Presidential aspirant and Manila City Mayor “Isko Moreno” Domagoso officially opened the 15-storey Tondominium I, one of the infrastructure projects under his leadership

“Hopefully, sa maliit nating kaparaanan, naitaas natin ang antas ng pamumuhay nila na ‘yung natitikman ng mayaman ay pwedeng matikman ng mahirap (in our own little way, we uplift their living condition, that what the rich people enjoy can also be experienced by the poor). Today is the day that the Lord has made that in our own little way, ‘yung equality ay unti-unting nararamdaman ng ating mga kababayan (the equality is gradually being felt by our countrymen),” Moreno said.

Together with its twin, Tondominium II, the almost P1 billion housing project located in one of the world’s largest slums can accommodate about 336 families in 44-sqm units that will each have two bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room.

Aside from Tondominium 1 and 2, other vertical housing units are in various stages of construction across the city, including the P401-million Binondominium; the 20-storey San Lazaro Residences in Sta. Cruz; the 20-storey Pedro Gil Residences in San Andres Bukid; and the 20-storey San Sebastian Residences in Quiapo.

Meanwhile, the Basecommunity is Manila's in-city horizontal public housing project in Baseco, Port area that was completed in July last year. The property has 229 two-storey, 42 square-meter housing units, and each has two bedrooms, a dining room, a kitchen, a bathroom, and a living room.

The mayor said he pushed for the construction of the modern public facilities because he wanted the poor to have the same amenities accorded to the rich, and for them not to experience what he had experienced as a poor boy in Tondo.

The presidential candidate also said he wants to replicate all these throughout the country if elected president. (Terence Ranis)