Noli to housing beneficiaries: Thank the government

Don’t forget to say thank you.

During the awarding of land titles to Tarlac residents yesterday, Vice President Noli de Castro told housing beneficiaries to thank the government for the land given to them.

De Castro, who chairs the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said that giving housing to homeless Filipinos is one of the priority programs of the government.

But observers pointed out that the government’s housing programs exist because of the taxes people pay, as they criticized the way De Castro demanded gratitude from the people.

“It is really a huge task for the government to provide shelter for the homeless. After building houses, the government makes sure that they have the needed facilities and the necessary livelihood so they can become productive citizens,” De Castro said.

“So I’m just asking our housing beneficiaries to simply thank the government for the task it has accomplished for them,” he said.

The Arroyo government is eyeing De Castro as its standard-bearer in the 2010 presidential elections because of his popularity.

De Castro led the distribution of land titles to homeless families affected by lahar in Barangay Cristo Rey in Capas, Tarlac.

During the event, the Vice President lauded Capas Mayor Rey Catacutan for supporting the housing program for his underprivileged constituents.

De Castro said the awarding of titles is a gift of the national government to its people, and urged beneficiaries to treasure, improve, and take pride in their newly owned homes.

“Be proud not because of the size of your houses but because the government gave you the opportunity to own shelters you can call your own,” he said.   — Jose Rodel Clapano