CH application for P12M grant rejected by NHA

CEBU, Philippines - The National Housing Authority has rejected the city government’s application to avail of a P12-million grant under the Regional Resettlement Program for the supposed site development of the city-owned lot in sitio Tak-an, Barangay Budlaan.

Division for the Welfare of the Urban Poor Chief Collin Rossell said the NHA rejected the application because of the pre-existing development in the area.

“The P12 million was already denied by the NHA and the reason is that there is already an existing partial development referring to the cemented road from the lower part to the mountainous part,” he said.

Rossell said the city has constructed a concrete road traversing the lot.

“But it’s not the end of everything. We still have the 20 percent balance housing and we are planning to have lot house and lot package in that area, this time, through the 20 percent balance housing compliance,” he added.

The relocation site in Budlaan is where the city government plans to relocate the families that were affected by the clearing and restoration of the three-meter easement zone along the Mahiga Creek.

“Since NHA already rejected the first site, we referred another property – the Sinsin property. They have already inspected the site and said ‘mas okay pa ni’ because the lot is totally barren,” Rossel said.

He said, the P12 million may be used to develop the Sinsin site that can accommodate up to 300 slots.

He will also avail the 20-percent balance housing to construct housing units in the area.

Meanwhile, in response to the query of Rep. Tomas Osmeña on where is the P78-million Poverty Allocation Fund allocated by NHA to the city in 1998, Rossell said the fund is being earmarked for the medium-rise housing project in the former Lorega-San Miguel Cemetery.

Rossell said the project is being processed where the city government, in partnership with the NHA, will be building five three-storey condominiums that can house 60 units each building.

This housing project by NHA will be in the same area as the project of the city with Gawad Kalinga where the city is also building three-storey building with 60 units. (FREEMAN)