The National Housing Authority (NHA), in cooperation with the City Housing and Community Development Office (CHCDO) of Tacloban, conducted a raffle draw for the available housing units at different permanent resettlement sites in the city. Ms. Marilyn Lauzon, NHA Project Manager for Leyte and Samar, CHCDO Executive Director Maria Lourdes Lagman, and Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP) Tacloban City Area Coordinator Mr. Napoleon Cairo graced the activity. The raffled units were from Ridgeview Park I, Villa Diana, and Villa Sofia located in the northern barangays of Tacloban City.
In her speech, Ms. Lauzon said that the assigning of housing units marks the beginning of a new life for those families who have been severely affected by Supertyphoon Yolanda. She acknowledged the efforts of the city government for its continuous support to the resettlement projects of the NHA. She added that only those families with occupancy permits will be awarded with the housing units. She reminded everyone that once they are in the permanent resettlement site, they will be held responsible of their units in maintaining the cleanliness, peace and order within the resettlement site.
The NHA raffled a total of 391 units for families living at the IPI Bunkhouse in Barangay Caibaan and 253 for families living at the NHA bunkhouse in Sagkahan. They will be transferred to the Ridgeview Park I in Cabalawan. At Villa Diana, though all of the housing units are ready for occupancy, only 112 housing units have been issued occupancy permits and were awarded to the families. The remaining 297 units are still subject for inspection by the City Government. In Villa Sofia, 100 housing units were awarded from the families originally from Barangay 88 near the airport area.
As per NHA, their raffle and relocation activities are scheduled until November 10, 2015. They are closely coordinating with the concerned line agencies as well as the City Government and family beneficiaries to plan out these activities.
Ruel T. Bugnos, YPMO, NEDA VIII
