P8M Pabahay fund alloted for Laoag

LAOAG CITY, Aug. 9– Vice President Jejomar “Jojo” Binay announced that an P8 million national fund will be released soon to finance the construction of a city’s housing project for the poor in this city.

Binay, who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council, said the fund support is in line the government’s Pabahay program which he formally launched in the Ilocos Region today.

“Government employees can now have their own houses instead of renting apartments. You can utilize your rental fees as your monthly payments for your housing loans,” he said.

The vice president also met local chief executives in the Ilocos Region in an open forum at the Fort Ilocandia Resort Hotel here and presented the government’s plans and projects for the housing program.

The program intends to strengthen local governments in housing delivery and local development planning.

Laoag Mayor Michael V. Farinas had earlier announced the fund support coming from Binay’s HUDCC during his staff meeting last week noting that the program will benefit the city’s poor residents.

The Pabahay Caravan seeks to build a stronger partnership between the national government and the LGUs by working together in accelerating shelter production and enhancing the delivery of housing services to the people.

Recognizing that majority of Filipinos cannot afford to buy their own house, Binay ordered HUDCC to give priority to the problem of the homeless poor people.

HUDCC aims to provide about 1.5 million total housing assistance from 2011-2016. This target is almost double the production of the shelter agencies for the past six years, and necessarily requires more resources.

For its first year, HUDCC put in place a host of housing policies and programs that have benefited and continue to benefit many Filipinos.