By Marilyn Galang
PALAYAN CITY, Nueva Ecija – Mayor Viandrei Nicole Cuevas on Wednesday thanked the Marcos administration for implementing a housing project here that could provide decent, safe and affordable shelters for at least 5,000 residents of this city and other areas in the province.
Cuevas said the “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program” initiated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. will “address the needs of many needy families.”
“I am thankful to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos) for giving Palayan City this project and for allowing us to be part of the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program. The prospective 5,000 families are also very grateful,” Cuevas said during the groundbreaking rites for the housing development project in Barangay Atate here, led by the Chief Executive.
She said providing affordable and disaster-resilient housing for needy families has always been at the forefront of her agenda.
The housing project, she added, would also cater to residents of nearby Cabanatuan City and the municipality of Bongabon, among other areas in Nueva Ecija.
The project, she added, also complements the development efforts of this city, being home to the Palayan City Business hub that houses several government agencies and business process outsourcing firms.
President Marcos said the township project is a testament that his administration is pushing a human settlement program.
“This proves that we continuously work to provide housing to millions of Filipinos who until now do not have their own house,” he said in his message during the groundbreaking rites, noting that even Filipinos who are working hard find it difficult to get decent housing.
“If we will probably take a thorough look at the numbers, there are indeed millions that do not have their own house. These do not only comprise those who are unemployed or come from other places, but also those who are working but don’t have their own place to live in,” he added.
The 11-hectare township project features a housing community equipped with amenities and infrastructure designed to facilitate economic and social activities, according to the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD).
To be built in three phases, the project here will involve 44 high-rise towers with 11,000 housing units. The site will also have an elementary school, livelihood center, administrative offices, central park, basketball court, mini-mart and a hawker area, aquaponics area, sewage system, and material recovery facility.
“Like what I always say, our President not only wants us to simply build houses but more importantly, develop an enabling community which will allow home dwellers to sustain their source of living and provide comfort in their daily lives,” DHSUD Secretary Jose Rizalino Acuzar said. (PNA)