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Province launches employee housing program

​(July 10, 2018)

Top executives from PAG-IBIG Fund arrived at the Provincial Convention Center last July 6 to orient provincial employees about the socialized housing program.

Board Member Edgar Andanar, over-all chair of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan Housing Committee was joined by BM Marlon Coro and Atty. Premolito Plaza, Provincial Administrator.  

ARTICLE XIII, Section 9 of the 1987 Constution provides: “The State shall, by law, and for the common good, undertake, in cooperation with the private sector, a continuing program of urban land reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost, decent housing and basic services to under-privileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlement areas. It shall also promote adequate employment opportunities to such citizens. In the implementation of such program the State shall respect the rights of small property owners.”

A socialized government housing is pursuant to Republic Act 7279, otherwise known as the Urban Development and Housing Act. Government employees, according to BM Andanar, ‘deserve to come home to a house they can call their own and can also be afforded by average employees and not the senior level officials alone.’

Such ambitious project, elaborated Andanar, with a stroke and rub of socialized housing is different from all the other identical and synonymous projects in the past, present and future. There are lots of benefits for the Capitol Employees, added Andanar, which must be explained by the Provincial Housing Committee, co-headed by Atty. Plaza, ably representing Gov. Sol Matugas.

“We are all aware that SOCIALIZED housing for government employees, is one of the priority projects of Pres. Rodrigo Duterte for 2018.

In this light, the government’s advocacy is revolving around every qualified employee who has the right to live with dignity in the comfort of one’s own home regardless of social position and class. It endeavors to arrest the housing backlog by the year 2030.

In general, the housing sector has huge potential for development, as demand for living spaces continue to rise. Through a number of industry-led schemes, we dream to sustain its strong expansion and advantage – at prices within your means,” explained Andanar.

He quoted Michael Bloomberg who said, “If you really believe that you're making a difference and that you can leave a legacy of better schools and jobs and safer streets, why would you not spend the money? The objective is to improve the schools, bring down crime, clean the streets and build affordable housing.”

Borrowing the words of Matthew Desmond, Andanar said: “Housing is absolutely essential to human flourishing. Without stable shelter, it all falls apart.
I don't think that you can address poverty unless you address the lack of affordable housing in the cities.”

The worldwide phenomenon of urbanization, according to the straightforward legislator, is propelled by the need to run away from extreme poverty in the countryside.

“Employees like you are not immune from these over-arching issues facing our country today. For so many years, a steady influx of people from the hinterlands has flooded the cities in the proverbial quest for greener pastures. The margins of society where some of us fit in inhabit the “squatter areas”— vacant public and private lots; close to bridges and other shipping canals; underneath the crossings; and in condemned, unsafe and disaster-prone areas; even in memorial parks.

Previous administrations, seeing the problem primarily as urban expansion and sprawling did not resort to relocating informal settlers “off-city,” to far-away sites, which seldom had the economic substructures and livelihood. Not only lacking schools, hospitals or markets, some tenants complained of units being haphazardly built, having no windows, doors or toilets, and some having no access to electricity and water supply,” he said.

“Plans for financing, land development and housing construction have been formulated and put in place by the Pag-IBIG and National Housing Authority. Indeed, the NHA has been in charge of constructing low-rise buildings wherein government workers also benefit greatly.

Meanwhile the PHRMDO is entrusted with the task to carefully study, appraise and scrutinize the eligibility requirements of the Provincial Employees requesting their share in this beautiful dream endeavor, after having looked into the appropriateness and suitability of the proposed land in Cagniog where they want their housing to be built,” said Andanar.

In closing, Andanar left employees with the words of Sir Wendell Holmes who said: “Where we love is home - home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.”

by: John Glenn Platil
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