Homes for Pablo victims

DavOr, NHA to fastrack turnover of housing units to Pablo victims

After the long delay, the provincial government of Davao Oriental will expedite the turnover of the housing units to the victims of typhoon Pablo which struck the province in December 2012.

This is a welcome development for the National Housing Authority (NHA) and lauded the provincial leadership for the decision and the determination to pursue the plan that will mutually benefit the provincial government and NHA.As a start to materialize the plan, a signing of Memorandum of Agreement for the turn-over of housing units in District One was done on Friday, February 8, 2019 at Cafe Tavera, Davao City.

Davao Oriental Governor Nelson Dayanghirang signed the agreement for the province with NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada, Jr. and Caraga Mayor Alicia Mori, Baganga Mayor Arturo Monday, Cateel Mayor Erlinda Nunez, and witnessed by contractors and Provincial Housing Office Head Flor Tabanao.

"Understandably, there are reasons why the beneficiaries did not occupy the housing units. The priority concerns are water and electricity. Nobody would like to live in a house without water and electricity. So, these concerns must be addressed first.

Aside from the repair that has to be done also in the next six months as advised by the agency," Dayanghirang explained. For NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada, Jr., the move was just very timely because he was giving 4 to 5 years period for the turn over.

"It is now the policy shift of the agency to focus on the production, then turn-over, then disengage in the project. The operation and maintenance are now the responsibilities of the local government units. We cannot be there forever," he said.

Admittedly though, there are local gov't units that are no longer interested in pursuing the project after a hiatus.

"To entice them to go on with the project, I came to terms with them. I told them we can invest in the repair and maintenance, as I cannot leave them abruptly since the resources are with NHA. But eventually, the LGUs have to be on their own,” the General Manager added.

Eacalada furthered that the turn over covers 17,000 housing units in the Pablo stricken areas of Davao del Norte, Compostela Valley, and Davao Oriental.

NHA is bent on completing the project through the contractors so the turnover can be done once everybody is satisfied, from the NHA, to the Governor, and the Mayors.

“It is now the policy shift of the agency to focus on the production, then turn-over, then disengage in the project. The operation and maintenance are now the responsibilities of the local government units. We cannot be there forever,” MARCELINO ESCALADA, JR. NHA General Manager