Cebu City’s housing project up for turn over next month

CEBU, Philippines —  The five-storey socialized housing project of the Cebu City government in Barangay Lorega-San Miguel is already set for turn over next month.

The medium-rise residential building is built by Cebu Landmasters Incorporated at no cost to the city government through public-private partnership. It stands on a 1,350-square meter property owned by the city government.

CLI spent around P115 million for the project, which started in July last year as part of the real estate company’s compliance with the required Balanced Housing Development Program.

Private developers are mandated to spend a certain percentage of their capital expenditures for socialized housing projects.

Lawyer Janeses Ponce, head of the local housing board, said the project is expected to showcase Mayor Michael Rama’s approach to socialized housing.

“The project will showcase the approach of Mayor Mike Rama towards socialized housing…This will be the standard from hereon for the poorest of the poor in urban areas,” said Ponce.

Other possible areas to have a similar housing project include Barangays Ermita and Quiot.

Engineer Manny Sadayday of CLI said the project was designed to be a “green building, for greener Cebu City.”

 “This will be a green building. We will have a wall garden on the façade. When it comes to electrification, all common areas, like corridors and hallways, will be powered by solar panels,” Sadayday said.

The building will also have its own water source from a nearby deep well. At the same time, it will have its own sewage treatment plant.

It will have a total of 100 residential units with a gross floor area of 25 square meters each while the ground floor will have a multi-purpose hall as well as units for commercial spaces.

While the developer and its constructor are busy on the final stretch of the construction, the city government is also currently busy with the guidelines for the selection of beneficiaries that can avail of the housing project. They are doing this together with the Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor (DWUP).

The city government said it will prioritize the “poorest of the poor” and those who would be displaced as the City pursues clearing and recovery of easements of rivers and waterways.

“We also have to look into their willingness to comply with the requirements. Beneficiaries must also participate in character building, and livelihood trainings,” Ponce said. — FPL (FREEMAN)