Palace “denies” Talisay’s request

CEBU, Philippines -  Approval of the financial assistance the Talisay City council is seeking from the Office of the President needed to build houses for the landless that live along rivers and foreshore areas looks hazy at the moment.

The Office of the President has returned a copy of a Sangguniang Panlungsod resolution that requests the President to allocate P17.636 million from the Informal Settler Families Fund for danger zone residents in the city. 

In a letter to Vice Mayor Alan Bucao, Deputy Executive Secretary Teofilo Pilando Jr. said the resolution must be directly transmitted to the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), which will be the one to evaluate and process, and not to the Office of the President. 

Also, the city failed to attach supporting documents for the request. 

Councilor Dennis Basillote, who is the chairman of the committee on shelter, urban poor and rural development, seeks P17.636 million from President Aquino for a housing program for the landless who live along rivers and foreshore areas.

In his proposed resolution, Basillote said the city has the most number of danger areas in Metro Cebu and has more than 20,000 informal settlers living along riverbanks and foreshore areas. 

Basillote said the city has already identified two areas, with a total land area of 13,136 square meters, that could serve as a future relocation site. 

These are the Nuñez property in barangay Tangke, which measures 7,034 sq. meters and priced at P1,900 per sq. meter, for a total of P13,364,600, and the National Housing Authority property in sitio Mananga 2, barangay Tabunok, measuring 6,102 sq. meters at P700 per sq. meter, or P4,271,400 in total value. 

Basillote said the city has no money at this time and is turning to the President for help.  (FREEMAN)