VP NOLI LAUDS QC SHELTER, URBAN REFORM PROGRAM
April 28, 2008

VICE President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli ‘Kabayan’ De Castro lauded the local government of Quezon City for implementing an aggressive shelter program for its constituents especially the poor.

Speaking during the first housing fair in the city sponsored by Mayor Feliciano ‘Sonny’ Belmonte, Congresswoman Nanette Castelo Daza, and Councilor Winston ‘Winnie’ Castelo, De Castro noted the fact that Quezon City implemented the most number of shelter projects under the community mortgage program (CMP).

Said program, according to De Castro, drew citation from the government in its Kabalikat sa Pabahay Awards in 2003 after it benefited thousands of homeless residents in the locality.

The Vice President hoped that other local governments can duplicate the feat attained by Quezon City which is also being recognized for its rationalized urban development program.

“I’m a resident of Quezon City and I’m glad to see how it experiences progress and being known for having the largest malls and other establishments,” he said.

He said there are reforms in the North-east Triangle under the plan of the national and Quezon City local governments to make it a central business district. He said the plan is the appropriate land use for the property based on the rationalized urban development framework.

Despite the infrastructure development however, De Castro said the public can be assured that national and local governments will not abandon the affected informal settlers with regard to shelter security.

Meanwhile, De Castro thanked Castelo, who chairs the housing committee of the city council, for pushing the holding of the first housing fair in the city.

“I’m glad that the concept of the housing fair which HUDCC started in 2006 is now being done in Quezon City . This is a concrete implementation of the local government’s mandate to housing,” he said.

He also recognized the efforts of Daza at the House of Representatives to have the budget of each key shelter agencies approved.

“Such effort has indeed played an important role in uplifting the plight of our many homeless and poor countrymen,” he said.

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