Typhoon-hit Negros Occidental towns speed up relocation for displaced families

By Dolly Yasa

BACOLOD CITY — The towns of La Castellana and Moises Padilla in Negros Occidental are ramping up recovery and relocation efforts for residents displaced by Typhoon Tino, with hundreds still housed in evacuation centers weeks after the storm.

In Barangay San Luis, La Castellana, 23 families whose homes were completely destroyed received light construction materials on December 11 to help them build temporary shelters.

The affected households came from areas declared as no-build zones after being identified as hazard-prone by the municipal government.

The distribution was conducted by the local government in partnership with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), as part of a broader plan to establish a permanent relocation site.

“This project is an essential step to ensure that the victims will have a place to stay while they recover from their losses,” La Castellana Mayor Anejo Nicor said.

Vice Mayor Rhumyla Nicor-Mangilimutan earlier said that the PHP 5 million recovery fund provided by the Office of the President will primarily be used to purchase land for the relocation site.

Despite the ongoing support, 390 families remain in evacuation centers in La Castellana, with many coming from no-build zones. Some are expected to return home before the holidays.

Additionally, 68 families affected by volcanic activity from Mount Kanlaon—residing within the 4-kilometer danger zone—remain in evacuation sites in the town.

Office of Civil Defense–Negros Island Region (OCD-NIR) Director Donato Sermeno III confirmed that other towns affected by Typhoon Tino have completed decampment, leaving only La Castellana with active evacuees.

In neighboring Moises Padilla, Mayor Ella Celestina Garcia-Yulo announced that relatives of her family are donating land for the relocation of 362 families displaced by flooding.

Her uncle, Eric Golez, pledged an additional one hectare of land on top of a previous one-hectare donation made in honor of their late matriarch, Cecilia Montilla Garcia-Golez.

The offer was publicly announced during the town’s Christmas lighting ceremony and a gift-giving activity for typhoon victims held at the municipal hall.

Garcia-Yulo clarified that the relocation lots will be reserved for families who lost their homes and are willing to relocate, noting that some residents have already secured alternative housing.

According to the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office, 16 residents were confirmed dead and 15 remain missing as of December 4. Agricultural damage in Moises Padilla was pegged at PHP 61.9 million.

The mayor said financial assistance from the national government is expected, although the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and DHSUD have yet to release funds beyond the PHP 10 million already granted by the Office of the President.

Local officials committed to continue recovery efforts to ensure permanent resettlement and long-term rehabilitation for affected communities.