The Manila City government together with government housing agencies will embark on a stronger socialized housing program in order to address the housing shortage and provide decent housing to thousands of homeless and landless residents of Manila.
Manila Mayor Joseph “Erap” Estrada said the city government has made strides in providing housing and services, which include connection to electricity, water and sewerage supply to the poor.
The city government’s housing program to the poor has been described by the Duterte administration as one of the most successful policy housing initiatives by a local government unit for the past three years.
According to Danilo C. Isiderio, Urban Settlements Officer of Manila, the city government has provided nearly 2,000 “housing opportunities” to informal settlers in Manila.
During the housing summit, the Manila Chief Executive said that the city government is serious in solving the problem of informal settlers by providing them decent houses and to ensure security of tenure.
The summit, with the theme “Maralitang Taga Lungsod, Alaga sa Maynila”, was also attended by leaders and representatives of more than 300 homeowners association and urban poor organizations from the six (6) districts of the City of Manila numbering 1,500.
Isiderio said that the city government has set aside funds to acquire a total of 16 estates, with a combined total area of 93,000 sq. m., and has already awarded more than a thousand Certificate of Lot Award from September 2013 to October 2018.
The beneficiaries are now proud owners of houses developed by the city government, Estrada said.
Estrada vowed to provide permanent decent houses to at least 15,000 families before his term ends in 2022.
Among the city governments mammoth projects is to relocate either in-city or off-city, of around 10,000 informal settler families (ISFs) living along danger areas particularly esteros and waterways under the “Oplan Likas” of the national government and the Writ of Continuing Mandamus of the Supreme Court, to clean and rehabilitate Manila Bay.
“Construction, in cooperation with the DILG, of 128 housing units for the benefit of ISFs in Dubai, Baseco in Port Area, District and the provision of P3.3 Million in post-relocation assistance to 700 ISFs for relocation in Naic, Cavite, is underway,” Estrada concluded.
