Public urged to own housing units at reasonable terms

MANILA, Philippines - Vice President Jejomar Binay yesterday urged the public to grab the opportunity to acquire housing units at affordable terms offered in the Housing Fair 2013 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong.

“Housing Fair 2013 brings together the government and the private sector to jointly provide opportunities for the Filipino public to acquire their own homes at affordable prices, and ultimately to help them lead better lives,” Binay said.

He said brand new housing units along with acquired assets of key shelter agencies and government financial institutions nationwide that cater to various income levels are offered during the fair.

Big discounts and affordable terms are also extended to interested buyers, he said.

Binay, chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), said the Housing Fair, which started in 2006, is being held every October in celebration of Shelter Month.

He said Housing Fair 2013, with the theme “Gaganda ang buhay sa sariling bahay,” is organized by HUDCC, in cooperation with Pag-IBIG Fund, the National Housing Authority (NHA), Home Guaranty Corp., Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board, National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., Social Housing Finance Corp., Government Service Insurance System, Social Security System, Development Bank of the Philippines and Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas.

Also participating are housing partners from the private sector, including the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association, National Real Estate Association, Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines, and Subdivision and Housing Developers Association.

The Housing Fair comes on the heels of the successful high-level roundtable discussion on sustainable housing, which kicked off celebrations for Shelter Month.

During the opening of the fair, Binay also held a dialogue with housing stakeholders and the public, where he underscored the link between poverty and housing.

He then urged the country’s key shelter agencies and urban planners to find solutions for people lacking decent and affordable housing.

Binay added that this year’s Shelter Month celebration also marked the 25th anniversary of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP).

Last Oct. 14, Binay led the recognition of community associations and CMP mobilizers, including non-government organizations and local government units that performed their roles well in CMP.

Titles were also distributed to community associations which have fully complied with their financial obligations.

Earlier, Binay also led the inauguration of Phase 2 of the Bistekville housing project in Quezon City, one the first housing projects in the country that brings together families from both the formal and informal sectors.

He also distributed titles to some 750 beneficiaries of the Mount Pinatubo resettlement sites in Pampanga.

“It took 19 years for the titles to be handed over due to various reasons and difficulties encountered by both implementors and beneficiaries, but the victims of the Mount Pinatubo eruption are now legitimate homeowners,” he said.

Binay assured the housing beneficiaries that more titles will be released soon with the P6 million funding provided by the NHA for the project.

Last Thursday, the Vice President also led the groundbreaking of the Vitas low-rise buildings in Manila.

“The four 5-story buildings composed of 240 units are expected to be completed in 10 months and would replace the Vitas tenement which the Department of Public Works and Highways declared as condemned in the 1990s,” Binay said

He cited the timeliness of the project in the wake of recent calamities, particularly the magnitude 7.2 earthquake that hit Central Visayas last Oct. 15.