Resettlers in Pampanga: Are they finally settled?
Pampanga. the hardest hit province during the catastrophic 1991 Mount Pinatubo eruption. has remained the fragile center/area constantly threatened by the recurrence of lahar flows. This situation has forced many people to leave their
homes and seek refuge in resettlement areas - the most immediate solution to their problem. Mount Pinatubo Commission. Government Agencies and Non-Government Organizations have in fact established 19 resettlement sites to accommodate the victims.
The process of relocating such displaced population of Pampanga is definitely difficult and costly. To grapple with the reality of complex human needs and nature is inevitable. Now that a great number of victims are resettled. several questions relative to the current stains of both resettlerrs and their sites may still linger in the minds of many. A significant concern may be posed: Are the resettlers finally settled?
This research project entitled "Resettlement System in Pampanga" is a rich data source to address the question at hand. It aims to provide both an extensive and an intensive description of each resettlement site, particularly the resettlers' profile (socio-demographic aspects. livelihood and individual household characteristics) and their satisfaction level (to be derived from the data regarding the resettlers' "quality of life" before and after resettlement). In addition. the study also evaluates the economic viability and "total, quality management" of each sites.
A closer rook into' the condition/situation of both the resettlers and their sites can be of productive consequence. For one thing. through the available data, insights may be drawn relative 10 the assessment of the resettlement projects, at least in Pampanga. Major concerns. therefore. including the question previously posed may be dealt with accordingly. For another. conventional answers. particularly by government agencies. which do not really provide exact solutions to problems
being encountered in the sites may be re-evaluated. assuming accuracy of the general data and soundness of the analytical framework being followed. Finally. disaster management practice may also be improved as facts and figures gathered can be used to generate systematic and coordinated response among concerned agencies and individual.
The project highlights the strengths and weaknesses of the resettlement program in Pampanga From which policy recommendations regarding resettlement planning may be drawn.
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