Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes leads the ground breaking ceremony of the Tipolo Residences, a housing project in Barangay Tipolo, Mandaue City, on Friday, April 6. | Mary Rose Sagarino
MANDAUE CITY, Philippines — The displaced fire victims of the 2019 fire in Mandaue City, who are staying at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC), will soon have a home.
This developed after the Mandaue City government broke ground to the Tipolo Residences in Sitio Maharlika, Barangay Tipolo, on Friday, May 6, 2022.
The Tipolo Residences is a housing project for displaced victims of that 2019 fire in Sitios Basubas and Maharlika in Barangay Tipolo.
The fire victims were thankful that for over two years of suffering living in CICC they would soon own a home.
“Salamat sa paghatag og pagtagad sa amoang yangu-ngu. Nanghinaot kami nga kini’ng unang marka masugdan, mapadayun, hangtud sa kalampusan,” said Jessie Sibug, president of Sitio Maharlika Village Homeowners Association.
(We are grateful for them to heed our complaints. We hope that this project that has been started, will continue until it is completed.)
The Tenement Housing project will have five five-storey buildings and will accommodate a total of 530 families.
The city government will construct the first building with a budget of P160 million. It will have a commercial and open space.
The Tipolo Residences, a housing project for the displaced fire victims of the 2019 Barangay Tipolo fire, has broken ground on Friday, May 6. | Mary Rose Sagarino
Architect Marlo Ocleasa, head of the City Planning and Development Office (CPDO), said that at least 80 families would be housed at the first building.
Ocleasa said the construction of the building would start within this year and would be estimated to be completed in 180 days.
Ocleasa said the Tenement would be a certified green building whose structure would be designed for efficient use like savings from energy and water use, and good indoor air quality for health benefits.
Mayor Jonas Cortes, for his part, promised that the project would be completed.
Cortes, who is seeking reelection, denied the allegations that the groundbreaking was rushed because of the elections.
“Gisaway ta gidali-dali kuno ang groundbreaking, unsay gidali-dali? Nga nauwahi na ni. Pila na ka tuig nag-antos atoang kaigsuunan sa CICC?,” said Cortes.
(They said that we rushed the groundbreaking, what do they mean by rushing it? We have already been behind (in the progress of this project). How many years have our brothers and sisters suffered at the CICC?)
Ocleasa said that a developer would also be donating a building in compliance with the balanced housing program of the national government.
The second building that would cater to 100 families is also expected to be constructed within this year.
He said that other partner developers had also committed to donate buildings.
He said that they were talking with the national agencies for funding for the other buildings.
RELATED STORIES
Mandaue allocates P160M for construction of housing project for 2019 Tipolo fire victims
Rama orders start of review of beneficiaries of Lorega tenement housing
Lapu-Lapu City to build 5K socialized housing units
/dbs