ZAMBOANGA CITY, July 25 (PNA) – The Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction (Z3R) program is continuously progressing as more permanent shelters have been turned over to families displaced in the 21-day September 2013 siege.
The government, through the National Housing Authority (NHA), has already turned over 755 units of permanent shelters–428 loft houses and 327 houses on stilts–costing more than Php 300 million.
The others are either housed in the different recovery shelters or have availed of the home materials assistance (HoMA) provided by the government.
The fund used for the construction of the permanent and recovery shelters as well as HoMA came from the Php 3.5 billion President Benigno Simeon Aquino III allocated for the reconstruction of damaged infrastructures, purchase of lots, and construction of permanent shelters through the Z3R program.
Those who are housed at the recovery shelters will return to their respective homes once the construction of the permanent shelters will be completed. The HoMA beneficiaries are those who own lots whose house were burned during the siege.
The latest permanent shelters that were turned over consisted of 175 housing units last July 20. Of the total, 113 were for the members of the Lustre Homeowners Association in Barangay Sta. Catalina and 62 in Islamic Village in Barangay Sta. Barbara.
The 175 homes in Lustre and Islamic village mark, respectively, the 7th and the 8th turnover of completed permanent homes since August last year.
Turned over permanent shelter projects include the 44 units for Martha Homeowners Association; 143 units for Paniran Homeowners Association; 16 units for St. Peter Homeowners Association; the initial 50 units for Lustre Homeowners Association; 200 units houses on stilts in Barangay Taluksangay; and, the 127 houses on stilts in Barangay Mariki.
The four homeowners associations–Martha, Paniran, St. Peter and Lustre–are all located in Barangay Sta. Catalina.
Salma Andain, a laundrywoman and one of the houses on stilts beneficiaries in Mariki, said they are happy to have a new home.
Andain said it will greatly alleviate their plight compared to their previous living condition being houses in evacuation tents at the Mayor Joaquin Enriquez Memorial Sports Complex.
Andain’s neighbor, Nersa Mawali, said in several instances they slept outside whenever it is brownout at the sports complex since it’s too warm inside the tent.
The sports complex has served as the biggest evacuation center for families displaced in the 21-day September 2013 siege.
Mayor Ma. Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the completion of the houses was a monumental proof the Z3R program with build back better concept steadily moved forward.
Salazar said the national and local governments remained steadfast in its commitment to transfer internally displaced persons (IDPs) to much safer and more permanent shelters under the Z3R the soonest time possible, provided that sanitation requirements are first met.
Salazar disclosed that while the government is working hard to meet the June 2015 deadline set by no less than President Aquino, ensuring that sanitation mechanisms are in place and public utilities are accessible at relocation sites makes compliance a little tricky.
“We already have complied with the deadline, though not 100 percent of the housing units were finished or turned over because we are very strict about sanitation purposes as well as the provision of water and electricity,” she said.
President Aquino has designated Public Works Sec. Rogelio Singson as the over-all in charge in the implementation of the Z3R plan.
Eng’r. Al-Khwarizmi Indanan, NHA district manager, said the constructions of 515 houses on stilts units were ongoing since a total of 642 units would be constructed in Barangay Mariki.
However, Indanan disclosed the contractors undertaking the housing projects have to source out construction materials from other places in order to meet the project deadline.
He said there was shortage of cement and good lumbers in this city.
He said, despite the shortage, construction of other permanent housing units were also ongoing in Barangays Sta. Barbara and Tulungatung.
Sta. Barbara like Sta. Catalina is among the most affected barangays during the siege.
Mariki, aside from hardest hit, was the entry point of the members of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) who initiated the 21-day siege. (PNA)