• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The relocation site for Typhoon Tino victims in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental has been expanded from one to two hectares, Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo said on Friday, Feb. 13.
The two-hectare lot was donated by the Estate of Cecilia Garcia-Lopez to the municipality, the mayor said.
“It will accommodate more families whose houses were destroyed by the typhoon in November last year,” she added.
At present, 27 families are still occupying the municipal evacuation center.
The expansion is a key component of the town’s comprehensive rehabilitation initiative designed to ensure typhoon survivors have stable, secure spaces to restart their lives after the disaster’s devastating impact.
In addition to housing support, the local government is also in the process of addressing critical concerns over student mobility and safety.
Garcia-Yulo raised concerns about students from the remote barangays of Inolingan and Quintin Remo, who are attending school in the poblacion.
With the hanging footbridge no longer in place, students are forced to cross the river by boat, creating safety risks and daily inconvenience.
As reconstructing the hanging footbridge poses engineering challenges, the mayor said an immediate and practical solution would be opening Grade 7 and Grade 8 classes at the relocation site starting next school year.
“This will allow students from the affected barangays to attend school closer to home, eliminating the need to cross the river,” she added. | GB
