[ manilastandardtoday.com ] July 31-August 1, 2010
The National Housing Authority marks 35 years of providing continuous housing service to homeless low-income Filipinos on July 31.
Created under PD 757 by then President Ferdinand Marcos, NHA today covers the whole archipelago with projects in all 81 provinces, 136 cities, and 1,495 municipalities.
General Manager Federico Laxa said, “we remain committed and dedicated to our mandate to make the right to shelter a reality for all Filipinos, especially the poorest and the neediest among us.”
Since its creation in 1975 to 2009, NHA produced housing units for resettlement of families in danger areas, government infrastructure projects and victims of calamities.
In 2009, it concluded its most ambitious project, the Northrail and Southrail relocation and resettlement of 92,000 families residing along the PNR right of way from Mabalacat, Pampanga to Cabuyao, Laguna within five years.
The housing agency developed resettlement sites for 10,212 families displaced by typhoons Ondoy and Pepeng under the reconstruction program; completed the relocation and resettlement of 3,347 censused families affected by the development of the vital road infrastructure that provides east and west access to mainline of the North expressway, the NLEX-C5 Northern Link Project, Phase 2, Segment 8.1; and provided assistance to some 30,000 families rendered homeless by typhoon Reming under the Bicol Calamity Assistance and Rehabilitation Efforts.
The agency also built housing units from its regular programs consisting of resettlement, slum upgrading, sites and services, core housing, medium rise housing and other housing assistance programs.
Under its Charter, the housing agency is mandated to provide and maintain adequate housing for the greatest possible number of people; undertake housing development, resettlement and other activities as would enhance the provision of housing to every Filipino; and harness and promote private participation in housing ventures in terms of capital expenditures, land expertise, financing and other facilities for the sustained growth of the housing industry.
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