DAVAO CITY – The administration of President Rodrigo Duterte is fulfilling its promise of providing quality homes for members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
Another memorandum of agreement was signed here Wednesday for the establishment of the Madayaw Residences at Central Park, Bangkal, this city.
Since the groundbreaking of the project last year by President Duterte, the three-hectare area has been fenced, a model unit was up for viewing, and one residential condominium is already under construction.
On Wednesday, National Housing Authority (NHA) chief Marcelino Escalada, Home Development Mutual Fund chief executive officer Acmad Rizaldy Moti, Eastern Mindanao Command (Eastmincom) commander Lt. Gen Benjie Madrigal and Police Regional Office (PRO) XI Director Manuel Gaerlan sealed the deal for the housing project.
Escalada said the Madayaw Residences project comprises 16 buildings with a total of 640 residential units. The units either measure 36 or 42 square meters.
The 36-square meter unit has a selling price of PHP880,000 or a monthly amortization of PHP4,700 while the bigger unit has a monthly amortization of PHP10,600.
Moti said the smaller units are affordable for police officers with the rank of PO1 and PO2 and the soldier with a rank of Private with a monthly salary of PHP29,800 while the bigger unit is affordable for SPO1 of the PNP and Sergeant of the AFP receiving PHP35,000 monthly salary.
But Escalada said President Duterte has promised to subsidize a certain amount for each recipient.
Escalada said 45 percent of the total units will be allocated for the AFP, 45 percent for the PNP and the remaining 10 percent for those with the Bureau of Fire Protection, Bureau of Jail and Management and Penology and Bureau of Corrections.
Already, the AFP and PNP are overbooked for applicants. As of Wednesday, there are already 2,100 applications filed with their respective housing boards.
Madrigal and Gaerlan assured that qualified applicants will be chosen fairly and priority will be given to those last three lower ranks without housing and cannot afford to buy a house.
Escalada assured the quality of the units. “We deliver the culture of quality,” he assured.
The contractor, Bilrey, assured that there is a technical reviewing body to ensure the quality of the housing units. The body is composed of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), National Economic Development Authority (NEDA), Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), a professional group and NHA. (Lilian C. Mellejor/PNA)
