Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte together with Vice President and Department of Education (DepEd) Secretary Sara Duterte led the groundbreaking ceremony of a housing project for teachers on Republic Avenue, Barangay Holy Spirit, Quezon City Tuesday, March 21. The "Programang Pabahay para sa mga Guro na taga-Lungsod ng Quezon" is the construction of eight five-storey residential buildings and a 12-storey residential building that would benefit 597 public school teachers in the city. It was initiated by the local government in partnership with DepEd and National Housing Authority (NHA). "Lubos na nagsusumikap ang pamahalaang lungsod ng Quezon na mabigyan ng katiyakan sa paninirahan ang ating mga minamahal na mamamayan sa pamamagitan ng pagpapatupad ng isang progresibong programang bahay na magkakaloob sa bawat resident ng pantay pantay na oportunidad na magkaroon ng tirahan (The Quezon City government is working hard to give our beloved citizens houses through the implementation of a progressive housing program that will provide every resident with an equal opportunity to have a place to live)," Belmonte said. The event was also attended by former President of the Philippines and now House of Representatives Senior Deputy Speaker Gloria Macapagal Arroyo and the NHA General Manager Joeben Tai. The mayor thanked Arroyo for signing the Republic Act 9207 of 2003 during her term as president. RA 9207 or the National Government Center (NGC) for Housing and Land Utilization Act, allows the use of NGC sites for housing projects. She also expressed her gratitude to Duterte and Tai for their continuous support to the housing program. Belmonte said that non-teaching personnel in the city's public schools will also get the chance to avail of the house units. The project also serves as a tribute project to the hardworking school teachers and staff, she added. Meanwhile, Vice President Duterte thanked Belmonte for the invitation to attend the said ceremony. She said that it was her first official event in Quezon City. Duterte reiterated the importance of residents having their own homes. She also shared her experiences with her previous housing projects as a former mayor of Davao City. "Hindi madali para sa mga naghihirap nating mga kababayan na magrenta o makautang o makapag apply ng housing loans. At alam nating lahat kung gaano kahalaga ang bahay (It is not easy for our poor fellow citizens to rent or borrow or apply for a housing loan. And we all know how important a house is)," Duterte said. "Our dream was for our fellow Davaoeños to live in affordable homes. Homes that are decent, homes they can call their own, and homes where they can raise their children happily and safely," she expressed. The vice president also thanked the QCitizens for the support she received during the election campaign last year. Belmonte along with VP Duterte signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to legally bind the project partnership between the local and national governments.