by Miriam G. Desacada
Tacloban City–A total of 125 families in Northern Samar province receive housing materials donated by the Chinese Embassy in the Philippines during a ceremony held on Thursday (June 13) at Barangay Washington in Catarman.
Zhang Shuhao, chief of staff of the Chinese Consulate General in Cebu, handed over the donation to the beneficiary families, 110 of them from Barangay Tinowaran and 15 others from Barangay Washington, all in the capital town of Catarman.
Zhang was with Consul Mu Haixin, also from the Chinese Consulate General in Cebu.
Each of the packages of housing materials consisted of corrugated G.I. sheets and marine plywood sheets, which were intended to aid the post-recovery efforts of families whose houses were totally damaged by the shearline-induced flooding that hit the province late last year.
Barangay Captain Andres Balajadia Jr of Washington, and Brgy. Captain Fred Salazar of Tinowaran escorted the beneficiaries in receiving the donated materials for rebuilding or repairing their houses.
They were assisted by personnel of the Provincial Social Welfare and Development Office and its municipal extension office, and the Municipal Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office.
Catarman Vice Mayor Francisco Rosales Jr. welcomed the Chinese officials to the capital town and to Northern Samar province.
Governor Edwin Ongchuan, who was represented by Provincial Board Member Christian Emmanuel Uy, thanked the Chinese Embassy for its generosity in donating the housing materials, worth a total of P1 million.
The governor earlier requested the Chinese Consular Office for the assistance immediately after the widespread flooding that his Northern Samar last year.
Tinowaran is a low-lying barangay sitting along the Catarman River—a principal river in the province—which was worst hit by the massive flooding last year that destroyed many houses. —-Miriam G. Desacada