Sens ask DHSUD for Taal rehab plan

Senators Francis Tolentino and Ronald Dela Rosa are urging the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) to promptly create a sustainable resettlement and rehabilitation program for families displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption.

They filed Senate Resolution 297, calling on the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement to direct the DHSUD and other relevant agencies to develop this program.

Senator Tolentino emphasized the need to immediately address the suffering of affected families now that the Taal Volcano's alert level has been lowered from Level 4 to Level 3.

The resolution cites Republic Act No. 11201, which created the DHSUD, as mandating the agency to formulate frameworks for resilient housing and post-disaster recovery programs.

According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council, over 394,000 people were affected by the Taal Volcano's phreatic eruption on January 12, with some 137,000 taking temporary shelter in evacuation centers.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario had previously mentioned plans to relocate Taal-affected families to an 800-hectare resettlement site in Cavite, with approximately 22,000 new houses reportedly needed for Batangas residents.

The economic damages from the eruption were estimated at P7.6 billion, with agriculture and fisheries accounting for a significant portion of the losses.