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DHSUD relentless in mandate to build safe, resilient homes

Filipino families, especially those in the low-income bracket, can rely on the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) and its partners for safe and resilient homes.

DHSUD Secretary Eduardo del Rosario underscored the importance of providing shelter against an unseen enemy as the pandemic rages on.

“Let me once again assure you of the DHSUD and its partner agencies’ commitment to improve the lives of every Filipino family through adequate and affordable housing, inclusive human settlements, and well-planned communities,” del Rosario said on Friday as the agency kicked off the celebration of National Shelter Month.

The celebration carries the theme “Ligtas at Matatag na Tahanan at Pamayanan: Kanlungan sa Gitna ng Pandemya at Nagbabagong Panahon (Safe and Resilient Homes and Communities: Refuge Amid the Pandemic and Changing Times)”.

“Now, more than ever, we need resilient shelters not only to stay safe from calamities but to also take refuge from this unseen enemy. These challenges inspired us and our key shelter agencies to come up with the theme for this year’s National Shelter Month celebration,” he added.

The DHSUD and key partners will host a series of activities, such as virtual seminars, forums, and summits, meant to raise public awareness on government housing projects, protect the welfare of homeowners, and property buyers.

All 17 regional offices will host workshops with topics ranging from measures to assist local government units on how to use and craft effective shelters to land use plans.

The agency also holds the “Kapihan sa DHSUD” online forum to regularly engage its stakeholders.

Among the DHSUD’s key shelter agencies are the Pag-IBIG Fund, National Housing Authority (NHA), Social Housing Finance Corp., National Home Mortgage Finance Corp., and Human Settlements Adjudication Commission.

Two weeks ago, the DHSUD, NHA, Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, Philippine National Railways, Department of Transportation, and the local government of Valenzuela relocated six informal settler families (ISF) living near the railway of San Isidro Labrador in Malinta.

The families are now in Disiplina Village in Barangay Bignay, a resettlement project by Valenzuela for ISF living in danger zones.

The vacated site will be affected by the ongoing North-South Commuter (Clark-Calamba) Railway Project, which is expected to initially operate by the second quarter of 2023.

Source: Philippines News Agency