PH Army to buy land for quake victims’ temporary shelters

MANILA — The Philippine Army (PA) will acquire land where some temporary shelters, which will be used to house families rendered homeless by the series of earthquakes in Mindanao last month, will be constructed.

Funds for the measure amounting to PHP9,226,600 were from the portion of the November meal allowance donated by all Army troops.

PA chief, Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto formally handed the donation to 10th Infantry Division commander, Major General Jose Faustino, Jr. and Disaster Response Task Force head, Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Lavadia Jr. during short ceremonies at Army headquarters in Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City Thursday.

The initiative aims to provide decent temporary housing to displaced individuals currently staying in schools/evacuation centers. “In these trying times, we are in solidarity with the people of Mindanao.

“The funds donated will be used to purchase a lot and build one hundred homes where the evacuees can transfer to so that the children can use the schools,” Alberto said.

The money will be allotted to purchase an estimated 4.9 hectares of land and materials for the construction of “Kobe”-type houses.

Each house will cost around PHP50,000 and can accommodate seven persons.

On Tuesday, soldiers from the 534th Engineer Construction Battalion have already built a prototype of the temporary shelter.

The recent earthquake destroyed 60 percent of households in Makilala, North Cotabato.

Eight out of 38 barangays of the municipality were also declared as “no-build zones” and was recommended by the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau as uninhabitable while aftershocks are still recurring.

“Through our donations, we hope that these will somehow uplift the morale of the people. We urge everyone to extend whatever assistance they can in keeping with the Filipino ‘bayanihan’ spirit,” Alberto added.