelio Singson, Defense Secretary Voltaire Gazmin, Education Secretary Bro. Armin Luistro and Presidential Communications and Operations Office Secretary Herminio “Sonny” Coloma Jr., among others.

They were also joined by local government officials including Cagayan de Oro City Mayor Vicente Y. “Dongkoy” Emano, Representative Rufus Rodriguez and Charlito Ayco, Managing Director & CEO of Habitat for Humanity Philippines.

Following his message, President Aquino led the officials in the actual building of the quadruplex housing units by personally arranging the hollow blocks and filling them up with concrete cement mixture.

President Aquino also visited nearby Sitio Centro in Barangay Lumbia, here to personally assess and inspect the built bunk houses in the relocation site donated by Xavier University.

The permanent shelter building initiative was made through the concerted efforts of the national government particularly the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Local Government of Cagayan De Oro City with help from the private civil society groups.

Among the approved permanent resettlement sites here are located in Calaanan, Lumbia and Indahag.

The number of families in Cagayan de Oro City alone that were affected by the typhoon reached to over 38 thousand comprised of 228,576 people. Totally damaged houses were 5,801 while 12,635 partially damaged.

It will be recalled that in December last year, typhoon “Sendong” hit the island of Mindanao wreaking havoc in its major provinces including the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Iligan where over a thousand people died and rendered millions of pesos of damage to agriculture and infrastructure.