Housing units built for residents displaced by the 2013 Zamboanga siege
PASAY CITY, Philippines – The Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement started its inquiry on the current state of government housing projects primarily intended for the calamity-stricken residents.
Committee Chair Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said the project took about five years before the housing units were awarded to the qualified beneficiaries.
Mayor Beng Climaco of Zamboanga City also argued that aside from repeated delays, the housing units were low quality such as those allotted for the victims of the 2013 Zamboanga Siege.
“To my knowledge after 5 years we have not yet built back better the city of Zamboanga because the infrastructure, the housing particularly led by NHA are substandard,” Climaco said.
Former National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Chito Cruz blamed the contractor for that matter.
“Ang may pananagutan po nito yung naka-kontrata sa NHA. Kung sino po ang pumirma ng kontrata, ito po iyong may pananagutan nito,” Cruz said.
(The ones in contract with the NHA are accountable. Whoever signed the contract is responsible for the project.)
But Senator Ejercito did not buy Cruz’s claim saying “the NHA is the implementing agency” therefore it is “also accountable” for the problem.
For his part, NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada argued that budget issues were also among the causes of delays specifically with the Yolanda housing project.
“After a year there was a gradual release of funds after until we are able to produce the 205,000 (units,)” Escalada explained.
NHA, meanwhile, assures that they are now improving the designs to create top quality housing units for beneficiaries of the government. — Nel Maribojoc | UNTV News & Rescue
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