Refer to: Ms. Dale Zapata
8332148/8334507
VP
NOLI REVEALS HOUSING PROGRAMS FOR LGUs
28 July 2005
Vice
President and concurrent chairman of the Housing and Urban Development
Coordinating Council Noli “Kabayan” De Castro set out yesterday the
housing
programs designed to answer the primary shelter needs of local
government
units.
In
his speech delivered at the 2nd LGU-Private Sector Housing
Conference of the CREBA Social Housing
Foundation
Inc. (CSHFI), social arm of Chamber of Real Estate and Builders
Association
(CREBA), held at the Philippine Trade Training Center, De Castro
cited
the HUDCC plans, foremost of which is the Pag-IBIG Fund’s LGU Housing
Loan
Program. This program aims to provide LGUs with the necessary financial
support
and assistance at affordable terms to fast-track the development and
implementation of housing projects in their respective localities.
De Castro also noted that HUDCC also
tapped Official
Development Assistance (ODA) to assist cities/lgus to improve their
capacities
in providing essential infrastructure and basic services to their
constituents.
“Kasama
na riyan ang pagdaragdag ng kaalaman at kakayahan ng mga city
administrators at
city planners. Ilan sa mga ODA projects
na ito ay ang “Development Of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project” sa
ilalim
ng Asian Development Bank, “Cities Without Slum Initiative” sa ilalim
ng Cities
Alliance, at ang “Metro Manila Urban Services For The Poor Project” sa
ilalim
pa rin ng Asian Development Bank.”
Moreover, De
Castro declared the
policies and programs successfully undertaken by HUDCC among which
were: 1)
making the housing sector “investment friendly” by batting for the VAT
exemption of houses valued at Php 2 million; 2) responding to the
housing needs
of the informal sector thru various cost effective shelter programs
such as
micro finance, public rental lease/purchase and shared ownership among
others;
3) strengthening the capacity of housing agencies thru improved financial management, enhanced collection
efficiency, established a more organized and immediate disposition of
non-performing loans and assets and seek transparency in all
transactions of
the housing agencies; 4) propping up the capacity of LGUs to enhance
its
housing services by establishing local housing boards, and faster
processing of
housing permits and licenses.
De
Castro assured the public that despite all the political noise, HUDCC,
under
his charge, would not be distracted in their single-minded
commitment to promote a
strong, vibrant, and effective housing sector.
Ref no. VPMEDIA 05-097
©
Copyright
2005
Office of the Vice President (OVP)
Management Information Services
Division (MISD). All rights reserved.
|