Tent City Residents No More!
By: John Alimorong
After four months from the kick off ceremony last March 2010 of the Transitional Shelter program of the Philippine National Red Cross and the Local Government Unit of Rosales, significant progress had been made. Decent shelters are provided for to them as they contribute sweat equity to realize their new homes.
To date some 100 shelters stood by the 1.8 hectares municipal property in Barangay Balincannaway . Some of these however are in the process of construction, to be precise some 52 houses are already completed and the new residents are presently transferring. As registered, some 42 families are already living on the site. Their children have recently also transferred to Balincannaway Elementary School from the San Pedro West E.S. As a new village emerges from the area, the MENRO Officer, Mr. Arnulfo Go has instructed a regular garbage collection on the area to promote hygiene and cleanliness.
Moreover aside from the shelter program, the PNRC and the LGU seek to empower the beneficiaries with new skills as a possible source of their livelihood. This will come however after the land been fully occupied. But for the moment some relief goods (food items) are lined to be distributed to the beneficiaries to alleviate somehow their plight.
On another note, the PNRC committed its willingness to pursue the construction of 300 more transitional shelters on a different site. This will be on the municipal lot in Barangay San Pedro West where the Tent City stood before. This will finally be the answer to the needed relocation of the settlers along the Agno River dike to put an end on the hazards they face during the rainy season.
