NHA: Yolanda rehab done before PNoy term ends

Citizens of Tacloban City temporarily live in a tent city after Yolanda devastated the city.

MANILA, Philippines - The National Housing Authority (NHA) is looking forward to finish constructing house units in Yolanda-affected communities before the term of President Benigno Aquino III ends in 2016.

NHA General Manager Chito Cruz explained that the housing program is slow due to the lengthy process of acquiring land. Government agencies have to check the land first if it is safe from natural calamities such as storm surges and landslides.

"Kailangan po natin makahanap ng lupa. Kailangan po suitable for relocation," Cruz said during an interview with radio dzMM.

The NHA official said that Tacloban City alone needs 14,500 units or 100 hectares, wherein only 400 units have been awarded to beneficiaries. 

The housing agency has already acquired land for 12,000 units. The local government of Tacloban City donated 50 hectares but only 10 hectares were utilized.

Overall, the housing agency needs to construct a total of 205,000 units or 1,500 hectares of land in Yolanda-hit areas such as Tacloban, Samar, Leyte, Panay Island, Negros, North Cebu and Palawan.

Cruz said that the NHA has partnerships with Non-Governmental Organizations in building houses in order to lower the costs of construction. The official added that building a unit costs approximately P280,000.

A year after Yolanda, Aquino assured that the government is doing its best to speed up the rehabilitation process in affected areas. 

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