Private lot eyed as housing site

CEBU, Philippines - Talisay City Councilor Doroteo Emit is asking Mayor Johnny De los Reyes to purchase the 4,465-square meter privately-owned property in Barangay Dumlog to serve as relocation site and proposed area for a housing project intended for the homeless residents.

The property is covered under Tax Declaration Nos. T-90694 and T-5665 declared under the name of Lalucha Rafols.

"The parcels of land have already been inspected and evaluated by the Local Housing Board Sub-Committee on Infrastructure and their viability was thoroughly looked into and showed a passing rate of 85 percent," Emit said.

Emit said that providing additional shelter and various housing projects is one of the priority programs of the present administration for the advancement, best interest, and general welfare of the homeless Talisaynons.

The city government every year allocates P50 million for lot purchases for its urban poor families, Emit said.

Based on the records of the Talisay City Local Housing Office, there are more than 16,000 families in the city who are landless. It was known that some of them are informal dwellers in private lots or in public domain, particularly along the coastal areas and riverbanks.

LHO head Lagrimas Abarquez said the city has a total of more than 20 relocation sites, city-owned or bought and developed for its landless and homeless constituents.

Abarquez said the biggest of these relocation sites is that in Barangay Maghaway, which was established in 1998. Sitio Oregano site, which has a total lot area of 5,712 square meters, is one of the first housing relocation areas of the city government.

About 219 off-site families are now living in that part of the upland barangay.

Meanwhile, Emit passed a resolution authorizing De los Reyes to enter into a contract for the sale and transfer of a parcel of land owned by the city government in Barangay Lawaan III in favor of Selma Crusher Homeowners Association.

Emit said the beneficiaries of the said housing sites have organized themselves into a non-stock, non-profit association under the name Selma Crusher Homeowner's Association and have applied for a loan under the Localized Community Mortgage Program with the Social Housing Finance Corporation, the City of Talisay as originator.

According to the process, the city enrolls the qualified housing beneficiaries to the LCMP, after whose approval, will then purchase the property from the owner and turn it over to the housing beneficiaries, who, in Talisay, are usually in groups of urban poor organizations.

The beneficiaries then pay the monthly amortization to the LCMP.

Emit said the contract's term is usually 25 to 30 years, with six percent interest added annually to the amount.

The monthly amortization is cheap ranging from P120, P400 or above, depending on the lot area. This means the beneficiaries, who may be trisikad drivers or construction workers, can pay. In turn, because of the payment, more lots can be purchased for the next beneficiaries.

Emit said the city government is the only LGU in Cebu that has an established and functional Localized Community Mortgage Program, a project that makes owning an affordable and decent home a reality for the urban poor.