Vice President Jejomar C. Binay has instructed the National Housing Authority (NHA) to look into reports that some housing units built for the survivors of Tropical Storm Sendong in Cagayan de Oro (CDO) City were substandard in quality.
“I have already directed NHA General Manager Chito Cruz to conduct a thorough investigation on the allegations of some awardees in the resettlement sites in CDO,” said Binay, who also chairs Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).
In earlier reports, some residents at the Calaanan relocation site in Barangay Canito-an complained of cracked walls and floors that they say could not withstand even a low magnitude earthquake.
“We are taking these reports seriously because it is first and foremost an issue of the residents’ safety,” Binay said.
The housing czar added that the tight budget for each housing unit – roughly around P110,000 – should not be an excuse for shoddy construction.
“Before we started development of the resettlement sites, we have had several consultations with the constructors and other experts as regards the budget for each housing unit and they assured us that the amount would not compromise the safety of the families to be relocated therein,” Binay stressed.
Binay assured the residents of the Calaanan resettlement site that they will look into their complaints and that they will discuss the matter with the constructors, including the Habitat for Humanity and Gawad Kalinga, so that any deficiency will be addressed immediately.
“We want our kababayans to live without any fear that their houses might suddenly collapse so I am encouraging the residents of Calanaan and other resettlement sites to report to us any structural defect that they may notice in the houses that have been given to them,” he said.
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