Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles says Olivo Heights in the municipality of Tabuelan in northern Cebu is the first-ever fully completed housing project for Yolanda-affected families. | PIA photo
CEBU CITY — Six years after supertyphoon Yolanda devastated some parts of the Visayas, the National Housing Authority turned over the first fully completed and occupied housing project for the affected families.
Cabinet Secretary Carlo Nograles, who heads the inter-agency task force on Yolanda, said the Olivo Heights located in the municipality of Tabuelan in northern Cebu would serve as a model project for Yolanda housing projects.
“Olivo Heights housing in Tabuelan is now the model of all Yolanda housing projects in the country as 100 percent completed and occupied by the beneficiaries,” Nograles said.
The Olivo Heights project was implemented under the NHA Yolanda Permanent Housing Program through an open bidding under the agency’s financing scheme.
Nograles attended the ceremonial turnover of certificates of award to 15 of the beneficiaries who lived in the no-built or unsafe zones. The turnover was held at the NHA office, Machay Building, Cebu City.
“I hope this serves as an inspiration to others,” Nograles said.
He noted that President Duterte had promised to provide housing for Yolanda affected families.
Nograles added that by 2020 the goal would be to turn over all complete and occupied Yolanda-housing projects in the country, 205,000 of them.
The Olivo Heights has a total area of two hectares with 220 house and lot units. The total project cost is over P63.7 million.
The bungalow type house has an area of 28.40 sq. meters built on a 40-sq.m. lot.
The project has concrete roads with sidewalk, curb and gutter; drainage with reinforced concrete pipes and manholes; individual two-chamber septic tank sewerage system; and individual individual water and power connection./dbs