-
ZAMBOANGA CITY (MindaNews/10 June) – More families displaced by the September 2013 standoff were transferred Monday from the evacuation centers to more comfortable although temporary shelters, an official said.
Assistant City Administrator Elmeir Apolinario said another batch of evacuees consisting of 47 families was transferred from the Zamboanga East Central School to temporary shelters in Sitio Masepla, Mampang.
Apolinario heads the temporary shelter cluster of the Zamboanga City Roadmap to Recovery and Reconstruction.
He said they have closed the evacuation center at the school with the transfer Monday of the 47 families.
Thousands of residents were displaced during the standoff in September 2013 between government forces and members of the Moro National Liberation Front loyal to founding chair Nur Misuari.
Apolinario said the latest transfer has brought the number of families being housed at the temporary shelter in Masepla to 181 since it was opened last May 14.
He said that as of Sunday (June 8) they had completed 26 of the 30 bunkhouses to be built in Masepla.
He added 12 of the 26 finished bunkhouses are ready for occupancy.
Ten of the 12 bunkhouses were constructed by the city government and the remaining two by the Department of Social Welfare and Development.
Apolinario said 720 families can be housed at the Masepla temporary site once all of the 30 bunkhouses are completed. The remaining four bunkhouses are set to be completed by Sunday, June 15.
He said they are making the necessary preparations to transfer the 200 families that are sheltered at the Talon-Talon National High School and Talon-Talon Elementary School to Masepla since the 12 bunkhouses ready for occupancy can accommodate 288 families. (MindaNews)
