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Mulino adds 1,400 quake homes, plan hits 2,700

President José Raúl Mulino said on Tuesday 27 October that he ordered 1,400 additional homes for families left homeless by the 9 October earthquake, on top of 1,300 already under construction. That lifts the rebuild plan to about 2,700 houses in Coclé, Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos. Temporary structures will go up beside the permanent builds while work continues, and Housing Minister Jaime Jované said more contractors are being added so the plan can reach more corregimientos. Outlets put the finish target in March 2027, and said the total may rise as damage inspections continue (La Prensa 27 Oct; Telemetro 28 Oct; La Estrella 27 Oct).

What the Cabinet package adds

  • Scale: 1,300 already started + 1,400 newly ordered ≈ 2,700 homes (La Prensa; Telemetro; La Estrella for the ~2,700 total).
  • Geography: four contingency provinces, Coclé, Veraguas, Herrera and Los Santos (La Prensa; Telemetro).
  • Timing: Telemetro says the aim is to finish some units in the rest of 2026 and hand over the last keys in March 2027. La Estrella says the plan projects finishing more than 2,700 homes by March 2027. La Prensa quotes Jované on finishing "más de 2,000" homes by March 2027 while also reporting the 2,700 plan may grow with inspections. All three attributions are kept; none is treated as a hard statutory deadline.
  • Temporary shelter: structures next to the permanent sites while families wait (Mulino via La Prensa; Telemetro; La Estrella).
  • Financing: Cabinet moved to let the Banco Nacional de Panamá and Caja de Ahorros fideicomisos finance contractors. La Estrella ties the change to project of Resolution 147-26 modifying Cabinet Resolution 108 of 10 October 2026, with up to $100 million from MEF for special emergency contracts. La Prensa quotes BNP manager Javier Carrizo on a Contraloría-MEF-BNP working table to cut paperwork (La Estrella; La Prensa).
  • Isla Cañas: authorities contemplate relocating residents to the mainland for safety (La Estrella).
  • Labour note: Mitradel Mi Primer Empleo youth to join rebuild work (Telemetro; La Estrella).

Damage tallies still moving

  • La Prensa, from the 27 October Cabinet briefing: more than 13,000 homes evaluated nationwide; 44,885 people registered through EDAN; two dead and 27 injured.
  • Infobae, 28 October, citing Sinaproc: 16,302 homes evaluated; 52,874 people registered through EDAN; same 2 dead / 27 injured; also 619 schools and 120 health sites affected, and 4,501 people in 141 shelters.
  • Both day-stamped tallies are reported. Sinaproc Comunicado Oficial #23 (27 Oct) backs the La Prensa Cabinet-day band (13,681 homes / 44,885 people). Comunicado Oficial #24 (28 Oct, cut-off 27 Oct 9:00 p.m.) backs the Infobae figures (16,302 / 52,874, plus 4,501 people in 141 shelters). Sinaproc says figures remain preliminary. Comunicado Oficial #12 on sinaproc.gob.pa is dated 14 October and carries older EDAN numbers, so it is not used for these late-October tallies.

What it means for expats

  • If you own, rent or host family in the four central provinces, this is a scale-up of the public rebuild lane, not an automatic private-insurance payout. Owner-occupied and rental repairs still run through your insurer, MIVIOT evaluation channels and local permits.
  • Red/yellow-tagged homes: temporary structures are for families in the public rebuild track beside permanent builds. Do not assume a government cabin appears on every cracked lot.
  • Isla Cañas readers: a mainland relocation is on the contingency table per La Estrella; treat it as planned, not as a completed move.
  • Contractors and suppliers: fideicomiso rules are being tweaked to pay against work progress. Expect more jobs and more truck traffic in Azuero through early 2027 if the March target holds.
  • EDAN numbers are still climbing between briefings. Use the dual figures above; do not freeze one total as final.

Sources

  • Sinaproc - Comunicado Oficial #23 - 27 Oct 2026
  • Sinaproc - Comunicado Oficial #24 - 28 Oct 2026
  • La Prensa - Government orders 1,400 more homes for earthquake victims - 27 Oct 2026
  • Telemetro - Mulino announces 1,400 additional homes for quake-hit families - 28 Oct 2026
  • La Estrella - Mulino to finance 2,700 homes after the quake and relocate Isla Cañas residents - 27 Oct 2026
  • Infobae - Quake: more than 16,300 homes evaluated and 52,874 people registered - 28 Oct 2026