- CHERYL G. CRUZ
The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) recognized the contribution of Bacolod Mayor Alfredo “Albee” Benitez in the establishment of the agency as he and Housing Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar led the unveiling of the institutional marker in Manila Oct. 27.
Benitez, when he was still the Negros Occidental 3rd District representative, was the main sponsor of Republic Act 11201 in the 17th Congress, together with Senator Joseph Victor Estrada, effectively giving birth to the DHSUD on Feb. 14, 2019, the department said.
The unveiling of the building marker was one of the highlight activities to cap off the National Shelter Month observance this October.
The official inauguration of the building symbolized the DHSUD’s reassurance to “stand strong in fulfilling President Marcos’ vow to address the country’s housing needs, by building one million houses per year,” or six million housing units by the end of his term, Acuzar said.
He thanked Benitez, key shelter agencies (KSAs), local government leaders, the private sector and other stakeholders for their support.
The DHSUD said that under the national housing program of the Marcos administration, it already conducted groundbreaking ceremonies in seven locations across the country, including in Abada Escay, Brgy. Vista Alegre, Bacolod City Sept. 30, and has signed 14 memoranda of understanding with various local government units for the construction of housing units to address the more than six million backlog in the country.
It added that it is “endeavoring to situate informal settler families (ISFs) on in-city housing sites where their sources of livelihood are found”.
Acuzar said they are pushing to keep ISFs already living and working in cities to remain in close proximity to their livelihood, adding he found that previous public housing projects had been unsuccessful because the families refuse to relocate away from cities.
He reiterated that the LGUs play a big role in the program as the housing projects will be turned over to them./CGC
