Baguio looks for lots for squatters’ mass housing

BAGUIO CITY -- The city government is looking for lots inside or outside the city that could be utilized for the implementation of the government’s socialized housing program for informal settlers.
    Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong requested City Assessor Maria Almaya Addawe to continue looking for available lands inside or outside the city that could be developed into a socialized housing project with the assistance from housing agencies.
    Earlier, the city government secured funding for the development of the city-owned property in Irisan into the Luna Terraces perm culture, one of the city’s socialized housing projects to accommodate informal settlers who will be displaced from the easement of waterways, among others.
    Almaya said there is an available land having an area of approximately 2.7 hectares along Marcos highway which is a lot titled in the name of a private owner that could be purchased by the city government for the said purpose.

One of the projects of the city government is land banking for the city to have the needed properties to develop once a need for high impact development projects will arise in the future.

For the past several years, the city had been pushing for the implementation of a socialized housing project within the Irisan City-owned property as possible resettlement for informal settlers who may displaced from their present residences for various reasons.

Applicants for the city government’s socialized housing program are required to submit their intentions to the city Planning and Development Office for the evaluation and assessment of their qualifications to be recipients of housing units under the proposed resettlement site.

The city government and the Dept. of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSED) entered into a memorandum of agreement for the initial phase of the implementation of the Luna Terraces permaculture project for the implementation of land development within the site of the city’s socialized housing project.

Another area being eyed by the city government for socialized housing is a portion of the 139-hectare city-owned property at the Mount Sto. Tomas area and its border with Camp 7 which can accommodate a significant number of socialized housing units for intended beneficiaries.

DHSED officials are interested to provide funding to the city government to help successfully implement its socialized housing project to meet the increasing demand for housing among informal settlers who are to be displaced from their respective abode due to violation of existing laws, rules and regulations governing the construction of residences.

The city government is experiencing increase in informal settlers because of the migration of people from the rural areas to the urban centers due to economic reasons. – Dexter A. See