Noy turns over 120 homes to floodway squatters

MANILA, Philippines - President Aquino distributed yesterday 120 housing units to about 100 informal settler families who used to live along Manggahan Floodway in Pasig City and assured them they will no longer have to contend with floods.

He told them that their new homes are “safe, strong and near basic services and livelihood opportunities.”

The 120 housing units is Phase 1 of the government infrastructure project. Phase 2 (360 units) will be finished by March 2016 and Phase 3 (420 units) will be completed in July 2016.

Aquino said he thought of the late interior secretary Jesse Robredo as he inspected the National Housing Authority (NHA) project. Robredo’s advocacy was to help informal settlers have their own homes and livelihood, he said.

He apologized for the delay in the construction and at the same time took yet another swipe at his predecessor, now Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, who he claimed did nothing but engage in photo opportunities to make it look like the government was doing its job.