01/03/2012 [ tribune.net.ph ]
Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chairman Jejomar Binay tasked the National Housing Authority (NHA), through its General Manager lawyer Chito Cruz, to accelerate provision of housing assistance to families affected by typhoon Sendong in Cagayan de Oro, Iligan and Dumaguete.
The NHA is coordinating with concerned local government units (LGUs) as well as other government and private sector organizations on plans to provide housing assistance to affected families.
The NHA has already allocated P20 million for the implementation of the Cagayan de Oro Resettlement Project Phase II in Barangay Calaanan. Site inspection and evaluation is also being conducted in CdO Resettlement Project Phase III, a 42-hectare property located in Gusa, CdO, and Sitio Culago, Barangay Pagapat also in CdO City as proposed permanent resettlement sites for the Sendong-affected families.
In Iligan City, a 10-hectare LGU-owned property has been identified as a possible housing project that can generate 1,166 homelots.
The sites will be subjected to geohazard surveys to ensure safe and environmentally sustainable communities.
Cruz said that NHA will provide 3,000 house and lot for CdO, 1,166 housing units for Iligan, and home materials assistance for partially-damaged houses/structures.
The NHA also identified about 42 hectares in the NHA-owned Andam-Mouswag Project site in Villanueva, Misamis Oriental that may be used as alternative permanent resettlement site for both formal and informal sector families affected by Sendong.
The agency is also drafting a masterplan to ensure the viability and optimum use of the property, which would be developed under the NHA’s New-Township Project. The site is about 500 feet above sea level, hence rendering it safe from floods.
In addition, NHA is planning to implement a permanent and comprehensive resettlement program for the victims of “Sendong” in Dumaguete. Likewise, it also intends to provide home materials assistance for the rest of the affected families.
To ensure sustainability, the identified housing projects shall be provided with socio-economic facilities to ensure the availability of basic services intended for use of the beneficiaries. NHA has allocated calamity funds to ensure the implementation of the housing programs.
Planning and implementation of these housing projects is being undertaken in partnership with the affected LGUs of Cagayan de Oro, Iligan City and Dumaguete City.
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