Tacloban mayor: We can’t buy relocation sites with pledges

Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez on Thursday called on the national government to speed up the release of funds for the purchase of lands to be used for the relocation of residents affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda.

 

In a live phone patch interview with “News To Go,” Romualdez said that the city government has long been finished with the idenfication of lands suitable for construction of permanent houses in order to relocate residents affected by Yolanda, especially those who are still living in coastal areas or “danger zones”.

 

Inspite of this, Romualdez said, thousands of residents remained in relocation centers and bunk houses, as the city government waited for funds from the national government for the purchase of these idenfied lands.

 

“I can speak only for Tacloban. We have land available. That is not an issue. Maraming lupain dito sa Tacloban ang problema ay resources. Kasi siyempre yung mga may-ari ng lupa, hindi magbebenta ng lupa yan kung pangako lang yung katapat o kung sasabihin mo pledges,” Romualdez said.

 

“Pero kung dadating ka dun at babayaran mo yung lupa ng cash, e ibebenta nila yan. Pwede mo nang magamit. And as far as idenfication of those lands, na-indentify na yan. So, it's really getting the resources down in order to acquire land,” he added.

 

Romualdez said that while there was a continuous outpouring of support from the global community, the effort to acquire land must come from the national government.

 

“Pagdating naman sa mga global communities, mga international NGOs, marami sa kanila ay tumulong talaga sa pag gawa ng mga transitional at pati na rin mga permanent houses. Kaya lang ang problema, hindi naman sila authorized ng mga headquarters nila na bumili ng lupa, bawal sakanila na bumili ng lupa,” Romualdez said.

 

“So they (internationa organizations) are really leaving that to the government to purchase the land. Yung ibang NGOs sila na nga ang nagdedevelop ng lupa e,” he said.

 

After Yolanda devastated the Visayas region on November 8 last year, President Benigno Aquino III last week signed the masterplan to rehabilitate the affected areas.

 

Based on the P167.9-billion rehabilitation masterplan will focus on four areas: livelihood, resettlement, social services, and infrastructure.

 

The resettlement aspect of the rehabilitation plan would receive the biggest funding amounting P75.6 billion.

 

With the signing of the plan, Romualdez expressed hope that the relocation of the affected residents to permanent houses in safer areas would pick up pace early next year.

 

“So hopefully mas mapabilis ito by the next quarter of next year. Maganda rin na ngayon, may mga private sector na na pumasok sa pag-purchase ng lupa at sila na rin nagtayo ng bahay dun kaya mabilis naman,” he said.
 

Romualdez, however, said that he understand the great challenge that the national government is facing in terms of the resettlement aspect of the rehabilitation, especially as most of affected areas are really disaster-prone.

 

“Ang importante kasi talaga dito is not just to relocate them but to save their lives from future disasters,” he said.

 

Romualdez said that in Tacloban alone, there are total of 14,500 permanent houses for about 70,000 people that need to be constructed in safer areas.

 

“It's just like building a new municipality. Kailangan pagaralan yung drainage niyan, pag-aralan yung utilities diyan. Maraming kailangang ilagay diyan, hindi lang bahay. Kailangan maglalagay ng eskwelahan diyan, maglalagay ng market at mga ospital, government center. So kailangan talaga ng careful planning,” he said. —Elizabeth Marcelo/NB, GMA News