IMUS CITY, Cavite — Some 120 families living in the city’s hazardous and vulnerable areas, including those whose houses are made of light materials in Palico I, II and III villages here, can soon acquire a decent housing once the second phase of the city government’s socialized housing is completed next year.
City officials led by Mayor Emmanuel ‘Manny’ L. Maliksi and Vice-Mayor Arnel ‘Ony’ M. Cantimbuhan, with Gawad Kalinga (GK) provincial head Edgar Purificacion, graced the ground-breaking rites to kick off the site’s land development at the housing site in Alapan II-B village on Tuesday.
The construction of 120 houses, pegged at PHP164,000 each will start upon completion of the land development, which is targeted for completion by January 2019.
Imus City first introduced the housing project (initial phase) in 2006 “to give hope and dignity to the city’s underprivileged and homeless citizens through a decent home,” Maliksi said.
Named “Pamayanang Gawad Kalinga sa Imus,” the city government entered into an agreement, then, with the Gawad Kalinga (GK) Community Development Foundation, Inc. for the construction of 134 houses, covering some 23,633 square meters of the more than 2.5-hectare housing site.
The city government forged an agreement with GK anew sometime in August this year for the construction of the second phase. Maliksi said this latest GK project will ‘benchmark’ succeeding housing projects in the city.
The housing project is also in support of the Manila Bay clean-up project to clear riverbanks of informal settlers.
Purificacion said the houses will be given for free but house beneficiaries must render ‘sweat equity,’ “meaning they need to give time and help build their house.”
The community is assisted with free electricity and water station, including an overhead tank. Now existing are a school and a multi-purpose hall, where ‘values formation’ and village meetings are held.
The Local Housing Board will prepare, validate and evaluate the final list of beneficiaries but residents of Palico I to III villages were chosen “because they live along the Imus River, which is prone to flooding, landslide, or erosion during heavy rains,” city information and concurrent tourism chief Edgardo Saquilayan said.
Deck Palanca, vice president for operations of Chan C Brothers, Inc., also presented some PHP1.65 million in donation for the construction of 10 houses in Phase 2. (Gladys Pino/PNA)
