NHA skeptic to fully complete Tacloban housing projects within 2016

TACLOBAN CITY, Feb. 24 (PNA) -- The National Housing Authority reported that 5,767 houses have been completed in this city as of mid February, but the government has raised doubts that housing projects will be done within the time frame.

NHA Regional Manager Rizalde Mediavillo said the target -- 13,928 housing units -- will be substantially completed by December 2016, but some works could be extended until early 2017 due to some challenges.

“We address problems as they come. The most common issue is the process of securing development permits. Problems like logistics and shortage of construction materials is still there, but not as bad as early last year,” he added.

The NHA is currently building 8,161 houses in 19 sites located at the city’s northern villages.

According to NHA, their housing projects are complete with community facilities and water and power lines. 

For super typhoon Yolanda victims, the NHA has allocated space for school buildings, tricycle terminals, police outpost, Materials Recovery Facility, health center and covered basketball court cum multi-purpose center. 

Housing units will have individual septic tanks, and has a minimum lot size of 40 square meters, while loftable row house measures 22 square meters to follow the loftable resilient housing design.

Despite thousands of houses completed by NHA, only about 200 houses are occupied by families from high risk zones primarily due to absence of permanent water supply and electricity.

“Another concern of families is the distance of new houses from schools where their children are currently enrolled. By the end of school year, we will transfer 800 to 1,000 families,” Mediavillo said.

Department of Education Regional Director Luisa Bautista-Yu said they have to assess the need to build more classrooms, taking into account school children’s population and existing learning facilities in the areas.

“We have yet to come up with proposed budget for the construction of more school buildings,” Bautista-Yu said.

For the water project, the government currently provides temporary solution since it takes time for the Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA) to revise the project plan.

The original funding requirement is PHP194 million, but after deciding to change the water source, the cost hiked to PHP600 million.

“The Department of Budget and Management has already downloaded PHP194 million funding to LWUA for implementation of the Leyte Metropolitan Water District. I think they will be able to start initial works by May this year,” said Mediavillo, who is tasked to coordinate efforts to set up the water project. (PNA)
JBP/SARWELL Q. MENIANO