DAVAO City, December 17 (DSWD) The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in partnership with the provincial governments of Davao Oriental and Compostela Valley is now ready to turnover some 1266 permanent units to families that lost their homes to Typhoon Pablo last December 2012.

Priscilla N. Razon, DSWD Regional Director said, “Under the Modified Shelter Assistance Program (MSAP), we have been building permanent houses in the municipalities of Baganga, Boston and Cateel in Davao Oriental, and in Compostela, New Bataan, Monkayo, Montevista and Laak in Compostela Valley. To date, we have constructed 742 units in Davao Oriental and 524 in ComVal.”

“Today, the DSWD and Davao Oriental Province led by Gov. Cora Malanyaon will initially award Titles and Certificates of Occupancy to 53 families in the newly-created Better Living Village in Barangay Madre De Cacao, Poblacion Cateel. Turnover of housing units in other areas will eventually follow within this month,” Director Razon said.

Earlier, at the December 4 commemoration of Tropical Storm Pablo, Governor Corazon N. Malanyaon told an audience of thousands in the three towns still recovering from the devastating storm, “One year seemed too short to regain some semblance of normalcy and healing from our Pablo experience,   yet, we have done and achieved so much.  But all these would not have been possible without the unstinting and dedicated support of our partner agencies, both national and international, government and private.”

The governor lauded the quick response of the Philippine Army, DSWD, together with humanitarian organizations in working with the provincial government in the efficient delivery of relief goods to the affected areas up to the remotest villages. (DSWD/PIO DAVOR)