Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel lll today said Gawad Kalinga founder Antonio Meloto is the best candidate and logical choice as chairman of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC). Pimentel urged President Aquino to name Meloto, known for his numerous Gawad Kalinga housing projects nationwide, as the country’s next housing czar to replace Vice President Jejomar Binay, who had quit his post. He cited Meloto’s private initiative in leading build houses for slum dwellers under a collaborative program that encouraged volunteerism and a contract for home owners not to sale their houses. Jointly sponsored by the Couples for Christ and a web of foreign donors, Meloto’s Gawad Kalinga, meaning “to give care,” have mushroomed in many parts of the country where the poor lived in makeshift dwellings. Pimentel said Meloto’s impeccable track record and hands-on experience in giving dignity and providing decent living conditions to the poor would surely work to the government’s advantage to reduce homelessness. PR