Iligan eyeing steel company’s lands for flood victims’ relocation site

Violeta M. Gloria

December 29, 2011
5:32 am

ILIGAN CITY (MindaNews/28 Dec) – The city government of Iligan is eyeing to make use of lands owned by the National Steel Corporation (NSC) as relocation site for victims of the flood that damaged thousands of homes here.

Mayor Lawrence Cruz said the city government intends to purchase a 10-hectare property from the National Steel Corporation near the Sta. Elena area.

This, he said, will be realized through the procedure of dacion en pago, in exchange for the millions of pesos in taxes NSC owes the city government.

NSC used to be a government owned and controlled corporation, but later privatized and sold to Malaysian investors.

The city government is also considering six other properties, although “the city is giving weight to a relocation site that is near the city, has adequate potable water supply and would not require a huge fund in site development.”

Cruz also asked city government employees to help him find land for the evacuees’ relocation site.

The city government’s move to acquire the NSC land came as Social Welfare Secretary Dinky Soliman personally handed Cruz on Tuesday a check worth P242.13 million for the 3,459 families who lost their homes.

The amount will reportedly be used under the DSWD’s “core shelter program.[]

”

Consolidated information from the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (CDRRMC) said that there are now 18 evacuation centers from the 28 affected barangays.

According to the City Social Welfare and Development (CSWD) office, there are now 456 documented deaths because of the flashfloods caused by Typhoon Sendong.[]

Search MindaNews