05/22/2012 [ tribune.net.ph ]
Some 192 more residential units
earmarked for the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) are now nearing
completion in Fort Bonifacio and the Villamor Air Base, and may be turned over
to the soldiers within the year, the Bases Conversion and Development Authority
(BCDA) said.
The disclosure came on the heels of
last Monday’s turnover of 32 newly completed condominium-type units to a
similar number of Army soldiers and their families who were former residents of
the JUSMAG (Joint US Military Assistance Group) Area.
BCDA president and chief executive
officer Arnel Casanova said the “while our nation’s soldiers are away in the
battlefields defending the sovereignty and security of our country, their
families (will rest) secure and contented in their new homes.”
The approximately P700-million
replication program for the Army and Air Force personnel involved the
construction of 12 five-story condominiums within the AFP’s retention area in
both camps. Each building has 16 residential units, with the ground floor
reserved for parking.
Ten of the buildings constructed at
Fort Bonifacio are reserved for the Army, and the remaining two are in Villamor
Air Base for the Air Force.
The second batch of 32 condominium
units are now given finishing touches and will be turned over soon, the BCDA
chief said.
“The replication program is part of
our commitment to give back to the military establishment its fair share of the
proceeds of the BCDA’s asset disposition and property development efforts as
mandated by Republic Act 7227, also known as the BCDA Law,” he said.
“The bigger picture shows the BCDA
performing its role in overall nation-building by transforming former military
camps and baselands into virtual beehives of economic and social activities,
showcasing a harmonious blend of trade and commerce and upscale residences,”
Casanova added.
During the turnover rites last May 14,
Army spokesman Maj. Harold Cabunoc said the 32 recipients of the housing units
fronting McKinley Hill were former residents of the JUSMAG area who were given
priority in the replication project.
The 32 completed units are part of the
160 condo-type units of the 10 buildings which were put up a few hundred meters
away from the posh residences of McKinley Hill.
The remaining eight buildings, which
will provide 128 units, are in the final stages of completion, and would be
ready for occupancy before the year is over.
Each unit has three bedrooms and
maid’s quarters, comparable to the pricey condominiums in nearby areas that are
rented for around P20,000 to P 25,000 per month. PNA
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