NAGA CITY---The government, through the Bicol River Basin Water Management Project (BRBWMP), has offered free lots, houses and cash to families to be displaced by the controversial P700-M dam project in Malaguico, Sipocot, Camarines Sur, a top executive said Tuesday.

        Assistant Secretary Tomasito B. Monzon, BRBWMP program director, revealed some 58 families out of the 86 families projected to be affected by the dam operation have accepted the offer of the government during a meeting held Feb. 9 at Ragay National Agricultural and Fisheries Schools (RNAFS).

        “The offer consisted of an 80-square meter lot with a core house for each of the affected family, which will be given to the recipient free of charge, including just and disturbance compensations and livelihood assistance,” Monzon said.

        BRBWMP operations manager, lawyer Ricky Tomotorgo, who presided the meeting, said the affected families voluntarily accepted the resettlement offer.

        Tomotorgo said the proposed resettlement site for the residents is a lot owned by the Altamarino family in Zone 3 of Lupi’s barangay Poblacion.

        “Although, we have identified as of now only 86 families who are qualified for relocation, the site is capable of accommodating up to 120 families,” Tomotorgo said.

        He said the National Housing Authority (NHA) Bicol office headed by Director Albert Perfecto will be in charge of land acquisition, site development, and construction of houses.

        Tomotorgo also said that field personnel of the BRBWMP Program Management Office (PMO) had finished last Feb. 13 the socio-economic survey of the affected families. The survey was intended to come up with an inventory of the houses and other properties of the affected families. The inventory will be the primary basis for the payment of just compensation.

        Meanwhile, Monzon, who is also the presidential assistant for Bicol, said the agreement reached in Ragay effectively resolved one of the issues against the Libmanan-Cabusao Dam.

        “We at PMO, NIA and other government agencies are doing our best to address other issues about the dam. Once they are resolved, I as program director of the BRBWMP would recommend to NIA Administrator Carlos Salazar the resumption of the dam construction.”

        During the meeting representatives of the 58 families who attended in RNAFS elected seven members to the board of directors who will comprise the homeowners’ association’s policy-making body.

        Elected were: Florezil Lirio; Nancy Alibuzo; Ramir Asma; Beth Ferreras; Francscio Velarde; Alipio Niem; and Rechilda Etorne. The group subsequently chose Lirio as the homeowners’ president.

        Lirio said the association’s first order of business is to seek official accreditation as a homeowners’ association from the Housing Land Use Regulatory Board to avail of all the benefits provided by law for re-settlers.