Leni: P700M worth of DHSUD projects to address housing gap

By Connie Calipay

LEGAZPI CITY --- Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo said the city’s housing gap is being addressed through the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino (4PH) Plus Program, which includes a groundbreaking PHP480-million rental housing project and PHP17 million Community Mortgage Program (CMP) assistance.

During the city’s 78th Charter Anniversary celebration on Thursday, Robredo thanked the national government and the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) for bringing nearly PHP700 million worth of housing projects to Naga.

The rental housing project, to be built in Barangay Lerma, will consist of five four-story buildings with 320 housing units — 64 units per building — at an estimated cost of PHP480 million.

“Because the area is prone to flooding, vertical housing is the most suitable option to minimize disruptions to the lives and livelihoods of residents whenever flooding occurs,” Robredo said.

The housing project was redesigned to include water impounding and drainage systems underneath the structures after city officials opposed an earlier proposal to elevate the site through land filling.

“We did not agree with simply raising the ground level because it might worsen flooding in nearby communities. The redesign includes water impounding and other systems that could help reduce flooding in the area,” she said.

Aside from the rental housing project, the city received checks amounting to more than PHP8 million for the San Pedro Urban Poor Kooperatiba Inc. and over PHP17 million for beneficiaries in Barangay Mabolo under the CMP.

Naga has also applied for five additional sites under DHSUD’s Direct CMP program for possible approval in 2027 — San Felipe Relocation Site, St. Vincent in Calauag, Ulaca in Abella, Sitio Creek in Concepcion Grande and another site in Mabolo.

“The best thing about CMP is that it is on-site. Residents do not have to be relocated, which is ideal because there are no disruptions to their livelihood. It gives families security and peace of mind knowing they will not be forced to leave in the future,” Robredo said.

Robredo said the rental housing project would help bridge the housing gap for families not yet financially capable of purchasing homes. Beneficiaries can initially avail of affordable rental housing and later transition to homeownership programs.

The combined value of ongoing housing initiatives in Naga, including the rental housing project, CMP assistance, previously funded housing developments and the city’s transitory housing project, now totals nearly PHP700 million. The transitory housing facility, also the first of its kind in Naga, is worth nearly PHP80 million. (PNA)