Naga City Mayor Leni Robredo said housing projects worth about P700 million now underway in the city will help address housing needs, with a major rental housing development and community mortgage assistance forming the centerpiece of the program.
Speaking during Naga City’s 78th Charter Anniversary celebration, Robredo credited the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and the national government for bringing housing investments to the city, including a P480 million rental housing project under the Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Program, more than P17 million in Community Mortgage Program assistance, and other ongoing housing initiatives that bring the total value of projects to about P700 million.
The rental housing project will rise in Barangay Lerma and will consist of five four-story buildings containing 320 housing units. The development is expected to help address the housing needs of families who are not yet financially capable of purchasing their own homes.
Beneficiaries can initially avail of affordable rental housing and later transition to homeownership programs.
Robredo said the project was designed with flooding risks in mind, a key concern in parts of Naga City.
“Because the area is prone to flooding, vertical housing is the most suitable option to minimize disruptions to the lives and livelihoods of residents whenever flooding occurs,” she said.
City officials pushed for changes to an earlier proposal that involved raising the site through land filling. The revised design incorporates water impounding facilities and drainage systems beneath the structures.
“We did not agree with simply raising the ground level because it might worsen flooding in nearby communities. The redesign includes water impounding and other systems that could help reduce flooding in the area,” Robredo said.
Apart from the rental housing development, the city received more than P8 million for the San Pedro Urban Poor Kooperatiba Inc. and over P17 million for beneficiaries in Barangay Mabolo under the Community Mortgage Program.
Robredo said Naga has also applied for five additional sites under DHSUD’s Direct Community Mortgage Program for possible approval next year. The proposed locations include San Felipe Relocation Site, St. Vincent in Calauag, Ulaca in Abella, Sitio Creek in Concepcion Grande, and another site in Mabolo.
“The best thing about CMP is that it is on-site. Residents do not have to be relocated, which is ideal because there are no disruptions to their livelihood. It gives families security and peace of mind knowing they will not be forced to leave in the future,” Robredo said.
The combined value of ongoing housing initiatives in Naga, including the rental housing project, Community Mortgage Program assistance, previously funded housing developments, and the city’s transitory housing facility, totals about P700 million. The transitory housing project, the first of its kind in Naga, is valued at almost P80 million.
