Tacloban defers eviction of homes in danger zones

An official of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) yesterday hailed the city government of Tacloban in Leyte for postponing the eviction of 3,000 families living in danger zones.Fr. Edu Gariguez, executive secretary of the CBCP’s National Secretariat for Social Action said the city council issued a resolution deferring the eviction set on July 1 until permanent shelters are available.Gariguez cited a recent dialogue between community leaders and Mayor Alfred Romualdez, who promised that there would be no forced eviction of 3,000 families.Romualdez told residents of coastal villages that the city government would only be implementing voluntary transfer for those who wish to avail themselves of the 200 temporary housing units in the northern barangays.The city government, through the National Housing Authority is planning to built more than 14,000 permanent housing units in the northern part of Tacloban.Of the units, 3,000 to 5,000 houses will be completed before the year ends