ILOILO – Thirty-two families repeatedly exposed to flooding near the Batiano River in Oton town will be relocated to safer ground under a P40-million housing project that forms part of Iloilo Province’s climate-resilience efforts and the broader rehabilitation of the river.
The Iloilo Provincial Government on Tuesday, Sept. 22, broke ground for its “Purok Resilience” socialized and localized housing project on a 2.3-hectare property owned by the Oton municipal government in Barangay Botong.
Of the P40-million project cost, P14 million came from the Department of Social Welfare and Development’s (DSWD) KALAHI-CIDSS program.
The 32 beneficiaries are residents of communities near the Batiano River that are vulnerable to recurring flooding. They include 15 families from Barangay Poblacion North, 10 from Barangay Tagbak Sur and seven from Barangay San Antonio.
Gov. Arthur Defensor Jr. said the Purok Resilience Program is both a socialized housing initiative and a climate-change response aimed at permanently relocating families living in areas exposed to natural and other hazards.
Under the program, the provincial government, together with convergence partners, will develop housing units and lots or home lots, including the necessary site development and services, for beneficiaries qualified under Republic Act 7279, or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992.
Purok Resilience communities are envisioned as permanent resettlement areas for residents evacuated from hazard-prone locations. These may be established on land owned by the provincial government, donated properties or sites made available by program partners.
Defensor said the concept was partly prompted by the substantial amount government spends on evacuation centers, which can reach P35 million. Instead of repeatedly sheltering vulnerable residents during disasters, he said the province saw the opportunity to provide permanent homes away from danger zones.
The Oton development is the latest Purok Resilience project of the provincial government. The first was established in Barangay Nangka, Batad, benefiting 30 families.
Defensor said the provincial government would also seek partnerships with national government agencies to provide livelihood assistance to families relocated under the program.
Oton’s Mayor Sofronio Fusin welcomed the project, particularly because the beneficiaries have long been affected by recurring flooding.
“Wala lamang kita nagabutang sang pundasyon sang isa ka balay, kundi nagabutang kita sang pundasyon sang kaluwasan kag dignidad sang aton mga kasimanwa nga makaangkon sang maayo kag luwas nga ilistaran,” Fusin said.
Defensor and Fusin were joined at the groundbreaking by Vice Gov. Nathalie Ann Debuque, Provincial Administrator Raul Banias, Office of Civil Defense Region 6 director Raul Fernandez, representatives of national government agencies, beneficiaries, and provincial and municipal government employees.
The relocation of the 32 families comes as the government pursues the improvement and rehabilitation of the Batiano River under the Balik-Batiano River Development Project.
Under the Balik Batiano Program, the river is targeted for environmental regeneration using nature-based solutions, including the development of a nature park and riverside walkway, mangrove restoration, and measures to address pollution and solid waste.
The initiatives seek to combine housing, environmental protection and community development to establish safer, more resilient and sustainable communities along and around the Batiano River./PN
