The 23 remaining families evacuated from the Mount Kanlaon’s six-kilometer permanent danger zone will soon live in nipa huts, with the Bago city government’s plan to purchase “bahay kubo” as temporary shelters in the proposed tent city in Barangay Napoles.
Instead of camping the internally displaced persons (IDPs) inside evacuation centers or government buildings, the Bago government, through its City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC), decided to utilize the city’s over 2,000 square meters of land as temporary relocation area and possible “tent city”.
And instead of the usual modular tents, each family will get one modernized kubo, the design of which promotes natural ventilation and communal living, with a sense of privacy compared to where they are staying in right now, the city said Jan. 15.
The CDRRMC plans to purchase 200 nipa huts as part of the contingency plan should the volcano situation worsens.
Initially, for phase 1, some 50 nipa huts will be delivered to accommodate the 23 families currently staying at the Regional Evacuation Center at Crossing Ubay in Barangay Lag-asan.
The IDPs will be transferred temporarily to a place where they can live outside of the structured evacuation centers until they will be permanently relocated to one of the housing villages of the city government.
They will also undergo livelihood skills training so they can learn and make use of new skills for their daily needs.
The City Social Welfare and Development Office continues to assist and address the IDPs’ physical and mental needs, and expressed gratitude for the donations coming from government agencies, individuals, and organizations.
Water rationing by the Bago DRRMO also continues in upland barangays, while the border patrol of the local police remains at the entrance to the six-kilometer danger zone. ||
