SAN JOSE, Antique – The provincial government is set to relocate 39 families to complete the construction of the Malandog River bank’s slope protection.
Malandog River Rehabilitation and Development Project Management officer Ruth Martinez said they had been looking for a relocation site for families situated at the river banks and considered as informal settlers.
“We have difficulty looking for the relocation site that is also near the river because the families depend their livelihood on fishing,” said Martinez.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has allotted P24.6 million for the riverbank slope protection as part of the Malandog River Rehabilitation Project.
Martinez said informal settlers’ relocation will be conducted as soon as there will be an available site for the completion of the 221.6 lineal meter slope protection.
“DENR Secretary Cimatu had asked the provincial government to give priority to the relocation of the informal settlers who are considered as bottleneck to the project,” Martinez said.
Martinez noted the project contractor, ER Venzon Construction, has only reported a 40.05 percent accomplishment as of January 2019 due to conflicts with the informal settlers.
She said that last November when the contractor started their work, the provincial government was able to successfully negotiate with the first 27 families affected by the project to move out of the river banks.
“These 27 families are right now temporarily staying with their relatives while waiting for the relocation site,” said Martinez.
Around 66 families are waiting to be relocated and each will be given a proposed 60 square meter lot as relocation site, she added.
The slope protection is part of the Malandog River Rehabilitation and Development Project that aims to clean up and promote the historic river, where 10 Bornean datus first established their barangay. (With a report from PNA/PN)
