Mandaue housing plan gets Binay's thumbs up

CEBU, Philippines - Being a model local government unit that implements housing projects for the poor, Mandaue City yesterday earned positive remarks from Vice President Jejomar Binay who also heads the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDDC).

With its aim to take households out of danger zones, the city, with support of other stakeholders, has spearheaded a program that is set to benefit around 1,200 residents living near the riverbanks.

As HUDDC chairman, Binay hopes to coordinate the activities of government housing agencies and accomplish the government's National Shelter Programme. He also assists the private sector in all aspects of  housing and urban development.

"There is a need to expedite processes to secure lands where we can have a decent safe and resilient housing for all especially for the urban poor," Binay said.

In his short speech yesterday, Binay lauded Mayor Jonas Cortes for uniting all sectors involved in the materialization of all the socialized housing projects in the city.

"Makulit nga ito. Follow-up ng follow-up. Bigay ng bigay kami ng update. Sabi ko nga kanina nahihirapan pa kaming aprubahan 'to (Mandaue City has been persistent; they have been following us up. We [at HUDDC] have also been giving them updates)," Binay said, adding that he eventually approved the city's request after all documents were in place.

Binay, along with representatives from World Bank, The Asian Coalition for Housing Right and seven other Metro Manila cities, witnessed the signing of a memorandum of agreement between the city government and the Social Housing Finance Corporation.

The SHFC in its website said it is the lead government agency that undertakes social housing programs that will cater to the formal and informal sectors in the low-income bracket and shall take charge of developing and administering social housing program schemes.

The signing was held at the Oakridge Pavilion in Barangay Banilad, Mandaue City.

Both Cortes and Maria Ana Oliveros, SHFC president, signed the MOA that aims to strengthen the relationship and partnership between the two quarters.

The 6.5-hectare relocation site in Barangay Paknaan costs P120 million. However, beneficiaries were already able to pay the initial amount of P22 million after each of them received their P17,000 in financial assistance from the city government which they used as downpayment for the said lot.

For the beneficiaries to complete their payment to Lua, they loaned from SHFC an amount of P98 million which they will pay in a span of 25 years with an interest fixed at 6 percent per annum.

Yesterday, SHFC awarded a P44-million check as initial payment to lot owner Dennis Lua through his sister Amalia Lua.

The balance will be paid by SHFC once the lot titles will have been transferred in the name of  the beneficiaries. (FREEMAN)