Entire town in Eastern Samar wants to ‘relocate’ after Yolanda — solon

As residents in areas hit by Typhoon Yolanda in the Visayas scramble to rebuild their towns and cities, a municipality in Eastern Samar has expressed a desire to be relocated to higher ground.

The transfer would affect some 10,000 “traumatized” residents living in 13 barangays, including one that is coastal in nature, said Eastern Samar Rep. Ben Evardone, who bared the plan at a press conference on Tuesday.

“There are barangays now which want to be relocated. In fact the municipality of Hernani wants to move the entire town,” Evardone said, explaining that the relocation would mean a new town hall and other public buildings for the affected residents.

“I spoke  to the mayor, Mayor Edgar Boco and his decision, I think, is supported by the Municipal Development Council,” Evardone said. “His decision is to relocate his entire municipality, which has 13 barangays.”

Still within territory

Evardone clarified that the barangays will be transferred within the municipality’s territory, only to higher land. “Merong higher ground dun. May bundok dun na malapit. Pero sa Hernani pa rin,” he said.

“Dapat dun ang malaking appropriation, yung pagbili ng mga lupa,” he added.

Over 5,000 people died in the onslaught of Yolanda, a super typhoon by description, most of them wiped out by tsunami-like storm surges.

Aside from Hernani, Evardone said several other hard-hit barangays have expressed a desire to be transferred to higher ground as well.

“There are other barangays also na affected, like, in the municipality of Salcedo, may mga barangays dun na willing na rin silang ma-relocate.So far three sa Salcedo, merong isa sa municipality of San Julian,” he said.

Counting Hernani’s 13 barangays, Evardone said 17 barangays want to be transferred, adding he expects the number to go up in the coming days.

Traumatized folk

Evardone sited the trauma of his constituents as the major reason for their desire to move.

“Mostly yung mga na-affected, parang nagka-trauma sila at tsaka na-realize na rin siguro nila na they are living in coast yan The beauty is that they have realized that they are living in a dangerous situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, Evardone called on several executive departments to aid in the rehabilitation of Eastern Samar, particularly in providing the survivors with new sources of income.

“Ang pinakamalaking hamon ngayon yung sustainability. That is where livelihood should come in kasi hindi naman pwedeng habang buhay na magre-rely sa relief goods,” he said.

Evardone assured his constituents that he in in close contact with agencies that can provide them with work opportunities as they recover from the disaster.

“I'm meeting with [Agriculture] Sec. Proceso Alcala and [Labor] Sec. [Rosalinda] Baldoz precisely to ask them what they can provide, kasi livelihood ang talagang kailangan na ngayon,” he said, noting that he will ask for more fishing boats and other types of livelihood projects. — KBK, GMA News