SMDC, CCCI to construct 100 transitional houses

CEBU, Philippines — Private organizations are donating 100 units of transitional housing for Cebu City’s informal settlers to be built at the city-owned property at the North Reclamation Area.

The 100 free transitional housing units will be donated by the SM Development Corporation (SMDC) and the Cebu Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCCI).

This comes before the Cebu City government can award to a bidder of its plans to construct 1,000 “transitional housing” units as temporary homes for those living in the waterways and are affected by the City’s recovery of its riverbanks

The city government has earmarked around P600 million for the project that needed to be implemented soon or the budget will revert back to the City’s coffers.

Before the free transitional housing units can be realized, the city government thru Mayor Raymond Garcia has to enter into an agreement with SMDC and CCCI.

Cebu City Councilor Joel Garganera filed a resolution before the City Council authorizing Garcia to enter into an agreement with SMDC and CCCI for the development of the 100 transitional housing units.

The proposal however, did not materialize right away after Garcia said that the city was then trying to look for a location where they would put up the housing units.

 “Ni compromise ang City Council nga dili lisudlisuron ang donor. Mohatag man ni sila. Ato nalang ibutang nga mohatag ni sila og 100 units, in a lot that is owned by Cebu City and in Cebu City,” Garganera said in an interview over the City’s social media page.

During an executive session, Gargarnera disclosed that the legislators agreed not to make it difficult for the donors to provide the free transitional houses.

 “Sila pay mo donate, nganong hatagan paman nato og daghang problema,” he added. (FREEMAN)