Baseco families rebuild homes

Within one month, the 1,500 families displaced by the fire at Barangay Bagong Lupa at the Baseco Compound in Tondo will finally realize their dream — a house and lot of their own.

This was bared by Manila Mayor Lito Atienza during a dialogue with the fire victims at the area yesterday as he announced that each family would receive P15,000 from the city government as seed money for the building of their dwellings.

The City Engineer’s Office has finished building the network of asphalt roads and lot assignments were handed out today to each of the beneficiaries.

"With the help of the government, you would now be building your own homes," Atienza told the beneficiaries as he explained that the building of the dwellings would be done through the Bayanihan system.

He also announced that by next week, the first 100 families could start building their homes, with those temporarily sheltered at the public school in the area to be prioritized so that it could be readied for the opening of classes next week.

The city government has already brought in three hollow block making machines that can be used by the beneficiaries.

The blueprint that would be used as a guide for building their houses was also presented to the beneficiaries. The design provides for two bedrooms, a living room, dining and kitchen area as well as a toilet and bath area.

The beneficiaries, led by Barangay Chairwoman Tessie Lumactod, thanked Atienza for helping them make their dream of having a home of their own a reality.

President Arroyo has also committed to provide 500 hundred pre-built bamboo houses, more commonly known as bahay kubos, to be used by the beneficiaries as either temporary or permanent dwellings.