By CESAR JOLITO III
While some families affected by Typhoon “Tino” have begun rebuilding their lives, hundreds of residents in Negros Occidental’s La Castellana town remain displaced more than a month after the storm, underscoring the scale of destruction and the long road to recovery in the municipality.
Mayor Anejo Nicor disclosed that 390 families are still staying in evacuation centers, most of them coming from no-build zones and therefore unable to return to their original communities.
As some evacuees are expected to celebrate Christmas in their homes, many families will spend the holidays inside temporary shelters.
Compounding the problem, 68 additional families affected by activity from Kanlaon Volcano and residing within the four-kilometer permanent danger zone are also still housed in evacuation centers, placing further strain on local resources.
Vice Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan earlier told the media that the P5 million recovery fund extended by the Office of the President will be primarily used to purchase land for a permanent relocation site for typhoon victims.
The local government is now prioritizing land acquisition to allow the construction of safer, long-term housing for displaced families.
On December 11, the local government, in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, distributed housing materials to 23 families in Barangay San Luis whose homes were totally destroyed by the typhoon.
The beneficiaries previously lived in areas now declared no-build zones due to high disaster risk.
The assistance, consisting mostly of light construction materials, is intended to help families put up temporary shelters while the government works on a permanent relocation plan.
Nicor said the initiative is a critical step to ensure that severely affected residents have safe shelter as they recover.
“This project is an essential step to ensure that the victims will have a place to stay while they recover from their losses,” Nicor said.
However, despite the initial distribution of aid, the displacement situation in La Castellana remains serious.
Meanwhile, Donato Sermeno III, director of the Office of Civil Defense in Negros Island Region, reported that evacuees affected by Typhoon “Tino” in other areas have already returned home, leaving La Castellana as the only locality where significant numbers of typhoon victims remain displaced.
Earlier, Sermeno identified the towns of Moises Padilla and La Castellana as the most affected local government units in Negros Occidental following “Tino’s” onslaught in November.
Sermeno said both towns suffered severe impact due to their geographical vulnerability, with flash floods causing major devastation to communities and infrastructure.
La Castellana town recorded 14 fatalities and 14 individuals missing./CJ, WDJ