A total of 189 families in Cortes that were displaced by the 7.2-magnitude earthquake that struck Bohol in 2013 remain without permanent homes three years after the calamity hit Bohol.

The quake victims who are from 14 different barangays in the town have reportedly not been given immediate attention causing them to remain at temporary shelters.

The regional office of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reportedly only approved the turnover of homes to two families due to delays in the transfer process.

Cortes Mayor Iven Lim through DYRD Balita expressed dismay that out of the 189 families only two are set to be provided homes by DSWD-7.

However, Lim is optimistic that the said families will soon be given decent and permanent housing.

Lim said that he has been spearheading an investigation on the continued non-approval of the other 187 families in DSWD’s list of beneficiaries.

The local executive noted that there had been minor problems in documents involving the validation of the quake victims’ applications, but these have since been resolved.

Housing for Cortes’ quake victims will be provided by the Geneva-based Based International Organization for Migration (IOM).

Lim is hoping that the construction of the houses for the evacuees would soon be completed so the families will be transferred to their homes amid the rainy season and the arrival of a possible string of storms. (Allen Doydora)