The Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council, Executive Yuan, Kaohsiung County Government, and Tsu Chi Foundation held the Move In Ceremony today (the 11th) at the Kaohsiung County Shanglin Township Da Ai Community. The President, Premier Wu Den-Yih of the Executive Yuan, Legislative Yuan Chairman Wang, Jin-Pyng, and relevant ministers and representatives attended this event together to celebrate the first residents official moving into permanent housing to start a new life.

Starting from 2 pm today, the Da Ai Village was lively. There are charity haircuts, a free clinic, Chinese New Year scroll writing, a tribal arts and cultural products exhibition, as well as a series of events. In addition to his speech, Dharma Master Cheng Yen also offered her blessings and well wishes via video, hoping the residents will wave away their pain and loss of loved ones and homes soon, and wishing that the disaster affected villagers will be able to enjoy family reunions and the joy of celebrating the New Year, so that future generations will grow in this environment by combining humanitarian care, industrial growth, artistic recreation and education.

The Da Ai Community staged three hundred tables, with about 3 thousand people sharing vegetarian meals prepared by volunteers. At the banquet, guests were invited to pound rice in celebration of the rice harvest. The festivity was interspersed with indigenous cultural performances, and finally by Han Chinese representatives and representatives of the Bunun Tribe who came to the stage to share their thoughts after the disaster. They also thanked the relevant government units and the assistance of Tsu Chi volunteers, and the atmosphere was warm and moving.

The Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council pointed out that the Legislative Yuan took only 20 days after the disaster to pass the Special Act for Reconstruction. Ninety-four days after the disaster, the special budget was passed, and six months after the disaster, the Government post-disaster reconstrction team and NGO already completed the first phase of permanent housing. Such administrative efficiency is unprecedented . Taking Tzu Chi Yuemei Farm Permanent Housing Base in Kaohsiung County as an example, the 59 hectares of land for resettlement took only 52 days to come into being from delivery of documents by the applicant to obtain building permits, whereas the Shanglin Da Ai Permanent Housing is the largest and fastest progressing case in Taiwan with the largest number of settled residents. This process offers a reestablishment model and audit mechanism that can serve as an important reference for other cities and counties in reconstruction.

The Morakot Post-Disaster Reconstruction Council also said that the construction of permanent housing in all cities and counties totaled 2,396 houses. Others such as the Kaohsiung County Wulipu Xiaolin Village Base will have another 90 permanent homes; Pingtung County’s Majia Farm base will also have another 540 permanent houses under construction soon. All permanent housing is scheduled for completion by July 31. This shows the government’s concern, as well as its commitment to care for disaster victims.

The move in ceremony concluded at about 18:30. May the residents who lost their homes say goodbye to sadness and start a new life in their new homes, and begin a new chapter in life.