Pablo survivors pick up the pieces in New Bataan [1]

From a report by Raffy Santos, ABS-CBN News | 12/20/2012 10:44 PM

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NEW BATAAN – Residents in New Bataan have started to rebuild their lives by working hand in hand to repair their homes and their community.

A group of neighbors started working early on Thursday to repair a house destroyed by Typhoon Pablo in Barangay Andap.

 “Lahat kami nagtulung-tulungan hanggang sa aming makakaya,” said barangay chairman Serge Nabasa.

Aside from their destroyed homes, residents are also faced with the problem of lost livelihoods.

On Thursday, the local government, the military and the United Nations held a meeting for the start of the cash for work program.

Under the program, residents are paid P250 for 4 hours of work, cleaning up the debris left by the storm and repairing roads, bridges, schools and homes.

Each family can earn a maximum of P1,000 per day, which the local government hopes will allow them to get back on their feet faster.

“’Yung mga biktima kailangan ng pera, kailangan din ng trabaho. Kung may pera na sila, mayroon na silang makakain,” said New Bataan Mayor Lorenzo Balbin.

But the ongoing repair work is currently hampered by occasional rains.

Based on the initial estimate of the local government, Typhoon Pablo caused a total of P150 million in infrastructure damage in New Bataan. -- ANC