RESIDENTS from two Batangas towns who were displaced by the eruption of Taal Volcano four years ago now have the opportunity to rebuild their lives with the inauguration of two housing projects funded by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
The PAGCOR Village Housing projects in Balete and Taal were inaugurated on January 19 and 20, respectively, shortly after the fourth anniversary of the massive volcanic eruption on January 12, 2020.
The towns are among the six Batangas municipalities that each received P30 million in funding from the state gaming firm for the construction of permanent shelters for those who used to live in areas surrounding the volcano that have since been declared permanent danger zones by the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology.
The other recipients of the PAGCOR Village Project are the towns of Agoncillo, Lemery, San Nicolas, and Mataas na Kahoy.
Among the severely affected was the family of 32-year-old fisherman Alvin Cacao, a resident of Barangay Calawit in Balete town whose house was destroyed by the volcanic debris that rained down on their village.
More than four years later, Cacao could not believe he was holding the key to a new home they can call their own after the housing units were formally awarded to the selected recipients.
“We don’t know how to thank PAGCOR because not only did we receive a new home, we were also given the opportunity to start a new life and have new hope,” said the father of two.
Balete Mayor Wilson Maralit said the PAGCOR Village in their town took a little longer to finish since they encountered roadblocks during its planning stage because Barangay Solis was initially included in the list of villages within the 14-kilometer danger zone.
“We went through a lot before implementing this project for the people affected by the eruption of the Taal Volcano,” he shared.
“We did not expect PAGCOR to help us so that the victims of the aforementioned calamity can have a permanent and decent home, so we extend our sincere gratitude to the leadership of the agency,” he said.
Meanwhile, during the inauguration of the PAGCOR housing project in Taal on January 20, Mayor Fulgencio Mercado recalled how the eruption forced almost 80 percent of the town’s residents to rely on generous organizations for help and temporary shelter.
