Vice President Jejomar C. Binay directed all government agencies under the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) to work together and ensure that the Aquino administration meets its goal of providing decent and affordable housing, especially  for poor Filipinos.

                  In a meeting with the officials of the different attached agencies, Binay also emphasized his policy of zero tolerance for corruption, in keeping with the President’s strong anti-corruption policy.

                  “Let’s work together so we can help the President achieve his targets, particularly in providing homes for poor Filipinos,” he said.

                  “But I must emphasize that I will not tolerate corruption in the agencies under HUDCC. This will also be our priority and I expect everyone to be on board,” he added.

                  The Vice President said transparency in all transactions and regular dialog with the beneficiaries and affected sectors should be implemented by the agencies.

                  “It is important for us to show our people, especially the beneficiaries, that we are transparent in all our dealings, and that they are consulted on decisions affecting them,” he said.

                  Among those present in the meeting were Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) chief executive officer Romulo Fabul, National Housing Authority (NHA) general manager Federico Laxa, Home Guaranty Corporation (HGC) president Gonzalo Bongolan, Pag-ibig Fund CEO Jaime Fabiana, Social Housing Finance Corp. (SHFC) president Fermin Arzaga and National Home Mortgage Finance Corp. (NHMFC) president Joseph Peter Sison.

                  The Vice President met with the officials late Tuesday afternoon. Earlier, he was sworn in by President Benigno Aquino III as chairman of the government’s housing coordinating body.

                  Binay said that he will strictly implement the President’s anti-corruption policy, stressing that he will not tolerate any wrongdoing in the agencies under HUDCC.

                  “Pagtulungan natin na yung gusto ni Presidente ay magawa natin,” Binay said. “I will support and defend you, basta nasa tama tayo,” he added.

                  He also said he will consult other sectors - particularly workers, employers, housing beneficiaries and non-government organizations (NGOs) - so he can get get a wider view of the issues of the housing sector and elicit their assessments on the performance of the different agencies.

                  “Government alone cannot address the housing needs of our people. It is important that we bring in other sectors as well. Likewise, we need to get an assessment of the performance of these agencies from the beneficiaries and the sectors whom they deal with,” he said.   

                  The Vice President is set to hold separate meetings with officials and employees of the attached  HUDCC agencies to find our their targets as well as issues and concerns.

                  Binay had said he followed the President’s instruction for him to head HUDCC because the programs of the agencies will benefit the poor.

                  “It was really intended to be pro-poor, so the beneficiaries would be the poor Filipinos,” Binay said. The Vice President added that housing is a basic need of the people.