HUDCC bares accomplishments under Robredo

MANILA, Philippines (UPDATED 5:32 p.m.) — The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) on Monday listed Vice President Leni Robredo's accomplishments as its chairperson in five months.

The HUDCC listed five key accomplishments including cutting red tape, providing socialized and low-cost housing and construction of around 17,000 homes for victims of Typhoon Yolanda.

Under Robredo's term, documentary requirements for housing projects under High Density Housing and Community Mortgage Program were reduced from 27 to nine.

At least 46,000 families also received socialized and low-cost housing as of September 31.

Also listed among the achievements were the adoption of city-wide approach to socialized and low-cost housing and revised policy directions based on consultations with the marginalized sectors.

At a press conference on Monday, Robredo said she was passionate about her work in the housing body. "24-7 na halos ako nagtatrabaho," Robredo said.

Under Robredo's leadership, the council was able to develop a system to quickly identify lands for government housing projects and locate informal settlers in Metro Manila.

Relocated families were also given freedom to choose the site of relocation, home designs and construction of necessary community facilities with the scrapping of the contractor-led model.

Robredo filed her resignation from the post Monday morning as she was barred from attending all Cabinet meetings starting December 5.

"This is the last straw, because it makes it impossible for me to perform my duties." Robredo's statement, released on December 4 read.

In the statement, she also said the HUDCC's budget for key shelter agencies in 2017 has been slashed by more than P19 billion, key shelter agency appointment recommendations were not approved by the Palace and the executive order to make the council effective was not signed.

Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco will take over the post vacated by Robredo. — with a report from Alexis Romero