Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) Chair Jejomar C. Binay today led the turnover of keys to 96 beneficiary families displaced by Typhoon Ondoy in 2009 in Valenzuela City.
Located at Brgy. Ugong, Disiplina Village Phase I is the first housing project intended specially for Valenzuela's Typhoon Ondoy victims. It was initiated by the local government of Valenzuela under Mayor Sherwin Gatchalian in partnership with the private sector and non-government organizations.
“Ako'y lubos na natutuwa na sa ilang panahong inyong paghihintay ay natupad na ang inyong pangarap na magkaroon ng sarili at ligtas na bahay. Kami po sa pamahalaan ay taos pusong tutulong sa inyong kapakanan at hangad namin ang inyong maayos, matiwasay at disiplinadong pagtira sa inyong bagong mga tahanan dito sa Disiplina Village,” Binay said.
Binay cited the village's thrust of values formation, saying that the success of a community stems both from its physical structures and its moral and spiritual needs.
"Matindi ang aming paniniwala na ang matagumpay na pag-buo ng isang komunidad ay hindi lamang nakasalalalay sa pisikal na istruktura kundi nakatayo rin sa moral at spirituwal na pangangailanagan ng pamayanan," the Vice President said.
He added that programs such as the values formation program which Disiplina Village promotes should be implemented in all newly established communities in the country.
Binay also reiterated that people should cease dubbing the government's housing programs for the poor as "resettlement" and "relocation" sites, and stressed that these should instead be called newtowns or new communities.
"Sa dami ng mga pamilyang dinala natin dito upang mabigyan ng bagong pagkakataon na magpanibagong-buhay, talaga namang bagong pamayanan o komunidad ang dapat itawag natin sa mga pabahay na ito," he stated.
Binay asserted, "Ibig lang po namin na maalis sa kaisipan ng mga tao, laluna sa mga benepisyaryo ng programang pabahay ng gobyerno, ang pag-aakala na sa gobyerno lamang nakasalalalay ang tagumpay ng isang proyektong pabahay at ang mga benepisyaryo ay tumatanggap lamang. Ang proyektong ito ang magpapatunay na hindi ito totoo."
The project aims to help a total of 1,860 affected families living along the danger zones of Tullahan River. The site, located on an area totalling 1.9 hectares, will have medium-rise 56-cluster housing buildings and can accommodate 900 families.
For Phase II implementation of Disiplina Village, eighteen (18) 3-multi-storey buildings (MSBs) will be constructed and will house 606 affected families from Tullahan River.
NHA will fund and implement the construction of the said MSBs while the Valenzuela LGU will also fund and undertake the implementation of the project’s land development component.
Last February 2011, 16–unit housing buildings were already turned over to 46 beneficiary families in an event dubbed, “Bagong Bahay, Bagong Buhay sa Disiplina Village”.
For a minimal lease cost of Php 300.00 a month, these families benefit from free community empowerment programs conducted by the Gawad Kalinga and the city government such as kapitbahayan trainings, Bayan Anihan or vegetable gardening on idle portions of the lot and values formation programs.
Disiplina Village was also noted by the World Bank as an example of a sustainable multi-partnership model which other LGUs can emulate to realize their slum upgrading programs.
Binay and NHA general manager Chito Cruz awarded a citation to Valenzuela City for its efficient housing strategies and humane stance on relocation process and responsive socio-economic services to nurture the new communities.