Guiuan, Eastern Samar – A day after Typhoon Yolanda hit this town, couple Teresita and Gabino Bitwaran knew that they have to start from scratch again.

The home they both worked hard for to build had been destroyed in just a flick of a finger.

Teresita, 63, a retired teacher, still gets emotional upon reminiscing how their once secure house in Brgy. Alingarog was torn down by strong winds.

Gabino, on the other hand, cannot hide his frustration. However, as the head of the family, he has to lead his family in moving forward.

New roof

Gabino’s first step was to  rebuild their home.

With some of their savings, he prioritized to buy eight galvanized iron sheets to secure their bedroom.

For the other parts, Gabino used the old sheets that are still in good condition and the tarpaulins given to them as part of the relief goods distributed in their barangay.

Despite the couple’s eagerness to rebuild their home, they do not have enough funds to buy all their needed materials.

Construction materials from DSWD, DOE

To help homeless families like the Bitwarans, the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) and the Department of Energy (DOE) are distributing galvanized iron (GI) sheets which they can use to repair their houses.

Initial recipients are those from this town and Tanauan, Leyte. They were identified through an assessment conducted by the DSWD.

To date, some 2,154 GI sheets have been distributed to 132 households here while 9,270 pieces were given to 585 families in Tanauan.

“These materials are a great help to us,” the Bitwaran couple expressed after receiving 20 GI sheets.

The DSWD and DOE will be distributing a total of 75,000 pieces of 3×9 GI sheets to qualified households.  ###