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Friday, February 13, 2004
Urban poor to benefit from P15-million grant
By Rose O. Verzosa
Sun.Star Staff Reporter
SEVEN hundred sixty-four households at the New Canduman Resettlement Site in Zone 3, Ba-rangay Canduman, Man-daue City will benefit from a P15-million grant from three international funding agencies for a housing project.
The Barangay Candu-man Upscaling and Empowerment (CUE) Pro-ject will mainly focus on the improvement of the area’s drainage and sewerage system and the establishment of a solid waste management program there.
It will also address the area’s social needs, such as those for health, livelihood and
education.
The Partnership for Philippine Support Services Agencies (Philssa) received a grant from the World Bank (WB) and the Japan Social Development Fund (JSDF) for its Upscaling Urban Poor Community Renewal Scheme.
This is directed towards poverty alleviation in urban poor communities through the improvement of physical, environmental and social conditions.
Mandaue City is one of five cities in the country selected as pilot areas for Philssa’s project. The four others: San Fernando City in Pampanga; Naga City in Camarines Sur; Iligan City in Lanao del Norte; and Quezon City in Metro Manila.
Philssa also decided to implement the project in Mandaue City through the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation Inc. (Rafi).
Ruth Rowena Alensonorin, Rafi executive director, said that upon Philssa’s request, Rafi submitted the Barangay CUE Project proposal, which was approved. Its contract with Philssa was signed last January.
Mayor Thadeo Ouano said the city, in turn, decided to use the grant to improve the basic facilities in the New Canduman Resettlement Site, which is already the city’s socialized housing project.
Ouano, Rafi president Roberto Aboitiz, Candu-man Barangay Captain Alex Borbajo and Jose Hijara, president of Candu-man Haven Homeowners Association, yesterday signed the memorandum of agreement covering the implementation of the project.
Some city councilors and Philssa representatives witnessed the MOA signing at the City Hall.
Philssa senior project officer Ana Gonzales said the project is aimed at testing the participation and cooperation between local government units and non-government and people’s organizations.
“The principle here is that if you will fix the environment, the people will be encouraged (to contribute for their own development),” said Gonzalez.
Gonzales said the beneficiaries will repay the amount that they received for the project
but the payment will go back to them as it will be used to finance other projects that they will agree on later.
Alensonorin said the payment scheme, which she assured would be very affordable, is for 15 to 25 years.
(February 13, 2004 issue)
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