VICE President Jejomar Binay will give out land titles to urban poor beneficiaries in Cebu City today, Saturday.
Binay, who also chaired the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), will distribute 80 certificates of land ownership from the National Housing Authority (NHA) to qualified families of Barangay Sambag, Cebu City.
"The Aquino administration is committed to uplifting the lives of poor Filipinos, and this includes providing them with the opportunity to live with dignity and without the fear of being evicted from their homes," Binay said.
The Vice President said the land to be distributed to the NHA beneficiaries were donated by the Department of Health (DOH).
The chosen beneficiaries had been residing as informal settlers in Barangay Sambag for the past 40 years.
"The cooperation of all concerned government agencies is needed for projects like this to succeed. I am thankful for the generosity of the DOH and I trust that the NHA branch in Cebu will do its best to address the needs of the beneficiaries," Binay said.
Upon completion of the project, the 68,433 square meters of donated land will be turned into a subdivision with concrete roads and working drainage, water and power systems.
According to the land survey conducted by the NHA, some 760 lots have been generated and will eventually be distributed.
Earlier, the Vice President vowed to provide Filipino families with quality homes and communities, not just mere houses and neighborhoods.
"My vision for the housing sector is simple - to provide families not just with the infrastructure of a house, but the framework of a home; to build not just a neighborhood, but a real harmonious community," Binay said.
He added that he intends to strengthen the implementation of the asset reform program involving the utilization of idle and underutilized government lands, and to require the online publication of all projects and loans granted by the key shelter agencies.
"We can and we will succeed in building homes, and not just houses; in providing lasting opportunities, instead of temporary dole-outs; and transforming our seemingly forgotten human resources into productive members of the society."
Meanwhile, the Vice President will also join Cebu Governor Gwendolyn Garcia, Senators Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos and Loren Legarda at the grand opening of the One Cebu Expo at the Cebu International Convention Center.
"I am glad that that the province of Cebu, under the stewardship of Governor Garcia, has taken the initiative to present to the country and to the world the best that Cebu has to offer," he stressed.
"I have always believed that for our nation to be progressive, our local governments must be progressive, and Cebu is an example," he concluded. (AH/Sunnex)