Habitat, DSWD join hands in ARMM low-cost housing

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

 

Margie MoranFloirendo, co-chair of Friends of Habitat, HFH Philippines’ social mobilization arm, right, with then Philippine senator Juan Miguel Zubiri and Rick Hathaway, vice-president, Habitat for Humanity, Asia-Pacific, at the 2nd Asia-Pacific Housing Forum, co-organized by Habitat for Humanity International, in Manila in 2009

Habitat for Humanity Philippines, represented by Board Member Ms. Margie Moran Floirendo and Hon. Hadja Bainon G. Kairon, OIC Regional Vice-Governor for ARMM and Concurrent Regional Secretary, signed a Memorandum of Agreement on July 27, 2012 for the building of 900 homes and 922 day care centers in the Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Also at the signing were Eusoph G. Kani, DSWD ARMM Legal Officer, David Liban Jr., Disaster Response Manager of HFHP and Leonilo Escalada, CEO for HFHP.
The signing followed the State of the Nation Address of President Benigno Aquino III on July 23 where he lauded the reforms implemented by ARMM OIC Governor Mujiv Hataman, especially on the housing and education reforms.
Leonilo Escalada, HFHP Chief Operating Officer said: “The home partner families living in Buluan, Mangudadatu and Pandag have experienced flooding through the years because of their housing location. We will be using stilt technology in the construction of the houses to prevent flooding in their homes.”
Site selection for the succeeding projects for housing and day care centers are still ongoing in Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Marawi City, Basilan, Tawi tawi and Sulu, in partnership with the ARMM local governments and other regional offices.
Charlie Ayco, HFHP Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director said: “We, in Habitat walk hand in hand with National Government, DSWD and the ARMM government’s plan in alleviating housing poverty here in ARMM.
A total of 270 houses will be constructed in four sites in the abovementioned municipalities and are expected to be finished by the end of August 2012. Marilyn Roque

Slow DAR action on land conversion hampering Davao investment climate

    Davao City officials said that slow action on application for conversion of agricultural lands by investors is affecting the business investment climate in the city.

    The applications for conversion of more than five hectares, to be acted on by the DAR Manila office, take years to be approved.
    The snail-paced action has put on hold many business projects in the city involving mostly real estate development and resorts in the outskirts of the city on lands classified as agricultural by DAR. The Davao City government requires the conversion permits before approving the projects and issue local permits.
    City planning officer Roberto Alabado said there are several investments having problem in conversion but the local government cannot impose on national agencies like DAR to speed up the conversions.
    But he said City Hall compromise by issuing “conditional permits” while the applications for conversion are pending with DAR.
    A case in point is the 30-hectare D’Leonor Inland Resort in Cabantian that has complied with local requirements but lacks a conversion permit from DAR.
    We have given them a conditional permit, said Alabado.
    Tourism and investment officer Jayson Magnaye said his office encountered similar probelms of investors finding it hard to secure conversion permit from  DAR.
    Magnaye could not give a figure on the number of the affected projects but agreed the slow process could stymy investors on pushing through with their projects.
    Alabado and Magnaye told the Durian Post that there may be a need to conduct a headcount of the projects affected by the slow conversion as it would deal a negative blow on the city as an investment haven.