The Municipality of Murcia is currently completing requirements to be able to purchase land as another resettlement site for some of its Informal Settler Families under the District Housing Program of the National Housing Authority.

Representatives of NHA-Bacolod, Engr. Liezl Mequit and Mary Grace Catalan, met with Murcia Vice Mayor Gerry Rojas, Municipal Assessor and Housing Officer Randy Gamboa, and Municipal Planning and Development Officer Glenda Ruiz, last Friday, August 31, to review the checklist of requirements, the tasking, and the timeline for document preparation.

The meeting, held at the Mayor’s Office conference room, was also attended by District Coordinator on Housing Concerns Marie June Pavillar-Castro, from the Office of Cong. Albee Benitez, and Annie Olimpo of the Municipal Assessors Office.

The P4.5 million District Housing Program is a congressional fund lodged at NHA which can be availed by one LGU in the District, at a time, and is cost recoverable.

The repayment will be used to finance a housing program of another LGU proponent in the District.

As per NHA, the District Housing Program fund can either be used for land acquisition, site development or housing construction.

Based on the ISF listing requested by Cong. Benitez from the barangays in 2016-2017, there are more than 50,000 ISFs in District 3, including those living in the sugarcane farms or haciendas, who have no security of tenure.

After its land acquisition from the District Housing Fund, Murcia is also planning to apply for a grant under the LGU Resettlement Assistance Program of NHA

Under LRAP, municipalities can avail of P25 million NHA grant to develop its property for resettlement.

Availment can be up to three times but for a different site, or another phase of the same subdivision.

Cities on the other hand, can avail of the P25 million grant and another 25 million interest-free loans.

All LGUs in District 3 have signified their interest to avail of the funds, which in earlier years were only up to P12 million grant and P12 million loan.

Silay City, has availed of the LRAP in 2013 and has developed Bon Bon Phase 3 Resettlement Site in Brgy. E Lopez.

Because the area was developed, with paved roads, drainage and septic tanks, Habitat for Humanity chose to build its disaster resilient houses in Silay.

Based on simulated test conducted by the Columbian designer, the cement bamboo-frame technology houses can withstand a 250-kilometer per hour wind speed, and 6-7 magnitude earthquake.

Habitat for Humanity, together with its partners HILTI Foundation and BASE Bahay, is building the first 100 units this year, and it has also committed to raise funds to complete the 546 units for the entire Bon Bon Phase 3.

The first 86 housing units (43 duplexes), donated by Marites Alava-Yong Foundation, are targeted to be turned over to the beneficiaries in in November, who provide sweat equity and have undergone four Sundays of Basic Community Empowerment and Organizational Management Training.

The training team were composed of representatives and staff from Habitat for Humanity Asia Pacific and Philippine Offices, Silay Housing Authority, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, and the Office of Congressman Benitez.*