SENATOR Cynthia Villar graced the groundbreaking ceremony of a housing project in Barangay Balubal for some 960 informal settlers in Cagayan de Oro City.
Villar, who owns the biggest homebuilder company in the country Vista Land, said they will take care of the land development of the whole five-hectare area where 40 two-storey buildings will stand.
Villar admitted that the country still has a housing backlog of 5.7 million as of 2016, and it will reach more than six million by the succeeding years.
She said local government units should be firm especially in implementing resettlement projects.
"We have to explain to them that this is a new life for them. This is a very difficult project that the local government unit will encounter a lot of problems in implementing this, but this is for the good of our less fortunate countrymen," she said.
Mayor Oscar Moreno, meanwhile, vows to prioritize the resettlement problem in his last term.
He said while the resettlement program is considered the most challenging government service, he commits to address the housing backlog of the city.
"It is difficult, a lot of challenges and obstacles, this is the most uncontrollable government project and yet Senator Villar trusts us and I hope we can live up to that trust. We commit to you that we will do this as best as we can to reciprocate your trust in us," he said.
The project is located six kilometers from the national highway. The partnership is financed through Community Mortgage Program of Social Housing Finance Corporation.
A total of P70 million will be poured for the site development and about P420 million will be needed for the building construction.