MAKATI Mayor and United Opposition (UNO) President Jejomar C. Binay on Saturday called for stronger partnerships between government and the private sector to address the country’s housing problem.

Binay said the National Government should consider replicating successful public-private partnerships in developing housing projects for the poor, citing Makati’s partnership with Gawad Kalinga (GK) and the city’s business community.

Sun.Star accepts donations for victims of Typhoon Ondoy

“The partnership between Makati, GK, and the city’s business community is a partnership anchored on our desire to develop a new approach to resettlement. We do not stop at simply building the houses and mobilizing resources from those who could contribute and share their time, talent, and treasure,” he added.

Relocated residents are provided with ample social support services and provisions to improve their living conditions through skills and competence training.

“We make sure that a sustainable social service infrastructure is constructed, allowing beneficiaries to live in their homes in peace, honor and dignity,” Binay said.

The framework has served the constituents of Makati well with the establishment of the Dreamland Ville housing project in San Jose Del Monte City, Bulacan.

The Makati undertaking is unique among GK projects with local governments. In this case, Makati donated the land, complete with civil works and community facilities like a school building, medical clinic, and a chapel.

For its part, GK took care of project management, and also provided the moral and spiritual guidance for the settlers.

Makati and GK worked together to enlist and incentivize the support of the city’s private sector for funding and volunteer manpower. The City Government provided donors with tax credits on local taxes, Binay said.

The local chief executive aired his appeal when he and officials from GK and the Banco de Oro Foundation turned over 28 new houses donated by the Foundation to beneficiaries of the project today.

“Our national situation cries out for urgent reform. The Philippines is a country where a great number of Filipinos remain landless and homeless. Poverty has driven many to leave their provinces to seek their fortune, even a slice of a decent life – in Metropolitan Manila,” Binay said.

According to the Medium Term Philippine Development Plan (MTPDP) 2004-2010, the country’s housing needs is estimated to reach 3.75 million in 2010 with about 1.2 million coming from backlogs in socialized and low cost housing projects.

The MTPDP likewise projects that for the period of 2005-2010 the government is expected to provide housing assistance to 1,145,668 households or 30 percent of the housing need for the period.

“Everybody aspires to have a home of their own where they can live in dignity and honor. If we wish to provide Filipinos such a chance, it is time we come together and elicit the help of all sectors. We have shown it can be done,” Binay said.

Earlier, Metropolitan Manila Deveopment Authority (MMDA) Chairman Bayani Fernando called for the construction of condo-type housing units for informal settlers or squatters.

He said the move would maximize limited space and resources while at the same time, ensuring the safety of residents in time of flooding and calamities.

“Under the proposed scheme the government will utilize all existing government and private lands to build medium-rise housing units to accommodate the thousands of squatter families that are living along the waterways and other areas classified as ‘danger zone,’” Fernando explained.

“High-rise buildings also means occupying less land than single-storey ones or providing a relocation area,” he further said.

Fernando, who chaired the Metro Manila Inter-Agency Committee (MMIAC) tasked to come up with solutions to the housing backlog, also called for the “in-city relocation sites” rather than moving the residents to the provinces, which he said spawned more problem as these are located far from their workplaces and schools for their children.

The MMDA chief explained that on the course of the MMIAC discussion on how to solve the problem of squatting they come up with the technical requirement that pointed out on building medium-rise buildings in the metropolis instead of moving them out.

The MMDA said there are at least 546,000 squatter families or roughly three million people in Metro Manila. Of the total, 73.29 percent or 399,110 families are illegally occupying private and government-owned lands.

Another 6.46 percent or 35,198 are in areas affected by government priority projects, while 19.83 percent or 107,997 are living in danger areas, such as along creeks and other waterways. (AH/Sunnex)