This is the model of a transitional housing unit displayed at the Plaza Sugbo grounds on August 19. CDN Digital photo | Niña Mae Oliverio
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu City government plans to bid out 400 transitional housing units by September. This is according to acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia.
The transitional houses will be for individuals affected by the clearing operations conducted in recovering the three-meter easement along Cebu City’s rivers as well as those informal settlers.
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Garcia said they noticed that those affected by cleaning and clearing operations in the city would really find it difficult to search for another location to stay.
Recovering the three-meter easement along Cebu City rivers is one of the city government’s thrusts to improve the city’s perennial problem of flooding.
The city’s Task Force Gubat sa Baha has already started tagging and profiling the owners of the structures located within the three-meter easement in the city’s seven major rivers.
“We are looking at the transitional housing nga in the meantime makabalhin sila sa atong transitional homes,” Garcia said in a press conference on Monday.
(We are looking at the transitional housing that in the meantime they can move to our transitional homes.)
He also clarified that these transitional homes would only be “temporary” as its term would stand for.
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(Because we will also build permanent housing in the form of either MRB (medium-rise building), if you are located within the city limits or if you are located outside the city limits, we can give individual lots depending on where they would prefer.)
When asked for the location of these transitional housing units, Garcia said the city government was still finalizing the areas but there were two locations they were considering.
The first one is the South Road Properties (SRP) and the other is Block 27 in the North Reclamation Area.
A sample of the transitional housing units was presented at the Plaza Sugbo grounds on Monday, in front of the City Hall.
Garcia said that the city government appropriated P600 million for this project.
The transitional housing unit has two bedrooms, a mini-sink, a mini-dining area and living room, and a comfort room.
Permanent housing in Lorega
Moreover, Garcia said the permanent housing or the MRB which was located in Barangay Lorega would have to be bid out again for a new contractor.
He said the rebidding was temporarily stopped because a “reconciliation” was needed with the old contractor after the contract was reportedly terminated. But he stated that he already signed the new Programs of Works and Estimates (Powe) for the project.
“So atong gitan-aw kung si contractor ba, naa ba siya’y unfinished work nga kinahanglan pang mobayad ang Cit ug ato sang gitan-aw, kay naa mana’y 15 percent nga mobilization, og siya ba’y utangan nato,” Garcia said.
He said once they reconcile the amount, they will proceed with the rebidding for a new contractor of Lorega MRB.
Garcia clarified that the MRBs is the initiative under the 4PH (Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino) program of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.
The City Government will only provide the lot which will be constructed by a private developer. The City will also be the one to identify the beneficiaries.
Then after, the private developer will collect from PAG-IBIG and PAG-IBIG will then collect from the beneficiaries.
“No money out ang Cebu City Government whatsoever,” Garcia said.