Solons act on housing backlog

Noting the inability of previous administrations to meet the country’s housing backlog of 4.5 million units, leaders of the House of Representatives are coordinating legislative-executive action to maximize "sleeping" resources to cure this social problem.

Rep. Prospero Nograles, chairman of the House committee on housing and urban development, got a standing order from Speaker Jose de Venecia to immediately call for a public hearing and invite all heads of the funding agencies to shed light on the issue of non-implementation of existing laws passed by Congress to support the financing needs of the shelter program.

"Government has no one to blame except itself for the housing backlog in the country. Congress has done its part in passing the necessary urgent legislation to address the housing needs of the homeless," said Nograles before officers of the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association of the Philippines (CREBA).

The Davao congressman suggested that "perhaps, President Arroyo would cure this malady" through an executive order to mobilize billions of pesos of unused agri-agra allocations from banks which shall be invested in low cost and socialized housing "but none of these funds have been utilized effectively."

In his meeting with De Venecia, Nograles reported that Congress has passed Republic Act Nos. 8282, 8291, 7835, 7742 and 8763, all centered on housing concerns.