US official notes slow rehabilitation of ‘ground zero’ in Zamboanga City

ZAMBOANGA CITY (ZNS) -  American Ambassador to the Philippines Philip Goldberg has noted what could be said is the slow rehabilitation of victims of the September War in Zambaonga between rebels of the Moro National LIebration Front (MNLF) and government forces deployed in the city last year.

Ambassador Goldberg said that there are still a lot of things that can be done for the victims of the conflict.

Thousands of victims forced out of their homes in Rio Hondo, Mariki, Sta. Catalina, Sta. Barbara and Kasanyangan by virtue of a Forced Evacuation Ordinance amid the fighting have not been able to return to their homes.

For one reason or the other, those forced out of their homes have been prevented from returning or to reconstruct their homes.

The fighting that last for at least a month from Sept 9 has forced out of these areas some 150,000 men , women and children. They are now staying in makeshift homes in evaction centers in the city.

The fighting has also caused the burning of over 10,000 homes by arsonists and the looting of their homes by unidentified persons.

Until two months ago, the government has finished the construction of some 40 homes in Sta. Catalina.

The war victims are being houses in at least a hundred bumkhouses that will be abandoned or possibly destroyed when permanent homes will be constructed for them in what is called “ground zero.”

Incidentally, it was recently discovered that at lest 52 concrete houses being constructed at Sta. Catalino were found to be made of defective mateirls , particularly hollow blocks.

To this day, authorities cannot pinpoint the blame for the construction of these defective houses.

It has not been decided on what to do with these defective houses which could easily crumble considering the defective structures, as whether to repair the houses or rebuild these structures anew.

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