NHA, Pag-IBIG assisting in settling 93-1 lot issue

CEBU, Philippines - At least two shelter agencies of the national government will be taking care of the financing in the acquisition of the province-owned lots covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1 occupied by residents of Cebu City.

The Community Mortgage Program (CMP) of the National Housing Authority and the Home Mutual Development Fund, also known as Pag-IBIG, are being tapped by the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council to take care the financing of the beneficiaries that will lead to the resolution of 93-1 issue.

Officials of HUDCC, Pag-Ibig and NHA met Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday to discuss the socio-economic survey of the covered areas financed by the Office of Vice President Jejomar Binay who heads the HUDCC.

“We did so accomplish the survey and now we are equipped with good information on how to deal with the awardees and the families there on per lot and on per barangay basis,” said Chito Borromeo, a consultant of Binay.

The survey identifies who are those qualified for the CMP while those who belong above the threshold of poverty will be taken care by Pag-IBIG in their finances.

Teams were created to conduct the consultation targeting four barangays of Cebu City within the first quarter of this year. These are the barangays of Kalunasan, Capitol Site, Busay and Kamputhaw.

Borromeo said that the success in dealing with the four barangays could be the model in other areas.

He said that it is no longer difficult for them in these areas knowing that they have solid and registered community associations of residents.

Other barangays with the same issue are Apas, Lahug, Lorega, Mabolo and Tejero.

Last year, Binay proposed for Cebu City government to buy the land from the Province through the CMP with the NHA as program originator to address the long-running conflict over lots covered by Provincial Ordinance 93-1.

The NHA then conducted a socio-economic survey on more than 2,025 households that are actually occupying in province-owned lots in barangays Kalunasan, Busay, Capitol Site and Kamputhaw.

The report includes the actual profiling of the dwellers, whether or not they were original beneficiaries, absentee beneficiaries or informal settlers already occupying areas that had originally been intended for other persons named in the list of beneficiaries.

As Garcia has said, the NHA report would be the basis to “delineate those that may qualify under the socialized housing program or those who are just social.” (FREEMAN)