Councilor Bernard Al-ag says in a press conference Tuesday, March 7 that the housing project to benefit residents in flood-prone areas and danger zones was approved last week and the housing units would be distributed to the relocation projects in Los Amigos, Tugbok District and in Tibungco. (Earl O. Condeza/davaotoday.com)
DAVAO CITY, Philippines — The city government will construct 5,000 more housing units in two relocation areas here to keep urban poor dwellers living along the riverbanks and government roads safety far from danger zones.
Councilor Bernard Al-ag told “Pulong Pulong ni Pulong” news conference at the city councilor’s lounge on Tuesday that the housing project would be named “Bahay sa Pagbabago.”
The housing project is supported by the National Housing Authority and San Miguel Corporation Foundation.
The project was approved last week and the housing units would be distributed to the relocation projects in Los Amigos and in Tibungco , respectively.
“Basically we have available land in Los Amigos and Tibungco. Naa pay nabilin ddto (There was still left in there),” Al-ag said.
Based on the memorandum of agreement, the NHA will implement the project while the city government will identify the lands and beneficiaries, including the assurance of having basic amenities like water and energy.
For its part, the private sector such in the case of San Miguel Corporation would funds for the project.
The total cost of the project was not mentioned in the project’s MOA “as it is the private sector which will be spending,” Al-ag said.
Residents in danger zones
The beneficiaries of the housing project were the ones already recently identified as residing along river banks and other flood prone areas.
“We will prioritize the residents who are in danger zones. Last January almost whole month nag ulan, kada semana naay preemptive evacuation,” Al-ag said.
“They will be the first to be relocated. Those who are living near the rivers,” he said.
“Not all in the danger zones would benefit, only those already identified as having existing household,” he said.
“If one has existing household or any other property which is away from the danger zones, they will be disqualified,” he added.
Not for free
The housing project will not be given free of charge for the beneficiaries.
A beneficiary, Al-ag said, will be required to pay less than P500 for the span of two years. The “Bahay sa Pagbabago” project is expected to roll out this year.
“It is expected to start this year, because the property, the money is available,” Al-ag said. “The NHA is very eager to implement this,” Al-ag added.
Danger zones in the city are identified by the City Housing Office’s floodway mitigating zones, which mark the areas constantly affected by floods, and include places like the Jade Valley and the Juliville Subdivision in Buhangin District.
“We want to prevent what happened to Jade Valley and Juliville,” Al-ag said.
Al-ag added that the city planning office will no longer approve housing projects if it would be targeted in a flood prone area.
“The approval [of Jade Valley and Juliville] back then, the map was still not available to where water will overflow,” Al-ag said. (davaotoday.com)
