Parañaque housing program goes full gear

MANILA, Philippines - Parañaque City’s social housing program continues to get traction as it seeks to ensure homeless residents, especially those living near the danger zones, are relocated to safer areas.

Mayor Edwin Olivarez, backed by several non-government organizations and business groups, recently inaugurated and distributed to the beneficiaries certificates of ownership of the city’s socialized housing dubbed “Bagong Parañaque Habitat Homes II” in C-5 Extension in Brgy. La Huerta.  

Among the latest beneficiaries are 60 families from Bacass, Hotiveros in Brgy. San Antonio; Balicanta in Brgy. Don Bosco and Icarna, Airport Village in Brgy. Moonwalk.

Majority of the beneficiaries are long-time informal settlers whose shanties are located in danger zones, riverbanks, creeks and those with court demolition orders. The housing units are given free to the beneficiaries who they will only pay the city government the cost of the land on easy installment.

The city’s socialized housing project is a model of two-story condominium to optimize the utilization of scarce and costly land in the city. It consists of three-hectare land owned by the city government which, when fully developed, can accommodate about 1,000 housing units.

The latest 60 housing units were funded by MDCI Project Developers Inc. and to be implemented by Habitat for Humanity Phils and South Metro Manila iHome Foundation Inc., a National Housing Authority-accredited NGO implementing builder.

Last April, the local government also turned over 144 housing units to beneficiaries of “Bagong Parañaque Homes I” located in the same housing project in Brgy. La Huerta.

The construction of the housing units was realized through the initiative of the city government with the help from Rotary International District 3830 Rotary Homes Foundation Inc. and Couples for Christ-ANCOP Tekton Foundation Inc.

Among the beneficiaries are 13 families from Perpetual Help Neighborhood Association in Brgy. Sto. Nino.

Olivarez also handed down certificates of lot award to 16 beneficiaries from Sacred Heart of Jesus Neighborhood Association in Brgy. Moonwalk, while 10 more beneficiaries from Bagong Buhay Neighborhood Association in Brgy. San Dionisio also received their certificates of full payment for the lots they currently occupy.