More than ten years after Typhoon “Yolanda” ravaged their homes, residents of Pastrana, Leyte are finally set to receive new housing.
Pastrana Mayor Marites Cayaco-Marcos announced that construction of the “Yolanda” housing project in Pastranaville has resumed.
At the current pace, the project is anticipated to be finished by November or early December this year.
“This is long overdue,” said Marcos. “Many of our constituents whose homes were destroyed by ‘Yolanda’ are still living in makeshift shelters. They have not fully recovered from their losses.”
Marcos emphasized her commitment to resolving the issue since taking office in 2019, tirelessly appealing to the National Housing Authority (NHA) regional office to complete the housing project.
Construction was halted during the Covid-19 pandemic due to rising costs of materials and labor, which led to the previous contractor’s withdrawal.
To address the delay, Marcos requested that the NHA re-bid the project, as the original contractor could not continue.
The municipal government chose not to manage the funds themselves, opting instead to have the NHA oversee the construction directly.
“This housing project is crucial for many of our residents, especially those still living in high-risk flood-prone areas,” Marcos noted.
Due to increased costs, the number of houses has been reduced from the original 908 units to 794.
The local government unit (LGU) has completed the initial beneficiary list, which includes those whose homes were completely destroyed by Typhoon “Yolanda” as identified by the municipal social welfare office.
Additionally, 344 potential beneficiaries have been identified, including 138 families who occupied finished houses, 41 families in unfinished homes, 55 families approved in the first endorsement, and 120 families in the second endorsement.
Marcos added that these beneficiaries have participated in a pre-relocation orientation conducted by the NHA, which clarified that to qualify for the new homes, they must dismantle their current houses, particularly those in high-risk areas.
Pastrana, one of Leyte’s poorest and smallest municipalities, has a population of 19,359 according to the 2020 Census.
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