MANILA, Philippines – Planong gawing tirahan ng mga palaboy o walang tirahan ang mga lumang isolation facilities sa COVID-19.
Ito ang naiisip gawin ng Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) kung saan ayon kay Secretary Rex Gatchalian, mayroon lamang 76 residential care facilities “with varying mandates” ang nagbibigay ng matutuluyan para sa mga senior citizen at inabandonang bata.
Ang main facility sa Metro Manila na Fabella Center ay mayroon nang 300 hanggang 400 taong tumutuloy dito.
Upang mapalakas ang proteksyon sa mga pamilya na nasa kalsada, sinabi ni Gatchalian na nagpasimula rin ng outreach program ang ahensya sa Pasay City at planong palawakin pa sa ibang mga lungsod.
“We’ve realized that unfortunately, a lot of our kababayans are now living in street situation so we wanna make sure that we move them in our care facilities. But given the limited structures namin kasi we only have 76, we’re also working with other government agencies about using the old isolation facilities,” pagbabahagi ni Gatchalian kasabay ng confirmation hearing nito sa Senado nitong Martes, Mayo 16.
“We are currently talking to the Department of Tourism, we’ve also spoken to BCDA (Bases Conversion and Development Authority ) about borrowing these built isolation facilities as interim housing kasi the ultimate goal is to bring them back to their province or their origin,” sinabi pa niya.
Siniguro naman ni Gatchalian sa pamahalaan na sisiguruhing mayroong economic opportunities para sa mga uuwi ng probinsya, sa ilalim ng nagpapatuloy na programa.
Matatandaan na tinanong ni Senador Cynthia Villar kung ano nga ba ang programa ng pamahalaan para sa mga walang tirahan lalo na’t wala namang ginagawa ang mga lokal na opisina ng DSWD kaugnay nito.
“So what are the alternatives for a person like me who can’t stand those homeless people specially they are staying in our historical sites which are for tourists and they are living there and making their livelihood there. So what will we do?” tanong ni Villar.
“Like me a senator, I’m not part of the local. I always call the local but they fail to do something about this. Whom do I call in the national office?” RNT/JGC
