City council allots budget for resettlement building

CEBU, Philippines - The Mandaue City Council has set aside P4.9 million for the construction of a building at the Kobe resettlement site in Barangay Canduman.

Councilor Demetrio Cortes, chairman of the council committee on social services, said the Housing and Urban Development Office has identified 1,272 of the 44,249-square-meter government lot in Canduman for the construction of the building, which is a project of the Kasamtangan Puloy-anan.

It was in 2002 that the city government declared the area as a socialized housing site for the development of a temporary shelter facility.

Cortes said the site is intended to provide temporary shelters to those residing in danger zones, especially those whose houses were demolished and those who have no capacity to immediately put up their structures.

"The lot is ideal for construction of a building intended for Kasamtangan Puloy-anan project," Cortes said.

Kasamtangan Puloy-anan is a private organization that helps the city government of Mandaue in attending to the needs of Mandauehanons affected by government's infrastructure projects.

Prior to the approval of the City Council, Housing Urban Development officer Tony Pet Juanico sought the opinion of the City Legal Office if there are no legal barriers in the construction of the proposed resettlement building.

Another building for the remaining lot will be constructed through public-private partnership program.

Juanico was concerned if the 44,249-square-meter lot in Canduman can be used for socialized housing considering that the government will partner with a private organization - the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (RAFI).

He was worried they might be accused of technical malversation.

But city legal officer Omar Redula, in response, said that "in technical malversation, the public officer applies public funds under his administration not for his or another's personal use, but to a public use other than that for which the fund was appropriated by law or ordinance."

Redulla added that "this office respectfully opines that the Kobe Resettlement Site in Barangay Canduman is to be used according to the purpose for which it was intended." (FREEMAN)