Malabon City Mayor Jeannie Sandoval vowed to provide safer and better homes for city residents following the turnover of 1,380 free housing units at St. Gregory Homes, in Barangay Panghulo from the national government to the city government on Monday, March 27.
The ceremonial turnover of the housing units was led by President Marcos, along with Sandoval, Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DSHUD) Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar, National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Joeben Tai, and other national and local officials.
The housing project is under the president’s “Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program” which aims to build six million homes or one million houses per year in six years, and provide livelihood opportunities for the FIlipinos.
St. Gregory homes is an in-city housing project in Barangay Panghulo, Malabon City which consists of 23 five-storey buildings with 60 units each. Each unit has a 24 square meter floor area.
Sandoval shared that there are already 240 families who used to live near the waterways, who were victims of fire and other calamities, who were already relocated to the site as of Monday.
The City Social Welfare Development Office (CSWD)) will also conduct livelihood trainings and cooperative formation that will help ensure the new unit owners will thrive in the community. They also assured that the nearby public schools are able to secure a place for the children of the families who recently relocated to the area.
It added that the beneficiaries can look forward to the construction of a clubhouse, a commercial area where the residents can have a livelihood project/cooperative, school buildings, the completion of a hospital with 200 bed-capacity, and a market in the area.
Marcos led the awarding of the Certificates of Eligibility of Lot Allocation to 10 families.
“Ako po ay natutuwa at bumisita ngayon sa atin si President Bongbong Marcos para sa turnover po ng mga pabahay sa mga beneficiaries na nanggaling po sa danger zones, sa tabi po ng mga creeks. Ngayon po magkakaroon na sila ng kasiguruhan o magkakaroon ng seguridad ang kanilang paninirahan. Nakalinya po yan doon sa aming priority projects na pabahay at palupa, na tamang tama yun din ang priority project ng ating pangulong Marcos (I am happy that President Bongbong Marcos visited us today for the turnover of housing for the beneficiaries who came from the danger zones, or those who used to live next to the creeks. Now they will have assurance or their residence will have security. This is in line with our priority projects for housing and land, which is aligned with the priority project of President Marcos),” Sandoval said.
“Ang simbolo po ng paglilipat ng bahay po dito ay hindi lang po meron silang bubong sa taas ng ulo nila, kundi magkakaroon sila ng magandang kinabukasan. There is hope for them (The symbolism of this relocation is that now have a roof over their heads and they will have a good future. There is hope for them,” she added.
Sandoval also expressed support to the president’s goal of giving quality houses for Filipinos.
Meanwhile, Valenzuela City Mayor Weslie “Wes” Gatchalian joined President Marcos, the DHSUD, and NHA during the groundbreaking and capsule-laying for Phase 1 of the new Disiplina Village Arkong Bato housing relocation project on M.H. Del Pilar St., Barangay Arkong Bato.
The relocation site aims to provide decent homes to informal settler families, fire victims, and those who also live in danger zones.
The new Disiplina Village Arkong Bato will stand on a 20,709 square meter parcel of land and will have 20 five-storey medium rise buildings with 1,200 units that measure approximately 32 square meters each.
The village is strategically located in the area where residents can easily access public utility vehicles (PUVs) in the city.
“Ang pangalang Disiplina Village ay isang paalala na kailangang may disiplina ang mga naninirahan dito – mga residenteng hindi lamang disiplinado sa kanilang sarili, kung hindi pati na rin sa kanilang tahanan at kapaligiran. Sa kanilang paglipat sa Disiplina Village, hindi lamang tirahan nila ang nabago, kundi pati ang pananaw at pagkilala sa kanilang mga sarili. From informal settlers to homeowners, sila ngayon ay sagisag ng pagbangon sa kahirapan at sumasalamin sa mukha ng bagong Valenzuelano (The name Disiplina Village is a reminder that the residents here must have discipline – residents who are not just disciplined in their homes and surroundings. With their transfer to Disiplina Village, it’s not just their homes that are changed but also their perspectives in life. From being informal settlers to homeowners, they are now the symbol of recovery from poverty),” Gatchalian said.
The Disiplina Village in Barangay Arkong Bato is the fourth in-city housing relocation project of the city government. The four other sites are located in barangays Ugong, Bignay, and Lingunan.