Cabinet Secretary Karlo Nograles, together with National Housing Authority (NHA) and LGU officials, led the turnover of Yolanda housing units in Eastern Samar last April 28, 2021 as part of the Duterte administration’s commitment to complete and distribute all promised housing units to beneficiaries in affected areas.
The virtual turnover of 949 houses was for the Mont Peak Estate, Brgy. San Isidro, Lawaan, Eastern Samar location under the Yolanda Permanent Housing Project in Central Visayas.
Since assuming the chairmanship of the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Unified Implementation and Monitoring of Rehabilitation and Recovery Projects and Programs in Yolanda-affected Areas, Nograles has turned over 20,141 units to different cities and municipalities in Region 8.
Housing recipients include the following areas: Carigara, Leyte (2,285 units), Inopacan, Leyte (133 units), Tacloban City (8,046 units), Ormoc City (1,419 units), Biliran, Biliran (1,265 units), Cabucgayan, Biliran (258 units), Almeria, Biliran (929 units), Burauen, Leyte (187 units), Baybay, Leyte (356 units), MacArthur, Leyte (112 units), Sta. Fe, Leyte (500 units), Basey, Samar (1,000 units), Guiuan, Eastern Samar (610 units), Mercedes, Eastern Samar (139 units), Gen. MacArthur, Eastern Samar (234 units), Quinapondan, Eastern Samar (623 units), Balangiga, Eastern Samar (383 units), Hernani, Eastern Samar (713 units), plus the latest one in Lawaan, Eastern Samar (949 units).
Nograles praised the NHA leadership and local government officials for their dedication in ensuring the project’s timely completion and turn over despite the various logistical and scheduling challenges brought by the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
“We give special thanks to NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr., Regional Manager Dodong Antiniero, and other officials and staff of NHA Region 8 whose dedication made this turnover possible,” the Cab Sec remarked.
The Malacañang official likewise made mention of the crucial support from Mayor Athene Mendros, Vice Mayor Ravi Inciso, members of the Sangguniang Bayan and employees of Lawaan LGU.
Nograles, who chairs the administration’s Task Force Zero Hunger, noted that “through our partnership with Pilpinas Kontra Gutom which is composed of various private corporations, we will create community gardens from idle lands so that the people of Santa Fe can grow nutritious food for consumption and commerce.“
This effort, the Cab Sec stated, was in line with his advocacy to combat hunger and poverty, especially in Yolanda-affected areas, further stressing that “kailangan natin magtulungan; we need to cooperate and coordinate with stakeholders in this important battle against hunger and malnutrition, particularly among our children.”
Mayor Mendros, for her part, spoke on behalf of the LGU and thanked the President, Nograles and the NHA for “this precious gift of housing that our consttuents, our LGU leaders and personnel will never forget. We will work hard to deserve this blessing from our government, which never stops to address the needs of the people, even here in the countryside in Eastern Samar.
