By: Vanessa Bugtong
Seven years after the onslaught of Super Typhoon Ompong, hundreds of families in Itogon, Benguet are still waiting to be relocated to safer grounds.
For 74-year-old Mildred Fianza, memories of that devastating storm in 2018 remain vivid.
She recalls how the powerful typhoon destroyed parts of their community and forced many of their neighbors to leave their homes due to landslides.
“Sometimes the roads become impassable, especially when the rains are strong,” Fianza said, describing the recurring landslides in their area in Barangay Tinongdan.
According to Itogon Mayor Bernard Waclin, more than 100 families were initially identified for relocation following the typhoon.
However, due to the impact of succeeding storms over the years, the number has tripled.
“The number of affected families kept increasing,” Mayor Waclin said. “But we’ve already purchased land in Anteg and Loacan for the relocation project.”
Despite the land acquisition, the project remains on hold.
Waclin explained that the local government is still waiting for the formal land title declaration from Malacañang before construction can proceed.
“When we began the process, I wasn’t yet the mayor,” he said. “The land had already been surveyed and endorsed by the DENR. We even secured permission for tree cutting. But then former House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez came forward, claiming ownership of the 19-hectare property.”
The relocation site has reportedly been approved by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and the National Housing Authority (NHA).
“The plan is ready; we’re just waiting for clearance from Alvarez,” Waclin added.
Meanwhile, Antonette Anaban, Regional Director of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD)–Cordillera Administrative Region, said the project has faced additional delays due to the area’s topography.
“This has been ongoing since the term of former Mayor Victorio Palangdan,” she said. “The terrain poses real challenges for relocation.”
Officials are hopeful that by next month, they can meet with former Speaker Alvarez to finalize the issue over the 3.7-hectare land intended for relocation.
At the same time, the local government is processing documents for an additional two hectares of land located between Barangays Tuding and Ucab, also in Itogon.
For now, residents like Fianza can only wait, still living in the same vulnerable area where Typhoon Ompong once left a trail of destruction seven years ago.
