President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. inaugurated on Wednesday, Dec. 21, a township housing project in Nueva Ecija which is expected to house around 11,000 informal settler families and those under the low-income bracket.
In his speech, the President was elated to know the project will also house a public market, a school and clinic.
"I am happy that I was given the opportunity to be with you in this groundbreaking... this is but proof that we are on the right track in our goal of providing homes to millions of Filipino families," said Marcos.
Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said the 11-hectare township development project is located in Barangay Atate in Palayan City and features a housing community equipped with amenities and infrastructure to facilitate economic and social activities among target beneficiaries.
It will be composed of three phases, expected to build 44 towers with about 11,000 housing units.
Facilities and amenities such as elementary school, livelihood center, administrative offices, central park, basketball court, mini market and hawker area, aquaphonics area, sewage treatment plant and materials recovery facility are also incorporated in the master plan for township development.
“Like what I always say, our President not only wants us to simply build houses – but, more importantly, develop an enabling community which will allow home dwellers to sustain their source of living and provide comfort in their daily lives,” Acuzar said.
“Through this project, we will ensure more accessible public services and sources of livelihood for our kababayans. On behalf of the President, let me thank the local government of Nueva Ecija, particularly Palayan City, for embracing and rolling out the Pambansang Pabahay here as we envision it to be,” he added.
The DHSUD is pushing to build one million houses every year in the next six years to address the 6.5 million housing backlog.
Also present during the ceremony were House Speaker Martin Romualdez, Senator JV Ejercito, Palayan City Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas, Pag-IBIG Fund CEO Marilene Acosta, Social Housing Finance Corporation President Renato Tobias, Development Bank of the Philippines President Emmanuel Herbosa and other government officials.