Housing project hailed

President Arroyo lauded yesterday the efforts of five government agencies as they joined hands in building in Tanay, Rizal an initial 5,000 housing units over the next five years for low-incomed state workers as part of government efforts to provide decent homes for the poor.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Heherson Alvarez, whose agency leads the implementation of the project, said the construction of the 130-hectare "Garden Cottages Housing Project" in Barangay Cuyambay has already started.

This developed as Alvarez vowed to identify an additional 100 hectares more to expand the housing project "until even low-salaried government employees can have their own homes."

The project is in partnership with the Department of Transportation and Communications, Interior and Local Government, National Defense, and the Department of Education which will share the initial 5,000 housing units with 1,000 units per department. During the event, the President raffled-off two housing units for free to employees of the five departments.