AFTER several setbacks, the Cebu City government has rescheduled its target bidding for the City’s transitional housing project to September 2024.
The City government presented on Monday, Aug. 19, 2024, a model of the 15-square-meter transitional housing in Cebu City. The unit includes two rooms with double-deck beds, a comfort room, a mini sink, and solar panels.
The City government now targets to conduct bidding for transitional housing by September this year, said Acting Cebu City Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia on Monday.
It is also considering two options for the location of the transitional housing, from the previously eyed location, the South Road Properties (SRP).
In a previous SunStar report, Jerone Castillo, former head of the City Legal Office, said on July 15, 2023, that the City would do the bidding for the transitional housing any time soon. Cebu City reportedly expected the transitional housing for the informal settlers at the SRP to be finished in October 2023.
This project aims to provide homes for displaced families affected by clearing operations to recover the three-meter easement of the City’s major waterways.
Garcia said the City already has the budget for the transitional housing, which was approved by the Council in the amount of P600 million.
He said they are now considering two options regarding the placement of temporary housing within the city. He said the first option will be at the SRP, and the second will be at Block-27 in the North Reclamation Area.
When asked about the cost per unit, Garcia said he cannot disclose the amount yet as the private contractor has yet to finalize it.
“We are looking for at least 400 units in initial nga ingato nga houses ang ibutang para makapatransfer na dayon ta og informal settlers nga affected by our easement, uban nga living in private properties nga gipapahawa sila, so these are also intended for them,” said Garcia.
(We are looking for at least 400 units initially with that kind of houses that will already be in place in order for us to transfer informal settlers who are affected by our easement (recovery program), and also those who are living in private properties that were asked to move out, these are also intended for them).
Garcia emphasized that transitional housing, by the term itself, is only temporary since the City Government is also constructing permanent housing in the form of Mid-rise buildings (MRB).
Garcia added that from transitional houses, the occupants may “graduate” into the permanent housing such as the MRB.
MRB in Lorega San Miguel
Garcia said the rebidding for the MRB in Lorega San Miguel has not taken place yet since a reconciliation with the previous contractor is necessary.
However, he said he already signed the program of works and estimates, and they just cannot proceed yet until the reconciliation is made.
“Remember atong gi-terminate, atong itan-aw kung si contractor ba naa ba siyay unfinished work nga kinahanglan pa mubayad ang city (Remember that we terminated it, we will see if there are unfinished works by the contractor that the City should pay),” said Garcia.
Garcia said the City needs to address the 15 percent mobilization issue to determine if there are any outstanding debts.
According to previous SunStar reports, the socialized housing project in Barangay Lorega San Miguel, intended for informal settlers, remains incomplete three years after construction began in 2021.
Garcia noted that the MRB is only 48 percent finished, based on his site inspection on July 24, 2024.
Garcia also expressed disappointment over the missed opportunity to complete the MRB project, given the City’s housing backlog.
The project involves two MRBs on a 1,350-square-meter City-owned property in Lorega San Miguel.
One MRB, built by Cebu Landmasters Inc., is already complete and fully occupied as of July 2023, housing around 100 families selected based on need and local recommendations.
While Garcia refrained from commenting on the reasons for the construction halt, he reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing homes for the homeless.
The barangay has identified families to transfer to the building, allowing the current transitional housing area to be converted into community facilities. / JPS