Permanent housing set for 498 displaced families in Tacloban

CEBU, Philippines – Ten months after Yolanda devastated the houses in Tacloban City, hundreds of displaced families are now on the verge of realizing their wish to have a house and lot they can call their own.

This was after the Social Housing and Finance Corporation paid the Compas family, owner of a 2.5-hectare property at Barangay Bagacay in Tacloban City, for a permanent housing project known as Brigham Estate 2.

Last August 19, Maria Ana Oliveros, president of the SHFC, visited the site and conducted a ceremonial handover of the P32 million check as full payment of the property to the landowner's representative, Clifford Compas.

A total of 492 beneficiaries, as members of the Brigham Estate 2  Homeowners Association Incorporated, have availed themselves of an affordable loan for the acquisition of a house and lot at 40 square meter each.

Under the program, the beneficiaries shall pay back the loan on a 25-year period with a monthly amortization of P458 for a lot only purchase, and P1,713 for a site development and house and lot plan.

The site development would include construction of roads, streets and drainage, power and water connections

The beneficiaries were very happy of the payment of the property, transferring ownership from the Compas family to Brigham and realizing the housing project as planned.

They thanked Oliveros and social housing mobilizer Siony Sia, president of Mineland Shelter Foundation IncIncorporated, who facilitated the processing of the project between SHFC and Brigham.

Oliveros said: "I am also happy with this kind of initiative from the people (Brigham members). It's almost a year since Yolanda, but there hasn't been an initiative for a permanent housing project for the homeless from the government."