ZAMBOANGA CITY, (PNA) -– The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is eyeing the immediate decongestion of the Mayor Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex and schools used as evacuation centers in this city for the health and safety of the evacuees.
DPWH Secretary Rogelio Singson said the decongestion “will be done hand-in-hand” together with the other concerned agencies of government.
“Immediately, what we need is to decongest the grandstand (sports complex) area dahil hindi pwede ganon karami ang tao sa isang lugar because of health and hygiene reason. We also have to look for a temporary site for the Badjaos who are staying at the roadside and center-road island as it is too dangerous for them to stay in the area,” Singson said.
Hundreds of Bajao families are staying on tents placed at the center-road island and side of the road along R.T. Lim Boulevard, which Singson said is dangerous as vehicles pass the area from and to the city proper.
Singson said the evacuees occupying the schools should also be relocated the soonest time possible so as not to disrupt the conduct of classes.
Singson noted that there was already a number of evacuees who died at the evacuation centers while thousands fell sick due to the unsanitary condition at the sports complex area.
He said the construction of the bunkhouses inside the sports complex is one of the measures to decongest the evacuation centers.
Bunkhouses are also to be construction at the city government’s resettlement area in Barangay Tulungatung, west of this city, to accommodate the evacuees displaced by last month’s standoff.