ALABEL, Saranggani - Families calling small, cramped rented rooms ‘home sweet home’ are among the priority target beneficiaries of Senator Manny Pacquiao’s housing program for the estimated 10 million homeless Filipinos in the country.
In a media interview here, Paquiao, who is seeking the presidency under the PROMDI party, said he plans to put up Singapore-type condominium buildings with thousands of units to be distributed to the urban poor and the homeless.
Pacquiao disclosed his plans as he inspected the Pacman Village here, together with senatorial candidates Raffy "Idol" Tulfo and former Eastern Samar Gov. Lutgardo "Lutz" Barbo.
He revealed that awardees of the Pacman Village housing units are among the poorest in the country, adding that some are Samar and Leyte residents who were rendered homeless following the devastation of typhoon Yolanda back in November 2013.
The Filipino boxing icon said families who could not afford to purchase their own houses and are relying on small rooms and old apartment units for shelter should be placed on the priority list of his mass housing program.
The Pacman Village in Alavel is among the five communities that Pacquiao helped develop for homeless and poor Filipinos.
The project was bankrolled using Pacquiao’s hard-earned money from a successuful professional boxing career.
In Uganda, the senator, through the Pacquiao Foundation, also helped put up a Pacman Village in Bundibugyo town to provide homes for the Batwa Pygmies.
Donations from American mixed martial arts champion Dustin Poirier were also used in carrying out the project.
The solon also told the media that Metro Manila housing projects will be launched immediately should he win the presidency.
“Ang plano natin ay mabigyan lahat ng pabahay. May design na kami para sa Metro Manila (Our plan is to provide everybody with houses. We already have a design for the houses in Metro Manila),” he disclosed.
“Dahil hindi ganito na may malawak na lupain, ang kailangan natin doon (Metro Manila) ay high-rise na condominium buildings na tulad ng Singapore (Since there are no spacious lands there, what we need in Metro Manila are high-rise condominium buildings like those in Singapore),” he said.
The senator reiterated his view that giving housing units to all Filipinos can be realized as soon as he has successfully carried out his plan to rid government of corrupt officials and personnel, adding that the money saved from this alone will be enough to finance hus countrymen's housing needs.
He said the Alabel project can accommodate at least 1,000 units, adding that putting them up is among his plans.
The Pacman Village is complete with a barangay center, worship center and a community livelihood building that is currently filled with sewing machines to provide women alternative means of income.
The free housing project sits on a six-hectare land that Pacquiao purchased.
Another Pacman Village is located in General Santos City while two more are situated in the towns of Malungon, Glan, and Maasin--all in Saranggani.
He disclosed that he started purchasing lands to build these Pacman Villages in 2004.
He said that providing houses for the poor is his way of thanking God for all the blessings that were given to him and his family.