MOU for additional farmers’ housing project inked

MANILA, Philippines — A memorandum of understanding (MOU) for the construction of more housing units for farmers has been signed by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), and Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) as well as  representatives of 19 local government units (LGUs).

The MOU aims to provide decent and affordable housing communities for farmer-beneficiaries of the  Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program or CARP, according to Secretaries Eduardo del Rosario and John Castriciones of the DHSUD and DAR, respectively.

Del Rosario said the projects would be anchored on  DHSUD’s “Building Adequate, Livable, Affordable and Inclusive Filipino Communities” or the BALAI concept.

“When Secretary Castriciones told me about this project, I immediately approved it without thinking because I believe it is doable, supportable and achievable,” Del Rosario said.

“It is our responsibility to help the informal settlers, give them capacity – together with our key shelter agencies – to be able to have a house of their own,” he added.

Del Rosario cited data from the Philippine Statistics Authority showing that between 2006 and 2015, fishermen and farmers were consistently classified as the poorest sectors of society with a 34 percent poverty incidence rate.

The MOU provides that the project will consist of three phases – land acquisition, land development and housing construction.

The LGUs will be responsible for securing a property where the houses will be constructed.

The DHSUD will shoulder the development of the land, while the construction will be implemented in coordination with DHSUD’s key shelter agencies such as the Pag-IBIG Fund, Social Housing Finance Corp. and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corp.

The signing of the MOU came following the success of DHSUD and DAR’s pilot housing project in Umingan, Pangasinan, which was launched in December last year.

The project benefited more than a hundred local farmers.

Castriciones said the continued success of the “milestone” housing projects would need the cooperation of the LGUs and other government agencies.

At least 19 LGUs nationwide have met the requirements to qualify for the project, the DHSUD said.