Mayor Ella Garcia Yulo announced on Friday, Feb. 13, the expansion of the relocation site for families displaced by Typhoon Tino in Moises Padilla, Negros Occidental, from one hectare to two hectares.
The property has been donated by the estate of Cecilia Garcia Golez, she said.
This move allows the local government to accommodate a greater number of residents and provide enhanced housing support.
Garcia said the expansion is a cornerstone of the town’s ongoing rehabilitation efforts, aimed at ensuring that typhoon-impacted families have a safer, more secure environment in which to rebuild their lives.
Beyond housing, the mayor raised urgent concerns regarding students from Barangays Inolingan and Quintin Remo who currently commute to the poblacion for school.
Since the hanging footbridge was destroyed, these students are forced to cross the river by boat — a daily journey fraught with safety risks and inconvenience, she said.
Yulo explained that reconstructing the hanging footbridge is not a simple fix, it poses significant engineering challenges.
The project would require a higher, more suitable location and a reinforced foundation, a process that could take considerable time to finalize, she said.
As an immediate and practical alternative, the local government plans to open Grade 7 and Grade 8 classes directly at the relocation site by the start of the next school year, Yulo said.
By establishing these school facilities within the site, the government aims to eliminate the dangerous river crossing and ensure that education remains accessible as families continue their recovery from Typhoon Tino, she added.
Meanwhile, the P10 million fund from Malacañang that was downloaded by the provincial government, and the P10 million allocated by President Ferdinand Marcos for Moises Padilla will be distributed to residents whose houses were destroyed and damaged by Tino, Yulo said.
The amount will be on top of the funds to be allocated by the Department of Social Welfare and Development during the last week of February, she added.*
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