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| (Image Source: PAGCOR.ph) |
While the Taal Volcano continues to show signs of a possible phreatic eruption which will eventually endanger families displaced by its eruption last year, PAGCOR (Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation) has unveiled its newest charitable project which guarantees the safeguard living of the said families in the province of Batangas. Breaking ground in the towns of Lemery and Agoncillo last February 18 are the PAGCOR Villages, a brainchild of chairperson and chief executive officer Andrea Domingo, designed to provide permanent shelters to less privileged families displaced by the Taal Volcano eruption.
The PAGCOR Villages in Batangas will be built in the villages of Payapa Ilaya and Talaga in the municipality of Lemery and Brgy. San Jacinto in the town of Agoncillo which are up to fifteen kilometers away from the danger zone. Each village has a funding of Php30 million and its main features include 100 units of 30 square meter houses and an arc or signage standing at the entrance of the project site. The PAGCOR Village project, according to Domingo, came into fruition in order to provide concrete and long-term solutions for the townsfolk greatly affected by the Taal Volcano eruption, the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic and the series of typhoons barreling the province during last year's holiday season.
“When the Taal Volcano erupted in January 2020, we deployed volunteer Pagcor employees who immediately distributed food and non-food essentials to affected locals. However, the bigger problem was the loss of homes and properties of many families living in the towns surrounding the volcano. Now, in spite of the ongoing pandemic, we launched this program not only to provide permanent housing for Taal-affected families who have no means to rebuild their homes, but to also give them hope to rise above their situation,” she explained. Both Agoncillo Mayor Daniel Reyes and Lemery Mayor Eulalio Alilio thanked and expressed their sincerest gratitude to PAGCOR for their help in building a housing community for their towns' displaced constituents.
