Private groups put up housing project

TACLOBAN CITY, Philippines  — A total of 492 families, who survived the Yolanda devastation, will soon be owners of a house and lot in Barangay Bagacay of this city, under the community mortgage program as a result of the initiative set between the Campos family and the Brigham Estate Homeowners Association Inc.

The house and lot program for the displaced families—informal settlers, renters and sharers from Barangays Magallanes, Anibong, Perecohon and San Jose—was one of the projects of the Mineland Shelter Foundation Inc., under the Project CMP Bagacay for the Yolanda victims.

This was started after the Campos family, represented by one of its heirs Clifford Campos, decided to sell its 35,000-square meter property to Brigham at a cost of more than P32.6 million.

The property at Bagacay, seven kilometers north of the city along the Maharlika Highway towards the San Juanico Bridge, will then be subdivided into at least 40-square meter lots for each of the 492 family-beneficiary, through the Social Housing Finance Corp., a subsidiary of the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.

The project was enrolled with the SHFC for land acquisition fund last February 21, underwent beneficiaries' background investigation and site inspection last March 24, and house validation last April 21. The execution of the deed of absolute sale last July 1, paved the way for the SHFC's letter of guaranty for the payment of the Campos property.

The Brigham group, a community organization in Tacloban headed by its president Levilito Banadora, was formed with the help of Siony Sia, a Taclobanon who is an SHFC-accredited community mobilizer.

Sia told The Freeman that, eight months after Yolanda, the dream of owning a house and lot by the survivors will now come true. "Together we will stand and will never be disrupted by anyone who wants to topple our humble belief and aspirations in helping my fellow survivors who can now say, 'This is my house and I will never live again on the coastal area.'"

Sia added that the project will be a model for a community housing program. Each of the beneficiary will pay for acquisition of its house-and-lot share at P1,400 per month for 25 years, with three months advance, to be paid to the SHFC account at the Philippine National Bank.

Clifford, an heir representing the Compas family, had assured the beneficiaries that the family members were one in their decision to sell the property to the Yolanda survivors, through SHFC and Brigham, to help them have a house and lot they can call their own.

"If our father is alive today, he will be happy to hear and see you as beneficiaries and lot owners," said Clifford as he belied allegations that the property has been marred with ownership problems.

Clifford told The Freeman: "We have the lot title; there are no claimants aside from us, as heirs. We have already sold the property to Brigham through SHFC. If there's a problem on ownership, the SHFC would not approve the sale. Everything passed the legal process."

On Monday, the City Council's committee on housing will conduct a hearing on the housing project of Brigham to ascertain the truth of the allegations that the project was bogus in nature and the site has ownership problems.

Brigham members however were dismayed of these allegations, saying the government and some politicians only wanted to take credit of an initiative, for Yolanda victims, that they failed to accomplish themselves.  (FREEMAN)