Housing project for Yolanda victims starts

ORMOC CITY, Philippines - Qualified beneficiaries for a housing project in this city have all the reasons to smile now, as the Tzu Chi foundation and its partners have started the initial phase of the construction of permanent houses for Yolanda victims.

Clearing and related preparatory works are now being undertaken at the site where heavy equipment, such as backhoe, bulldozer, road roller and dump trucks, among others, are seen busy combing the area for a world-class resettlement community.

The site, located at Barangay Liloan, is on a 50-hectare-lot donated by Mayor Edward Codilla and his wife who told The Freeman they also extended an additional P1.5 million fund to jumpstart the project. “The amount is for fuel and other mobilization expenses,” said Codilla.

The mayor and his wife earlier travelled to Taiwan to personally thank Master Cheng Yen of Tzu Chi Foundation for helping the city residents in the aftermath of Yolanda. They later offered to donate the 50-hectare lot for a housing project by Tzu Chi.

The foundation, in turn, suggested to the Codillas to opt for a usufruct arrangement for the lot, citing bad experiences (not necessarily Tzu Chi) in previous housing projects in other places where beneficiaries eventually sold their lots, thus defeating the purpose of the undertaking.

Usufruct is a right in a property owned by another, normally for a limited time or until death. It is the right to use the property, to enjoy the fruits and income of the property. The usufructuary has the full right to use the property but cannot dispose nor destroy the property.

The Freeman found out in a research that usufruct is a form of donation wherein the donee (or recipient) receives only the “naked,” not the full, ownership.

Annalie, one of the Ormoc site beneficiaries, told The Freeman that she was relieved when news of the start of construction broke out. “I felt assured now, after some quarter’s criticisms on the status of land donation for the permanent housing project. I’ve been living in one of the transition houses and having a permanent house for my family is good enough.”

Tzu Chi officials, during their recent visit to the City Council of Ormoc, said the housing project can accommodate 10,000 families, and an initial target of 2,000 households will be temporarily resettled in the area pending completion of the entire community.