After nearly four years of waiting, Cebu residents whose homes were destroyed by Supertyphoon Odette are finally receiving the long-delayed P10,000 emergency housing assistance from the National Housing Authority (NHA).
Governor Pamela Baricuatro welcomed the distribution, which officially began on Thursday, December 12, calling the aid a long-overdue relief for thousands of Cebuanos who endured years of uncertainty following the devastating December 2021 typhoon.
Baricuatro visited the Barangay Poblacion gymnasium in Carcar City, where the first batch of validated beneficiaries received their assistance under the NHA’s Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP).
“Nalipay kog dako nga nakab-ot na nato kini kay kabalo ko sa kasakit, kahago, ug paglaum nga gidala ninyo sulod sa pila ka tuig human sa Odette,” the governor said.
Under EHAP, each household whose home was totally or severely damaged by Odette is entitled to P10,000 to aid in rebuilding and recovery.
Carcar City became the first local government unit (LGU) in Cebu Province to roll out the assistance, with 5,787 beneficiaries validated and approved by the NHA.
The distribution was led by NHA-7 Regional Manager Hermes Jude Juntilo, together with officials from the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Office of Civil Defense (OCD).
The release marks a major breakthrough after a P742-million allocation for Cebu’s Odette victims was previously returned to the National Treasury due to unresolved disagreements between the NHA and the former provincial administration over distribution methods.
In a letter dated November 18, Baricuatro formally requested NHA General Manager Joeben Tai to reallocate the funds that had been withdrawn years earlier. Within days, Tai informed the governor that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. had ordered the release of the funds this December.
“Dili ni among kwarta. Kwarta ni sa katawhan. Ang among responsibilidad mao ang pagsiguro nga maabot kini ninyo,” Baricuatro said.
Records from the OCD show that more than 72,000 households across Cebu Province qualify for EHAP assistance, all of whom suffered total housing damage during Odette.
While NHA previously completed similar distributions in Mandaue and Lapu-Lapu cities, the provincial rollout had been stalled due to conflicting beneficiary lists and policy concerns. (SBA)
