By Hannah Torregoza
Senator Risa Hontiveros is seeking to realign P3-billion worth of unspent funds of the National Housing Authority (NHA) from 2018 and previous years to housing and rehabilitation efforts in Mindanao.
Senator Risa Hontiveros (Juan Carlo de Vela / MB FILE PHOTO)
“Dahil sa pinsala na dulot ng lindol sa maraming panig sa Mindanao, maigi na maglaan ang gobyerno ng dagdag na pondo para sa pabahay at imprastrakturang rehabilitasyon ng mga kababayan natin sa Mindanao (Because of the damage brought about by the earthquake in many parts of Mindanao, it is best that the government increase the budget for housing and infrastructure rehabilitation of our countrymen in Mindanao),” she said.
“Mahalaga ito para walang pera na natetengga na dapat ay napapakinabangan ng mamamayan, lalo na yung mga naghahanap ng maayos at makatarungang pabahay, (This is important so that no funds are left idle that should be used to benefit citizens, particularly those looking for better and fair housing privileges),” she emphasized
“This is where the government should put flesh to its 'build, build, build' rhetoric. Maging modelo sana ang mga lugar na pininsala ng lindol ng makataong pabahay," Hontiveros added.
During the plenary deliberation of the 2020 budget of the government’s key shelter agencies, the Department of Budget and Management (DBM) said that based on its assessment on key shelter agencies, the National Housing Authority (NHA) and the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) have very low budget utilization rates.
According to the DBM, the NHA has yet to obligate the P3- billion in direct budgetary support for its operations during the previous years.
The senator also said there are better ways to increase the absorptive capacity of the housing sector, adding that government should not limit its options when it comes to providing poor and homeless families with decent and affordable housing.
“We should link up and identify possible partnerships with institutions both public and private which are willing and able to help our people,” she said.
She said among the possible partners of the government in this issue are local government units (LGUs) and private developers.
Hontiveros noted that LGUs have been formulating their Local Shelter Plans for years but they have not been matched with resources, while both the NHA and the PAG-IBIG or Home Development Mutual Fund have in fact entered into Public-Private Partnerships (PPP).
"Handa na at naghihintay lang ang 300 na munisipyo…(300 municipalities are ready and waiting) … Let’s see which partnerships work and are effective in allowing us to hit more of our housing targets. Successful ones should be scaled up and replicated in the long-term,” she stressed.