The first two medium-rise buildings of Tipolo Residences in Mandaue City are due for completion next year. | Photo from Mandaue City PIO
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu — Fire victims, who are currently staying at the Cebu International Convention Center (CICC) compound, will soon have a decent place to stay.
On Thursday, July 28, Mandaue City Mayor Jonas Cortes led the topping-off ceremony of two of the five medium-rise buildings of the Tipolo Residences, the city’s urban poor housing project in Barangay Tipolo.
In construction, a topping off ceremony is a long-standing tradition of construction workers, particularly steel workers, to commemorate the completion of a building’s structure, particularly the placement of the final steel beam.
Lawyer Johnbee Biton, head of the city’s Housing Urban and Development Office (CPDO), said the two buildings are scheduled for turnover to the city government in May 2024 while its blessing is set in August of the same year.
By then, pre-selected beneficiaries may already start to move into their new homes, he said.
Construction of building 1 of the Tipolo Residences worth P160 million was funded by the city government. Building 2, on the other hand, was a donation from the Cebu Land Masters Inc. (CLI) as part of the developer’s compliance with the balanced housing program of the national government.
Biton said that a total of 194 beneficiaries were already identified for occupancy in the two buildings. These are families that were displaced by the fires that hit Barangays Tipolo, Guizo and Mantuyong in 2016 and 2019 respectively.
All of these families are now taking shelter in shanties built inside the CICC compound.
Biton said that the three other buildings of the Tipolo Residences will be set aside for 336 beneficiaries of the national government’s housing program.
Its construction that is set to start next year, will be funded by the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
Biton said that occupants of the socialized housing units will be asked to pay a “very affordable” monthly rental.
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