Government’s housing program targets ‘a home for every family’…launches Pabahay Caravan in Bicol
Posted on | October 21, 2011 |
The government remains relentless in pursuing its goal to provide decent and affordable houses for millions of Filipino families across the nation with still none to call their own.
Vice President and housing czar Jejomar Binay, in his visit here during the interfacing with the stakeholders and local media, said the government under the administration of President Benigno Aquino III has already initially spent some P4 billion for the construction of around 21,800 units for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Binay, chair of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating council (HUDCC), another P4 billion is earmarked next year for the construction of houses for thousands of homeless military and police personnel, he said.
Housing development studies, according to him, are still on the drawing board for the construction of medium rise buildings in Southern Luzon to accommodate 100,000 informal settlers.
Binay was in this city October 17-18 and led the launching in Bicol of the “Pabahay Caravan”, a program that would provide Filipino families a decent and affordable housing.
With the battle cry, “Sa Pabahay Gaganda ang Buhay” Binay said that HUDCC is committed to give Filipino families not just with the infrastructure of a house, but a framework of a home; building not just a neighborhood, but a real harmonious community.
During the caravan, Binay also witnessed the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement between Ligao City and Pag-Ibig Fund to finance the construction of Ligao Socialized Housing project to benefit some 388 families of LGU employees, public school teachers and other government employees.
He also awarded Transfer Certificates of Title (TCT) to 20 housing beneficiaries from two community associations in Daet, Camarines Norte under the SHFC Community Mortgage Program.
He also distributed TCTs to seven housing loan borrowers who have fully-paid their accounts under the NHMFC Unified Home Lending Program.
Meanwhile, Binay noted that the government needs to infuse P1.7 trillion to address the housing needs of millions of people across the country with an estimated 3.7 million housing backlog that is currently drawing back the government housing program.
He said the problem on housing backlog still persist as funds available for this sector is still not sufficient to meet the current housing demands.
In Bicol alone, the housing backlog is placed at 320,000 units spread over the six provinces.
Asked how the housing sector contributes to the country’s economic growth, Binay said the housing sector had infuse billions of investment funds that fairly pushed the economy.
He said the sector has also gave its share in jobs generation citing statistics that eighth jobs are created in every housing unit developed.
Agencies under Binay’s turf are the HUDCC, Housing and Land Use Regulatoy Board (HLURB), Pag-ibig Fund, Social Housing Finance Corp., (SHFC), National Housing Authority (NHA), Home Guaranty Corp. (HGC) and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation.