The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) continued its efforts in boosting partnerships with local government units (LGUs), with the agency finalizing new housing agreements with two Nueva Ecija municipalities last May 3.
In his hometown of Talavera, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo Del Rosario led a groundbreaking ceremony and the signing for the memorandum of agreement (MOA) for a housing project intended for informal settlers. The project is the 11th housing assistance pact that the DHSUD has sealed with an LGU.
“Of the other LGUs that DHSUD had signed a MOA with, only Talavera has a Comprehensive Land Use Plan and Local Shelter Plan. Congratulations to your LGU because that is the most important document a locality must have so it will have an idea done comprehensively on how to optimize the utilization of their lots,” the secretary said.
Accessible housing for the underprivileged
Talavera Mayor Nerivi Santos Martinez expressed gratitude and lauded the government’s efforts in extending assistance to her municipality in giving the underprivileged access to decent and affordable housing.
“Ito po ay napakalaking bagay. Hindi po magiging disente ang buhay kung hindi disente ang bahay. Maraming nangangamba na mga kababayan natin na walang sariling titirikan ng kanilang mga bahay. Kaya ito pong proyekto na ito ay napakalaking bagay para sa kanila (This project means a great deal. Without access to decent shelter, quality of life won’t be good. Many are worried for our compatriots who do not have access to decent homes. That is why this project means a great deal for them),” the mayor said.
Also witnessing the accord’s finalization were DHSUD Regional Office 3 director Lyndon Juntilla and DHSUD Housing and Real Estate Development Regulation Bureau OIC-director Angel Aguila.
Paving the way for more affordable housing
Later in the day, Secretary Del Rosario also sealed a similar agreement with the municipality of San Leonardo, Nueva Ecija headed by Mayor Froilan Nagano.
The agreement—the 12th with an LGU—will pave the way for the grant of funds for land development using the incentivized compliance of developers to the balanced housing program for San Leonardo’s BALAI-certified socialized housing project.
“This pact is part of DHSUD’s mandate in fulfilling the dream of most Filipinos in having a house of their own, especially those living in danger zones,” Del Rosario declared at the event, emphasizing the necessity for accessible housing for Filipinos. “Through our small contribution, yung aming housing guideline na ‘shelter is a right of every Filipino family’ ay ma-realize natin at maisakatuparan with our partnership with LGUs (Our housing guideline of having ‘shelter being a right of every Filipino family’ is to be realized and carried out with our partnership with LGUs).”
“We would like to scale up. We hope that by the end of the year, we will have 50 more or so MOAs with other LGUs,” he added.
Response to future housing
Also present during the event was Nueva Ecija 4th District representative Maricel Natividad-Nagano, who also expressed gratitude to Secretary Del Rosario for his efforts in pushing for the key agreement.
“Mapalad at maswerte po kami dito sa San Leonardo na may tunay na Nueva Ecijano na handang tumulong para matulungan ang mga kababayan natin na may mga agam-agam hinggil sa pagkakaroon ng sariling pabahay (We are very fortunate here at San Leonardo to have someone from Nueva Ecija who is ready to help our countrymen who are doubtful that they will ever get the opportunity to have their own house),” the congresswoman said.
For his part, San Leonardo’s Mayor Nagano described the MOA as a blessing for his town and also lauded DHSUD’s efforts in extending the government’s housing assistance to his municipality.
