ZAMBOANGA CITY – The Aquino government has vowed to fast track rehabilitation efforts for war victims in Zamboanga City in southern Philippines despite its failure to house all refugees in a self-imposed deadline this month.
And Social Welfare Secretary Corazon Soliman, who recently inspected the rehabilitation efforts, assured the government is doing all it can to alleviate the sufferings of thousands of refugees still in transitory sites and temporary shelters.
“I want to personally ensure everyone that no one is forgotten. We from the national government, with all our partners, will continue to provide assistance until we have built back better for all the victims,” she said.
Soliman was also quick to admit that the December 15 deadline of moving all evacuees from sports complex to transitory sites was not met, however, she said the efforts of the local government, national agencies and international humanitarian organizations should be recognized.
“From almost 2,800 families residing at the (sports complex) Grandstand in January 2014, there are now just around 1,300. Some we have already moved to permanent shelters, while others to temporary shelters as they await the permanent ones. This is still a very significant accomplishment,” she said.
The Joaquin F. Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex became the biggest evacuation center at the height of the armed invasion by Moro National Liberation Front members last year.
Soliman said one of the factors that caused the delays in the rehabilitation efforts were cultural concerns and that there are some 300 families that cannot go to a certain transitional area because of clan conflict.
There have also been instances of evacuees not wanting to transfer to temporary shelters for fear that they will not eventually be given permanent houses, she said.
“We constantly clarify to the displaced families, especially those relocated to transitory sites, that those are just temporary. They will still have to be transferred to permanent, more sturdy houses, although most have noted that the bunkhouses are already better than what they had before,” she said.
According to the National Housing Authority, it is targeting to finish all permanent shelter by middle of 2015 as the projects are currently in various stages of completion. On the other hand, Soliman said they intend to relocate everyone in the evacuation centers to transitory sites by January 2015.
Soliman explained that according to the local government, not all who are still staying at the sports complex were victims of the siege. She said the local government has offered them financial assistance so they can return to their places of origin.
“We do this because those who will only be awarded permanent houses are those really affected by the siege and are already previously listed on the database of the local government,” she said.
Soliman said they have already provided a total of P438.75 million worth of assistance to all affected families and this includes P95.5 million which covered the expenses for the transitional shelters and P8.75 million for the Balik-Probinsiya, Balik-Barangay, House Rental and Home Materials Assistance Programs.
Some P318 million was also spent on food packs and non-food items, implementation of the cash and food-for-work programs, and delivery of other basic series such as financial and educational aid, she said.
She said a total of P16.5 million was utilized to cover the capital seed funds and the conduct of skills training.
“We have given out capital funds for businesses like seaweed farming, fish vending, candle making, food processing, rice retailing, among others,” she said.
Soliman said the local government likewise reported that it is working with concerned national agencies and international organization to continue to ration water and provide electricity using generator sets to transitory sites. Though these physical necessities of the affected families should immediately be met, Soliman pointed out that more beyond the provision of their daily needs should to be done. (Mindanao Examiner)
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