Housing czar leads groundbreaking for new Batangas evac center

The housing czar spearheaded the groundbreaking ceremony.

Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario on Monday fulfilled his promise of establishing a new evacuation center for the municipalities of Batangas affected by the Taal Volcano eruption early last year.

The housing czar spearheaded the signing of the memorandum of agreement and groundbreaking ceremony for the construction of an evacuation center in the municipality of Mataasnakahoy, less than two months after the finalization of the Taal Commitment Agreement between DHSUD and the 15 affected municipalities.

Under the agreement signed in April, DHSUD will provide financial assistance for the construction of three strategically placed evacuation sites in Batangas through the utilization of the incentivized compliance of developers to balanced housing program.

Del Rosario lauded the efforts and coordination of the 15 Batangas LGUs, particularly the municipality of Mataasnakahoy for its relentless and swift efforts in allotting a property where an evacuation center will be built.

Next month, another MOA is most likely to be sealed, this time for the construction of resettlement sites also in Mataasnakahoy for families affected by the 2020 Taal eruption.

The town was selected following DHSUD Regional Office 4A’s intensive assessment that deemed Mataasnakahoy as a suitable site for one of the three evacuation centers. A second such facility is likewise slated to be built in the municipality of Sta. Teresita while the area in which the third evacuation center will be erected is still being determined.

Also gracing the event were DHSUD Regional Office 4A Director Atty. Jann Roby Otero, Assistant Regional Director Atty. Felix Brazil and DHSUD Housing and Real Estate Development Regulation Bureau OIC-Director Atty. Angel Aguila.

Batangas Third District Rep. Ma. Theresa Collantes, Mataasnakahoy Mayor Janet Ilagan and Vice Mayor Jay Ilagan likewise graced the key event. Rep. Collantes, in her message, thanked the Duterte administration through DHSUD for looking after the welfare of Batanguenos affected by last year’s disaster.

She likewise assured Del Rosario that the government’s efforts will not go to waste and that the province will always be thankful for this project. Mayor Ilagan, for her part, stressed that the soon-to-be-constructed evacuation center will play a crucial role in boosting their municipality’s disaster-preparedness program.

“This (facility) is a great help to our constituents to improve the housing conditions of informal settlers affected by calamities,” she noted.