Posted on May 25, 2014 09:10:00 PM [
BusinessWorld Online ]
By Bettina Faye V. Roc, Senior
Reporter
THE DEPARTMENT OF Budget and
Management (DBM) has released about P1.2 billion for housing projects for
informal settler families residing in danger areas around Metro Manila, it said
in a statement over the weekend.
The allotment release was made to the
Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC), a wholly owned subsidiary of the National
Home Mortgage Finance Corp., which is a government-owned and -controlled
entity, the DBM said.
“We are continuing the relocation of
informal settler families, especially those living near the waterways of Metro
Manila,” Budget Secretary Florencio B. Abad was quoted as saying in the
statement.
“With the fund release, the SHFC can
build more resilient homes in safer zones-such as in-city and off-city
relocation sites-and ensure the well-being of these families, especially during
calamities. This is of course in line with our efforts to provide quality and
affordable homes to those who need them the most,” said Mr. Abad.
The Budget chief said that the
initiative will be implemented via the Community Mortgage Program approach,
through which an organized community will initiate and manage the housing
project itself.
FUND SUPPORT
The organizing community will likewise
be in charge of securing funding support from the SHFC, he explained.
“As an added feature to this housing
project, the administration is empowering communities to participate and be
more involved in implementing the program. We are opening up opportunities for
them to take the lead in the whole project: from land acquisition to site
development, to the actual building construction,” added Mr. Abad.
Among the organized communities that
will implement the housing projects are the Goldmine Interior Homeowners
Association, Inc. (GIHAI), the Alyansa ng Mamamayan sa Valenzuela at Caloocan
Housing Cooperative (AMVACA), and the Dario River Alliance Housing Cooperative
(DRAHC), the DBM said.
Of the total P1.2-billion release,
GIHAI, AMVACA and DRAHC were allotted P46 million, P636.5 million and P514.5
million, respectively.
These allocations will cover the costs
of land acquisition, site development and building construction, among others.
The funds will likewise cover
administrative costs, which include the wages of SHFC personnel who will be
assisting these implementing organized communities in program consultation, due
diligence of the eligibility of the informal settler families to be covered
under the projects, review of technical plans and legal documents, and
assistance in the preparation of project proposals.
“Major investments in social services
like these are at the core of our inclusive growth agenda,” Mr. Abad claimed.
“The beauty of this project, however,
is its participative nature. The families themselves will be actively engaged
in executing the project. It’s nation-building at the community level,” he
said.
Last February, the Budget department
released P600 million to the National Housing Authority for the relocation of
informal settler families in Pateros.
With the budget, 2,069 families
residing along the rivers and waterways of Pateros will be transferred to
Baras, Rizal.
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