OFWs get P58-M housing project

THE National Housing Authority (NHA) and the city government awarded 179 housing units to overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) under the “OFW Pabahay Project” in Kalaisan, Kidapawan City, North Cotabato.

In a statement on Wednesday, Mayor Joseph Evangelista said the P57.5 million project intends to provide shelter to the families of OFWs whose houses were destroyed in a series of tremors that hit the province in October 2019.

“The affected OFWs and their families are assured the newly built houses will shelter them safely and comfortably,” he added as the houses were turned over on Tuesday afternoon to the 179 family recipients.

Each housing unit has a 120 square-meter lot with a 30 square meter floor installed with solar panels, septic tanks and toilet fixtures.

The NHA extended about P50 million for the housing construction while the city government allotted P7.5 million as a counterpart for the acquisition of the 4.5-hectare project site.

North Cotabato Vice Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, who provided P5 million as the provincial government’s counterpart during her tenure as governor, graced the turnover ceremony.

The OFW village was designed to have a standard setup composed of a community park, children’s playground, an elevated community water tank and a waste treatment facility.

Homeowners will only pay a small amount monthly to the city government within five to ten years.

The fund gathered from the monthly dues will be utilized by the city government in procuring additional land areas as the site for new housing projects for other OFWs.

Recipients also received food packs from the City Social Welfare and Development Office.

The local government has also set a P2-million allocation for the village electrification system.