Wednesday, March 07, 2018

MORE resettlement sites in the towns and cities of the Third District, Negros Occidental, are expected to be developed in the coming years.

Housing officers of the cities of Victorias, Silay, and Talisay and the municipalities of E.B. Magalona and Murcia recently met with the National Housing Authority (NHA), convened by the Office of Third District Representative Alfredo Benitez through district coordinator on housing concerns Marie June Pavillar-Castro.

Engineers Alejandro Ongsuco and Liezl Miquit of NHA-Bacolod Project Office oriented the representatives of the local government units about the Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) and the District Housing program of the agency, among others.

Ongsuco, officer-in-charge of NHA Bacolod, said the program provides a maximum of P12 million grant to the LGUs, with additional P12 million interest-free loan for cities.

Miquit, acting principal engineer of NHA Bacolod, added that LGUs can avail of the RAP up to three times.

"If the LGU resettlement area is big, succeeding RAPs can be used to develop the same community but different phases of the site or subdivision," Miquit added.

RAP can fund surveys, detailed engineering, and architectural plans, concreting of roads, and construction of drainage and septic tanks or vaults.

Provision of electricity and water services or connection to the resettlement sites are the counterpart of the LGU or equity.

Victorias City is proposing three phases of the P24 million RAP for 2019, 2020 and 2021 or a total of P72 million.

Talisay City is proposing P24 million each for 2020 and 2021, while E.B. Magalona and Murcia will each propose for the P12 million grant for 2020 and 2021.

Among the LGUs in the District, Murcia town has signified its interest to propose under the District Housing Program as they need resettlement sites near the town.

Silay City has already availed the program in previous years for the development of Bon Bon Resettlement Site Phase 3, located in Barangay E. Lopez.

Because of its developed and buildable site, Habitat for Humanity has chosen Silay for its Bamboo-Cement Frame Technology housing construction project for ISFs.

Habitat committed to constructing 546 units and community centers, starting with the first 100 units this year.

Since Silay City recently received a donation for several hectares of land in Barangay Kapitan Ramon, Mayor Mark Golez informed the District Coordinator on Housing Concerns that he will check which part of the donated land is suitable for social housing before the city will propose to be included in the NHA targets for the coming years. (PR)