The construction of the high-rise condominium as shelters for informal settlers and those classified under low-income units in Camarines Sur  is expected to create more jobs and eventually trigger economic growth in Bicol region, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) said on Sunday, March 19.

DHSUD Secretary Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar explained that the jobs that would be generated by those who would be involved in the construction would be the source of income for the labor sector in the region.

Acuzar said both the DHSUD and the Provincial Government of Camarines Sur have agreed that the priority in hiring laborers for the construction of the high-rise condo should come from the province and the Bicol region.

"This program has multiple advantages for CamSur. Aside from decent and affordable housing, we see trade and economic activities, and direct and indirect jobs for our residents here," Acuzar said. 

President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on March 16 led the groundbreaking ceremony of two housing projects to be implemented by the city and provincial governments under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program. 

Based on the presented plan, the Camarines Sur provincial government’s housing project targets 12, 960 units along Panganiban Drive, a major road in Naga City. 

Meanwhile, Naga City’s Legacy Residences Development Project initially plans to build 1,200 units in a 1.2-hectare area in Barangay Balatas.

Earlier, Secretary Acuzar stressed the economic pump-priming potentials of the housing and real estate sector in 80 allied industries.

Among the top industries that could benefit from the housing program once fully implemented include steel and metal manufacturing, cement, veneer and plywood, refine petroleum producers, sawmills and wood and wholesale/retail businesses. 

Camarines Sur 2nd District Representative Luis Raymund Villafuerte Villafuerte, for his part, said the program will not only provide home to their people but also spur economic activities and growth in Camarines Sur and the whole Bicol region. 

“These housing units will easily bring to the local economy P6-8 billion. More than the 10,000 families that will have a home, and the P6-8 billion that will go around the local economy, this will generate thousands of jobs,” Villafuerte said.

He also vowed to that they will train skilled workers, necessary for housing construction, in partnership with the national government and other agencies.