MARIBOJOC, Bohol - Survivors, whose dwellings remain in shattered state and remain in evacuation centers after the onslaught of magnitude 7.2 earthquake on Oct. 15, 2013, have assailed what they described as “subjective” the way the government is extending housing aid.  Temperature runs high on some of the town officials whose towns are earthquake hard hit when they learned the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) deleted some names of the list of the houses destroyed they submitted.  Maribojoc Vice-Mayor Fructuso Redulla of this town described the move as “irony.” He confirmed in an exclusive interview that there are those they listed but the agency crushed out their names because these people can afford or “well-off” to rebuild their damaged houses. He said he's one of those listed but was eased out and he did not know why. But he hastened to say that it doesn't matter for him if he was erased since he wanted that his constituents who badly need rehabilitation of their houses must be given priority of this help.

As this developed, Gov. Edgar Chatto came in rescue of his constituents in need. In his letter to DSWD, he asked DSWD secretary Dinky Soliman to loosen up the department's strict policy. “Family is not a recipient of any other housing assistance from any individual groups or agency, government on non-government for disaster in question,” the governor said.  He stressed that “To maximize our assistance to the victims of calamities in the case of Bohol, such as earthquake and Yolanda; to ensure fast and early recovery of the victims/survivors since houses/shelters are the most basic/primary need of every family; and so as not to discourage others benefactors/donors to extend assistance and/or other forms of help.”  National Housing Authority (NHA), another national government agency in-charge of housing, has already started extending financial assistance to the tune of more than PhP380 million to the priority towns badly damaged. This town has a share of PhP33.4 million, Redulla said.  DSWD is to finance a total of PhP939 million for 13,402 families whose dwellings were demolished totally by the tremor and PhP659 million for the partially damaged houses.  Redulla said that some 3,300 plus houses are needing either reconstruction of rehabilitated following the earthquake. (RVO)