Pilot livelihood, housing project expanded to include lawmen

It started as a jeepney drivers’ village. Adjacent to it will now rise a policemen’s village.

The breakthrough in building a policemen’s village adjacent to that allocated for jeepney drivers was firmed up last Wednesday night when business leaders, a top official of the Philippine National Police (PNP) and a representative of the provincial government of Rizal agreed to expand the housing-plus-livelihood project to include lawmen.

What clinched the deal was the briefing made by oil magnate Ramon "Chito" Villavicencio of Flying V on how his company entered into a partnership with the five largest federations of jeepney drivers to build a village for them in Antipolo City, plus jeepney units which the drivers can buy on a "boundary-hulog" scheme.

Ground-breaking of the jeepney drivers’ village is scheduled on Oct. 7 to be led by no less than Vice President Noli de Castro, chairman of the Housing Urban Development Coordinating Council.

On the appeal of PNP Deputy Director General for Operations Reynaldo Velasco for men in uniform to also benefit from the novel project, Ramon Yñares, sent by Rizal Gov. Casimiro Yñares to represent him, made a commitment to release 300 lots for an equal number of policemen’s families in an adjacent area within the Yñares Subdivision.

And to expand the livelihood component of the project and create jobs for able-bodied family members of policemen and drivers, Philippine Exporter Confederation (PhilExport) president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. volunteered to bring to the twin villages the KALAHI strategy, the exporters’ highly successful livelihood and entrepreneurship program on job creation.

Explaining the PhilExport program, Ortiz-Luis said exporters don’t only provide training in new production skills but also in entrepreneurship. They return to buy the products the trainees make. This was behind its success in a growing number of villages in Luzon.

Another business leader, William Co of the Federation of Filipino-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industry Inc. (FFCCCI), offered to enter into contract growing agreements with the villagers who will also be given public lands to cultivate to augment their incomes.

Tying things together was Anti-Crime Commissioner Julio Tan, who hosted the multisectoral gathering to hatch the novel housing and livelihood program of previously adversarial sectors.

PCCI executive vice president Donald Dee earlier had offered to donate a parcel of land also in Antipolo for the expansion of the housing project for policemen.