VP NOLI CITES KEY ROLE OF BENEFICIARIES IN HOUSING SECTOR REFORMS
May 13, 2008

Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Noli “Kabayan” De Castro told housing beneficiaries in Southern Mindanao the importance of their participation in reforming the government’s housing program, after receiving a laundry list of their issues and concerns during a recent (May 9) summit in Davao City organized by homeowners associations in the region.

The event, dubbed as the Homeowners Summit, was the first of its kind in Mindanao organized by the Regional Federation of Homeowners’ Associations, Inc. (REFEDHOAI) made up of shelter-based community associations in Region XI.

REFEDHOAI President Luzviminda S. Gacer formally turned over to De Castro a list of issues, concerns and recommendations of the homeowners’ associations regarding the government’s implementation of the housing program.

The list covered subjects such as issues with the Community Mortgage Program, the proposed legislation on housing loan restructuring and condonation, the Bahay Financing Services/BALIKATAN which took over about 10,000 bad loans from the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), concerns with the Registry of Deeds and Bureau of Internal Revenue, and a specific housing program for public school teachers.

Speaking before more than a thousand participants, the Vice President expressed his appreciation for the event and the list of issues presented by the federation, saying that these will help in the efforts to review and improve the housing programs of the government.

“I am pleased to have this clear presentation of your issues and recommendations. This will show us what some of the problems might be and where to start in addressing these,” he said.

Citing the CMP as an example, he explained how the housing sector has gained from the participation and inputs of the beneficiaries themselves.

“Many reforms in the CMP have come from the community associations, such as the creation of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) and the implementation of the localized CMP,” he revealed.

During the event, the Vice President also awarded certificates of lot ownership to some 1286 beneficiaries of various projects in Davao City under the Asset Reform Program, CMP, and the Lot Acquisition Program of the National Housing Authority.

Before joining the summit, De Castro visited the Bangkerohan market, joined by Davao City Vice Mayor Sarah Duterte and other local officials, to monitor prices of basic goods and commodities, particularly rice.

He also led the groundbreaking ceremonies for two new housing projects in the city, the Ecoland 4000 Residences of DMC-Urban Properties and One Oasis of Filinvest, both in Barangay Matina.

De Castro said the entry of the two new housing projects spells good news for Davao as it opens employment and business opportunities for the city residents.

During the event, he announced that Pag-Ibig Fund has posted a new record on developmental loans in Southern Mindanao for 2007.

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