Vice President Jejomar C. Binay called on the public to grab the opportunity to acquire housing units at affordable terms at the Housing Fair 2013 at SM Megamall in Mandaluyong.
“Housing Fair 2013 brings together the government and the private sector to jointly provide opportunities for the Filipino public to acquire their own homes at affordable prices, and ultimately to help them lead better lives,” the Vice President said during the opening of the annual Fair.
“Brand new housing units along with acquired assets of Key Shelter Agencies and Government Financial Institutions nationwide that cater to various income levels are offered during the Fair. Big discounts and affordable terms are also extended to interested buyers,” he added.
Started in 2006, the Housing Fair is being held on its eighth straight year, in celebration of the Shelter Month held every October.
The Housing Fair 2013, with the theme “Gaganda ang Buhay sa Sariling Bahay”, is organized by Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC), with the participation of Pag-IBIG Fund, the National Housing Authority (NHA), Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB), National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC), Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC), Government Service Insurance System (GSIS), Social Security System (SSS), Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP), and the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP).
Other participating institutions are all active housing partners from the private sector, including the Chamber of Real Estate and Builders Association (CREBA), the National Real Estate Association (NREA), the Organization of Socialized Housing Developers of the Philippines (OSHDP), and the Subdivision and Housing Developers Association (SHDA).
During the opening of the Fair, Binay, concurrent chairman of HUDDC, also held a dialogue with housing stakeholders and the public, called “Dulugan Bayan.”
The Housing Fair comes at the heels of the successful high-level Round Table Discussion on Sustainable Housing chaired by the Vice President on October 1, which kicked off the Shelter Month celebration.
During the discussion, Binay underscored the link between poverty and housing as he urged the country’s key shelter agencies and urban planners to find solutions for people lacking decent and affordable housing.
Moreover, the Vice President said this year’s Shelter Month celebration also marked the 25th anniversary of the Community Mortgage Program (CMP).
On October 14, Binay led the recognition of community associations and CMP mobilizers, including non-government organizations and local government units that performed their roles well in CMP. Titles were also distributed to community associations that have fully complied with their financial obligations.
Earlier, Binay also led the inauguration of Phase 2 of the Bistekville housing project in Quezon City, one the first housing projects in the country that brings together families from both the formal and informal sectors.
Moreoever, the Vice President also distributed titles to some 750 beneficiaries of the Mount Pinatubo resettlement sites in Pampanga.
“It took 19 years for the titles to be handed over due to various reasons and difficulties encountered by both implementors and beneficiaries, but now the victims of the Mount Pinatubo eruption are now legitimate home owners,” Binay said during the title distribution.
He assured the housing beneficiaries that more titles would be released soon with the P6 million funding provided by the NHA for the project.
Meanwhile in Manila, the Vice President led the groundbreaking of the New Vitas Low-Rise Buildings on October 24.
“The four 5-storey buildings comprising 240 units would replace the Vitas Tenement which the Department of Public Works and Highways declared as condemned in the 1990s,” he said.
Binay noted the timeliness of the project in the wake of recent calamities, particularly the 7.2 magnitude earthquake that hit Bohol and Cebu this October.