By NITZ ARANCON
Correspondent
CITY hall would break the ground today to formally begin the development of a property in Barangay Lumbia where 722 housing units would be built for survivors of the 2011 Typhoon Sendong devastation.
But nothing comes for free–except the construction materials and labor. The money city hall spent to buy the property would have to be returned to the local government by the beneficiaries.
Mayor Oscar Moreno announced this yesterday during a news conference called ahead of today’s ceremonial groundbreaking at Sitio Parehon, Lumbia.
City hall bought the 10-hectare Lumbia property from the Gador family for P26 million. The construction materials for the housing units are donated by the Japanese government.
Ermin Pimentel, a city hall consultant for housing and urban development, said the property was sold at P265 per square meter.
Based on the plan, the 722 beneficiaries would be given 70 square meters each in which a housing unit with an area of 28 square meters would be constructed.
“Libre ang maong balay nga atong ihatag sa mga beneficiaries nga polos Sendong survivors. Bisan lansang wala silay gasto,” said Pimentel.
But Pimentel said the beneficiaries would have to pay city hall for the 70-square meter lots at P265 per square meter. He said the price is affordable.
“Dili na kaayo bug-at alang sa mga beneficiaries ang ilang bayad sa lote kay at cost man kon P265 per square meter ang palit sa city government. Ma-o ra sad na ang bayran sa mga beneficiaries,” he said.
Pimentel said the housing project’s target date of completion is June.
Typhoon Sendong survivor Rubic Pañares of Barangay Carmen said the price is reasonable.
“Walay problima namo nang bayad sa lote. Kaya ra namo nang 265 per square meter kay magulang lang na gamay sa hatag,” said Pañares.
“The moral lesson in this project is, never give,” said Mayor Moreno.
Moreno meanwhile said the project should have been implemented during his first term as mayor had it not been for the previous city council’s opposition to the deal between city hall and the heirs of Rizal Gador.
“Kini nga programa, dili man unta controversial pero what really made it difficult to us, the city council before, did no want me to pursue this project,” Moreno said.
He said he was glad that city hall would be able to break the ground at the project site today because of the support he received from the city council led by Vice Mayor Raineir Joaquin Uy.
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