Soldiers in Negros to have own homes

BACOLOD CITY – Soldiers assigned in Negros Occidental will soon have their own homes after Army chief Lt. Gen Victor Ibrado led the groundbreaking of the Kalinga sa Kawal housing project at the 4.7-hectare military reservation area in Barangay Minoyan, Murcia town the other day.

The 542nd Engineering Construction Battalion will construct 150 housing units for the project, which is a joint effort of the Philippine Army, Gawad Kalinga and the Armed Forces of the Philippines Savings and Loan Association Inc. (AFPSLAI).

AFPSLAI will finance P5 million of the P12-million housing project, said Lt. Col. Noel Detoito, commander of the engineering battalion.

Witnessing the groundbreaking were Mayor Esteban Coscolluela, Lt. Gen. Pedro Ike Insierto, AFP Central Command chief Brig. Gen. Nestor Ochoa, Col. Honorato de los Reyes, and retired Army chief Jaime Echevarria who represented AFPSLAI.

A similar housing project is ongoing at Camp Macario Peralta in Jamindan, Capiz and another will soon start at Camp Leon Kilat in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.

Ibrado said he has been pushing for the housing projects since 2003.  – Antonieta Lopez