Socialized housing project set for Baguio City folks

By Dexter A. See

BAGUIO CITY – The local government and National Housing Authority (NHA) entered into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for utilization of P50 million that will be provided by the agency to fund initial land development of the city’s Luna Terraces socialized housing project that will be established in a city-owned property here in Barangay Irisan.
    The agreement was signed by Mayor Benjamin B. Magalong and NHA Cordillera Administrative Region acting regional manager engineer Maria Belinda V. Sevalla during executive-legislative meeting at city hall on March 29.
    Under the agreement, the socialized housing project shall be undertaken by contract to be awarded pursuant to Republic Act (RA) 9184 or the Government Procurement Reform Act and its implementing rules and regulations as amended.
    The city’s Luna Terraces socialized housing project is primarily intended to provide housing assistance to families residing in danger areas, those affected by the infrastructure projects of the city, those with court orders for eviction and other urban poor families who qualify for relocation and resettlement assistance under the pertinent provisions of the law.
Should the number of lots to be generated be inadequate to service current requirements, prioritization of awards shall be mutually agreed by both parties.
    The agreement stated security of tenure shall be granted to the socialized housing beneficiaries through a usufruct agreement or through a conditional contract to sell or any mode of conveyances as may be approved by the city council.
Policies pertinent to the project, to include the disposition of lots, cost recovery and estate management, shall be promulgated by the city council.
    The city government shall provide the city-owned parcel of land in Irisan as the local government’s contribution to the NHA’s resettlement program and it shall secure, comply and submit to NHA legal and technical data and required documents showing its readiness to undertake the project.
    The NHA shall assist the city in the preparation of land development and housing plans if local government administers and releases the amount in two tranches as its contribution for the land property pursuant to approved work program and corporate operating budget for this year; provide technical assistance to the city in the preparation of project plans, including technical specifications, cost estimates and implementation of schedules; evaluate, review and approve the development plans and technical specifications including the final cost estimates for the land development or housing construction works among others.
    The agreement stipulated that it is the policy of the State to provide people with adequate and decent housing facilities and encourage various stakeholders to participate in the housing program of the government.
    Executive order 90, series of 1986 mandated the NHA as the sole production agency to meet the housing needs of the low and marginalized families while Republic Act 7160 and RA 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act mandated local government units to take a principal role in housing services to their constituents.