President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. vowed Wednesday to continue breaking ground for the administration’s ambitious housing project to provide ordinary Filpinos with decent housing complete with basic amenities and facilities.
“I’m glad that we are continuing. This is not the first groundbreaking that I have attended. I hope… I know it will not be the last, and that we will continue to break ground in different parts around the country para naman ‘yung ating pinapangarap na one million homes a year,” President Marcos said during the groundbreaking of the Palayan City Township Housing Project in Nueva Ecija.
“One million homes a year, pagka naabot natin ‘yun, at least napakalaking bagay na ‘yan na nabigyan natin ng solusyon ang problema ng bahay ng ating mga kababayan,” the chief executive pointed out.
According to the President, the administration’s concept is to provide families with shelter not only for poor residents but also for employed people who struggle to have decent housing.
Housing agencies and developers must consider providing their housing projects with facilities and necessities like water, power, schools, markets as well as transport hubs, Marcos said.
“Yun ang mga dapat — hindi dapat makalimutan at kaya’t ito ating ginagawa, ganoon ang ating sinusundan. And I hope that we will continue at this rate at kailangan na kailangan talaga natin gawin ‘to but this is one of the many actually that we are going to break ground,” Marcos said.
The President expressed his gratitude to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and to the Palayan City local government for their efforts in spearheading the housing project, stressing that collaboration is necessary for ventures like shelter projects.
President Marcos also thanked all other local government units (LGUs) and emphasized their crucial role in ensuring the success of the government’s major housing program.
LGUs usually identify suitable lands, select qualified beneficiaries and ensure the livability of the houses and communities that will be built.
The 11-hectare Palayan City Township Housing Project is part of President Marcos’ Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program aimed at addressing the country’s housing needs by building 1 million houses each year in the next six years.
Under the three-phase project, 5,100 housing units will be built, with support infrastructure such as an elementary school, livelihood center, administrative offices, a central park, basketball court, a mini market and hawker area, aquaponics area, sewage treatment plant and materials recovery facility.
Construction will commence in April next year with the project’s phase 1, with 2,500 housing units seen to be finished in 2024.
Joining the President in Nueva Ecija were DHSUD Secretary Jose Acuzar, Sen. JV Ejercito, House Speaker Martin Romualdez and Palayan City Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas. #
