DHSUD, Muntinlupa LGU inaugurate housing project


The Muntinlupa City government and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) inaugurated on Thursday the BALAI Munti, a housing project for the benefit of the employees and officials of the city government.

BALAI, or Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive Filipino, is DHSUD’s flagship program.

The BALAI Munti housing project in Muntinlupa (Muntinlupa PIO)

Joining the inauguration ceremony at BALAI Munti in Lakeview, Brgy. Putatan were Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi, DHSUD Sec. Eduardo del Rosario, PAG-IBIG Fund CEO Acmad Rizaldy Moti, and other officials from the national and local governments and partners from the private sector. Rep. Ruffy Biazon sent a video message for the inauguration.

Fresnedi thanked the national government and private sector for partnering with the city government in constructing the in-city housing project.

“Kami ay natutuwa sa DHSUD at PAG-IBIG dahil hindi sila tumigil sa pagco-coordinate para sa project na ito. Dito makikita na kapag nagtutulungan ang lokal at nasyunal, maging ang pribadong sektor, ay mabilis tayong makakapag-provide ng social service sa publiko (We are glad that the DHSUD and PAG-IBIG did not stop in coordinating with us for this project. We can see here that if the local and national governments help each other, even the private sector, we can immediately provide social service to the public), said Fresnedi.

BALAI Munti is the first BALAI funded Countryside Housing Initiative (CHI) project in Metro Manila. The site development of the project will be funded by the Ayala Group of Companies as its compliance to Balance Housing Requirement through the BALAI program.

PAG-IBIG Fund CEO Acmad Rizaldy Moti, DHSUD Sec. Eduardo del Rosario, Muntinlupa Mayor Jaime Fresnedi together with Vice Mayor Artemio Simundac and councilors inaugurate the BALAI Munti Housing Project in Lakeview, Brgy. Putatan on Oct. 28. (Muntinlupa PIO)

CHI is a program of PAG-IBIG which aims to provide housing projects in underserved areas where Filipino workers belonging to minimum and low wage earners seek to acquire decent and affordable homes.

Moti lauded the city government’s initiative that paved the way for the rollout of the CHI that lowered the costs of housing units.

“P1.2 million ang market value ng mga housing unit nito sa PAG-IBIG pero mabibili lang ng P750,000. Parang binibigyan ng local government ang mga benepisyaryo ng equity na P400,000,” said Moti.

Del Rosario underscored the importance of convergence among public agencies and the private sector for the delivery of housing projects and creating more progressive communities in the country.

“I congratulate Mayor Fresnedi for this project and I hope that the BALAI Munti project will be emulated by more organizations in providing Filipinos with decent shelters and creating progressive communities for nation-building,” he said.

During the program, DHSUD also turned over the development permit and initial BALAI check amounting to P33.8 million to Mayor Fresnedi. The total committed value for the site development amounts to P123.5 million.

BALAI Munti will be composed of 35 four-storey medium-rise buildings with 668 housing units and 115 parking spaces. The minimum floor area per unit is 30 square meters.

In December 2018, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), Home Development and Mutual Fund (PAG-IBIG Fund), and the city government for the housing project.

Last Oct. 13, a raffle for housing unit assignment for the initial building constructed in the housing site was conducted among the first batch of beneficiaries composed of 68 city government employees.