Press village to rise inBulacan town

PULILAN, Bulacan – A dream come true for Filipino journalists.

Regular and lifetime members of the National Press Club (NPC) of the Philippines will soon have the opportunity to own a house at a prime lot in Barangay Tibag here.

NPC officials led by its president Jerry Yap together with Presidential sister Elena “Balsy” Aquino-Cruz, Bulacan Governor WilhelminoSy-Alvarado, Pulilan Mayor Vicente B. Esguerra, Sr. and Atty. Darlene Marie B. Berberabe, Chief Executive Officer of Pag-IBIG Funds, laid the time capsule over the weekend containing the construction plans for the first 11 housing units of the NPC Village located near the Pulilan exit of the North Luzon Expressway in Barangay Tibag here.

“The project is in line with our efforts to uplift the living conditions of our less privileged members. The NPC Village is a low-cost housing project in partnership with Pag-Ibig fund that will extend soft loans to qualified journalist-borrowers,” Yap said.

Former NPC president and current Alyansang Filipinong Mamamahayag (Afima) president Benny Antiporda said the NPC has resolved to allocate P6 million from its funds to begin construction of the 48 housing units which will be sold to NPC members at very minimal cost.

Other NPC partners have even vowed to help underwrite down payment and other expenses that would be required from journalist-borrowers.

“This is low-cost in its very meaning. Each house will have enough room for the family. There will also be a car port and a provision for the construction of a loft. This will be the NPC’s legacy to its members,” Antiporda, who co-chairs the housing project with NPC secretary Louie Logarta, said.

Yap and Antiporda thanked Aquino for personally helping the NPC to have a link with the Pag-IBIG Funds through Atty. Berberabe who promised them that she will ask the board to make NPC members regular Pag-IBIG members.

Aquino, for her part, hailed the initiatives of the NPC officials in providing low-cost housing units to less privilege Filipino journalist, adding that housing is the next best thing to education that Filipinos should have.

Alvarado, on the other hand, said Bulacan is honored to be the host of the NPC village because the province is the hometown of the great propagandist of Philippine revolution Gat. Marcelo H. delPilar, the acknowledged “patron saint” of Filipino journalists.