An additional 92 families, displaced by tropical storm “Sendong” on Dec. 17, 2011, have something to look forward to next year when the Catholic Church and the Dumaguete City government start the second phase of the joint project to provide them with low-cost shelter.

However, the city government may lose the financial assistance from the Church in case of delays in the procurement of land for the other “Sendong” victims, finance officer Cynthia Perez of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines-National Secretariat for Social Action, said.

The 92 housing units form part of the 150 emergency shelters promised by the CBCP-NASSA to the city government for typhoon victims if the latter paid for the lot as its counterpart as stipulated in the memorandum of agreement between them early this year.

The first 58 housing units in the Caritas Village Shelter project were completed last month in the 500-hectare lot provided by the city in Brgy. Bajumpandan, Dumaguete.

On the first anniversary of “Sendong” Monday, city officials, the Diocese of Dumaguete-Social Action Center, and the CBCP-NASSA broke ground for the second phase of the project, but in another purok in Bajumpandan.

Perez said she hopes the city government will act faster to acquire the lot as NASSA is now determining which areas will be given priority in funding.

The land that is for sale is around four hectares and is still covered by a mother title. The Church needs just one hectare for the additional housing units, she said.

Meanwhile, the housing beneficiaries presented songs and dances and participated in parlor games after the thanksgiving mass that commemorated the first anniversary of “Sendong” in Dumaguete.

A fellowship dinner followed, with members of the Social Action Team of the Diocese of Dumaguete leading the program and rice, noodles and white gifts were distributed to the typhoon victims.*JFP

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