Senator Nancy Binay on Wednesday, Aug. 17 asked the National Housing Authority (NHA) to consider giving housing projects to informal settler families (ISF) for free.
Binay made the suggestion after Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jerry Acuzar said some of the beneficiaries of the government's housing projects end up not paying the minimal fee for their units anymore.
Instead of allowing the NHA to evict non-paying beneficiaries through legislation, Binay raised the idea of just giving the units for free.
"Let's call a spade a spade. Libreng pabahay talaga dahil hindi rin naman sila nakakabayad (We should give free housing since the poor cannot pay for it)," the senator said during the organizational meeting of the Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement.
"Baka the committee can study na baka 'pag NHA project, libre na. Ilibre na natin (Maybe the committee can study the proposal that, if it's an NHA project, it can be given for free)," she added.
However, Senator JV Ejercito, chairman of the committee, dismissed the idea. He said, "We can study but I still believe na dapat walang libre sa pabahay, except for calamity siguro (that housing shouldn't be given for free, except maybe during calamities)."
Senator Cynthia Villar agreed with Ejercito, saying free housing programs could be an avenue for graft and corruption.
"Magpapalakasan para makakuha ng libreng bahay sa NHA. Medyo mahirap ata yun. Dapat meron din silang equity, kasi 'pag ganon, alam mo naman ang gobyerno natin marami rin palakasan baka mamaya lalong madefeat ang purpose ng pagbibigay ng bahay sa mga mahihirap (They would bribe officials into granting them free houses. It's hard. They should have equity. As you know, bribery is rampant in the government. And I'm afraid it would just defeat the purpose of giving free houses to the poor)," she said.
"Baka hindi na sa mahihirap mabigay ang bahay (Free houses might not end up with the poor)," she added.