Bidding soon for 400 transitional houses

CEBU, Philippines — The bidding for the 400 transitional housing units for those affected in the clearing of the three-meter easement beside the rivers will commence this September.

In an interview yesterday, Cebu City Acting Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia told reporters that to be able to fully implement the massive clearing operations for those violating the three-meter easement, transitional housing must be first built.

This will serve as temporary shelters for the affected individuals while waiting for their permanent housing. Garcia however clarified that the ?600 million is still intended for the model house while the final amount that will be bid out to the contractors has yet to be finalized

Currently, Garcia said they are looking at two locations for these transitional houses, one at the South Road Properties (SRP) while the other could be on Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area.

Initially, 400 units will be built, with each at least 15 square meters in size.

“I am hoping that by September we can already bid all of these, kining atong mga temporary housing,” he said.

The permanent housing will be in the form of a Medium-Rise Building (MRB) in Barangay Lorega, for which the rebidding for a new contractor is still halted.

It was reported that the contract for the MRB in Lorega has been terminated. Garcia said the new Programs of Works and Estimates on the project has already been signed.

“Kinahanglan pa og reconciliation from the old contractor…so atong gitan-aw kung si contractor naa ba siya unfinished work nga kinahanglan pa mobayad ang city,” said Garcia.

The MRBs will be funded under the 4PH (Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino) Program of former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Garcia said the Cebu City Government will provide the lot while a private developer will build the structure. The Cebu City Government will also be the one to identify the beneficiaries.

The system will include having this private developer collect from PAG-IBIG while the latter will collect from the beneficiaries.

“No money out ang city government,” said Garcia.

These housing programs were under the umbrella of the city’s efforts to combat flooding through the Task Force Gubat sa Baha. Massive clearing operations to recover the three-meter easement to improve the rivers’ water flow equates to vacating those informal settlers affected, hence the government-provided shelters.

Garcia said that as for the business establishments that violated the same, they have already given out notices for voluntarily clearing. —/BRP (FREEMAN)