Housing now Bohol's biggest challenge after quake

MANILA -- Bohol 3rd District Representative Arthur Yap on Tuesday said housing is now the biggest challenge the province faces in the wake of the massive October 15 earthquake. In an interview with radio dzMM, Yap said about 10,000 homes in his district, which includes the towns of Carmen, Loay and Loboc, sustained partial damage. He said 1,800 other houses were totally destroyed in the magnitude 7.2 tremor. "Beyond the food packages and water distribution, which of course we're all very, very grateful for dahil kailangan po talaga ngayon yun, ang kailangan po talagang bigyan pansin yung mga nawalan ng bahay," Yap said. "Kasi 10,000 homes po. Sino po ang tutulong sa mga tao dun na kailangang ipagawa yung pader, yung kalahati ng bahay wasak? Pano po yung 1,800 na totally wala po? Yun po ang next challenge na haharapin namin, at siyempre umaasa po tayo na ang mga kababayan natin ay tutulungan po tayo," he added. Yap said the Bohol provincial government is coordinating with national agencies and the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) to provide housing for thousands of families still staying in evacuation centers. A total of 204 people died in the province of Bohol, according to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC). Thirteen others died in Cebu while one died in Siquijor. Meanwhile, eight people remain missing in Bohol. Damage caused by the earthquake was estimated at P2.2 billion.