2 more condos eyed for Lorega

CEBU, Philippines -  Two more medium-rise buildings will soon be constructed at the old Lorega public cemetery for those families presently living in danger areas like creeks and beside the roads.

Each of them will only be required to pay monthly rentals for as low as P1,300.

National Housing Authority (NHA)-7 Project Manager Gavino Figuracion told the members of the Cebu City Council that the city can still use the P78 million available loan of the city from their office to finance the concerned housing project.

Collin Rosell, head of the City Hall’s Division for the Welfare of Urban Poor (DWUP), said the city will use the amount to build two medium-rise buildings right at the back of the existing medium-rise building that was constructed through the efforts of Cebu City north district Rep. Rachel “Cutie” del Mar.

Councilor Alvin Dizon, chairman of the City Council’s committee on housing, said they are amenable to the plan to use the P78 million loan for the construction of two medium-rise condominiums at the old Lorega Cemetery but his committee will still review the provisions in the proposal.

The proposal of NHA is that those who will choose to occupy the units in the upper floors of the building will pay lower rentals compared to those who will stay in the ground floor units.

Rental rates presented by Figuracion to the city legislators showed that during the first four years, those who will stay in rooms at the fourth floor will be required to pay only P1,300 every month.

Higher rates of monthly rentals will be imposed for those occupying lower floors like P2,000 for third floor occupants; P3,000 for those on the second floor and P5,000 for the ground floor occupants.

Those who will be accepted to avail the housing program should have a monthly income of at least P6,500 for those who wish to occupy in fourth floor; P10,000 for the third floor; P15,000 for the occupants in second floor and P25,000 for the ground floor.

Dizon said the requirement and the rental rates are too high and only a few of those families staying in the danger areas can qualify.

“Ato usa nga tun-an ang ilang proposal kay mora’g daku ra nga maglisud ang mga kabus pagbayad kon anha sila mo-estar sa lower floors. (We will study their proposal because their rates seem too high. This would make it difficult for the poor to pay if they choose the lower floors.) Dizon said.” —MIT (FREEMAN)