TAGAYTAY CITY - Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) chairman Jejomar Binay urged local government units (LGUs) of Region IV-A to partner with the national government in planning and implementing housing programs.
 
“Not only do we need each other, the local and national sectors, in the huge undertaking of housing, we need to make each other more capable at our own levels,” Vice President Binay said in his speech at Summit Ridge Hotel in Tagaytay City on Friday.
 
Binay, together with officials of key shelter agencies (KSAs), spearheaded the launch of the Calabarzon Pabahay Caravan to the local mayors of Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal and Quezon.
 
The "Region lV-A Pabahay Caravan: Strengthening Local Government Units(LGU) in Housing Delivery and Local Development Planning" aims to work with the LGUs and build their capacities to carry out and implement their own housing programs.

“The Pabahay Caravan is an effort of the government shelter agencies to localize the delivery of housing services with the LGUs at the forefront,” he said.
 
The caravan is the third in the series of Binay’s housing activities. The last two caravans were held in Cebu and Baguio City.
 
“Being closer to the people, the LGUs should be at the forefront in delivering housing services” Binay said.
 
The housing czar noted that under Republic Act 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, LGUs are mandated to deliver quality homes to their constituents.
 
The Calabarzon has been a constant partner of the national government in developing housing sites for informal settlers such as the Southville Resettlement Sites in Laguna, Cavite and Rizal.
 
“Our role in HUDCC is to enable them to provide these services by orienting them on our housing programs and training them to facilitate the implementations of such projects in their areas” Binay explained.
 
During the 2-day caravan, representatives from the National Housing Authority (NHA), the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), the National Housing Mortgage Fund Corporation (NHMFC), the Housing and Land Use and Regulatory Board (HLURB) and the Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) presented their respective housing program and services.
 
Celia Alba, HUDCC Secretary-General, in an interview, said the national government could not single handedly address the housing problem of the country, thus, prompting them to tap the help of the local government units.
 
“Being a mayor for 20 plus years, VP Binay had experienced the big role of the local executives in resolving the problems of the marginalized members of the community,” Alba said.
 
Alba likewise said that the HUDCC aims to go around the country this coming September and October to disseminate the agency’s housing programs and services.
 
“Dapat may kaniya-kanyang local body ang LGU to handle shelter program, specifically in assessing the number of informal settlers, resources of land and funding for their respective constituents,” Alba said.
 
Alba added that Pag-IBIG could extend P40 million loans for LGUs who intend to build horizontal housing projects, and P20 million for vertical or row houses in a 2-hectare land payable in 30 years. 
 
Alba said they are now also studying the situation of the people living on Taal Island affected by the volcano activity.
 
“Weeks ago, may mga pinapunta na kaming NHA officials to talk with the mayor of Talisay para tignan nila kung saan pwedeng area ang i-award in case magkaroon ng relocation. But we're still in discussion stage considering the predicament of the residents in the area,” Alba said.
 
Alba said the proposal of relocation for affected families in Talisay will be submitted to the President for budget consideration. “Hindi pa kasi naka budget sa NHA ang gagawing program in case magkaroon ng relocation sa Talisay,” she added
 
Meanwhile, Binay awarded Transfer of Certificate of Titles (TCTs) to housing beneficiaries of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP) projects of the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), including the Andrea Paz Pabahay sa Barangay Barandal Homeowners, Inc. in Calamba City, Laguna; Isla Verde Homeowners Association, Inc. in Imus Cavite; and, AN-CRIS Homeowners Association, Inc. in Bacoor, Cavite.