Waterways projects displace 3k families

AT LEAST 3,000 families in Lapasan village, Cagayan de Oro, are expected to be displaced once the National Government starts the construction of its waterways projects in the area, a shelter and housing consultant of the City Government said Wednesday, January 25.

City Shelter and Housing Department consultant Ermin Pimentel said that these 3,000 families are included in the 2013 report of the Task Force Shelter which states that the city has over 34,000 families who have yet to own a house.

"Dili man intawon maka-afford ang siyudad nga buhusan niya, mahurot gyud ang P4.5 billion annual budget kung ibuhos tanan sa housing project (The City Government can’t afford, the 4.5 billion annual budget will be exhausted if all will be used for housing project)," Pimentel said.

This year, Pimentel said the city has poured some P100 million to the housing department to initially address the backlog. The amount will be used to procure a 60-hectare land in the villages of Lumbia and Indahag area, which Pimentel said, can provide houses up to 5,000 homeless families in the city.

Pimentel pointed out that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) included the housing component in its planning, addressing the backlog would not be hard since, he said, the National Government would assist in searching for solutions.

"This is already on the table, and this time, ang among i-priority is ang mga (our priority are those) illegal settlers nga naigo sa (that were affected by the) waterways projects ug anaa nagpuyo sa (and living in) danger zones," Pimentel said.