Army funds temporary shelters for Mindanao quake victims

funds temporary shelters for Mindanao quake victims

FORT BONIFACIO, Metro Manila – After collecting donations from every soldier’s two meal allowances, the Philippine Army (PA) officially turns over the collected amount which will be used to purchase land where temporary shelters will be constructed for the Mindanao earthquake victims here today, November 14.

Army Commanding General Lt. Gen. Macairog Alberto led the ceremony of handing over the donation to 10th Infantry Division Commander Maj. Gen. Jose Faustino, Jr. and Disaster Response Task Force Commander Brig. Gen. Rodolfo Lavadia Jr.

The initiative aims to provide support to internally displaced individuals currently staying in evacuation centers, which are mostly schools.

“In these trying times, we are in solidarity with the people of Mindanao. The funds donated will be used to purchase a lot and build one hundred homes where the evacuees can transfer to, so that the children can use the schools,” said Alberto.

The donation will be allotted to purchase an estimated 4.9 hectares of land and materials for the construction of Kobe-type houses. Each house will cost around P50,000 and can accommodate seven persons.

Last Tuesday, soldiers from the 534th Engineer Construction Battalion have already built a prototype of the said temporary shelter.

Sixty percent of the households in Makilala, North Cotabato were destroyed due to the earthquakes. Eight out of 38 barangays of the municipality were also declared as “no-build zones” and was recommended by the Philippine Institute for Volcanology and Seismology (PhilVocS) and the Mines Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as uninhabitable while aftershocks are still recurring.

“Through our donations, we hope that these will somehow uplift the morale of the people. We urge everyone to extend whatever assistance they can in keeping with the Filipino 'bayanihan' spirit,” Alberto added.#

funds temporary shelters for Mindanao quake victims 2

funds temporary shelters for Mindanao quake victims 3