By Hilda Austria/PNA
BAYAMBANG, Pangasinan — Some 30 indigent families from various barangays in this town on Thursday received free housing units from a religious organization and a foundation, in partnership with the local government unit (LGU) of Bayambang.
“Salamat po. Masayang masaya po kami. Dati, lumang kumot at tagpi-tagping yero at kahoy ang bahay naming. Ngayon di na ako mag-aalala kapag umuulan. Salamat talaga. (Thank you. We are very happy. Before, our house was made of old blankets and patched up galvanized iron sheets and wood. Now, I do not have to worry during the rainy season. Again, thank you,” Librada Camacho, a senior citizen from Barangay Alingan, said.
Each housing unit costs PHP170,000, funded by the CFC-ANCOP (Answering the Cry of the Poor) Canada, together with the Mojares family from Vancouver, Canada, which shouldered PHP4.3 million.
The counterpart fund of Kasama Kita sa Barangay Foundation, Inc. (KKSBFI) was PHP750,000, as it also provided the two-hectare land for the housing project in Barangay Sancagulis this town.
Gerry Montero, provincial area director of the Couple’s For Christ (CFC) – Pangasinan, said a beneficiary receives a 22.5-square-meter housing unit located within the 60-square-meter lot area.
“The CFC will continue to provide values formation seminars and other needed seminars for the families, as well as the amenities and facilities like a community chapel and even scholarships for the children, while the KKSBFI will provide livelihood training to the families,” Montero said during the turnover ceremony.
He said the LGU provided the needed requirements and profiled the beneficiaries.
“The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Office identified the poorest of the poor but deserving families to receive the free housing. They are those without their own house and no permanent job or source of income,” Montero said.
Beneficiary families were given 20 years before they could have the land title for their housing units, but they were already given the certificate of occupancy.
In his speech, ANCOP president Ricardo Cuenca said, “Blessed na blessed din kami ng Panginoon, seeing na mga pinaghirapan namin, maganda naging resulta. (We are also so much blessed by the Lord, seeing that our sacrifices have yielded good results.) We are happy.”
The housing project, which started construction in July last year, is expected to be completed this March.
Meanwhile, Mayor Cezar Quiambao, in an interview, said the housing project is in support of the town’s poverty reduction campaign, also known as the “Rebolusyon Laban sa Kahirapan” program.
Quiambao said he hopes for more housing projects in partnership with CFC-ANCOP, while the LGU will also have its own housing project for municipal government employees.
