Soldiers, cops have until June 15 to occupy housing units

From the Philippine News Agency (Apr 18): Soldiers, cops have until June 15 to occupy housing units

The National Housing Authority (NHA) on Tuesday said that military and police beneficiaries of the awarded housing units in Pandi, Bulacan have only until June 15 to occupy them.

NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada Jr. confirmed this during a Senate hearing into resolutions which tackled issues into the Bulacan housing units which were forcibly occupied by urban poor group Kadamay last month.

Escalada said if military and police do not occupy them by the deadline, the NHA “might as well” give them to Kadamay.

To recall, Kadamay justified their move to forcibly occupy the houses saying that the houses, which were intended for members of the AFP and PNP were unoccupied and that they did not have decent houses.

Pres. Rodrigo Duterte, for his part, allowed the group to keep the houses noting that they were after all, poor.

The NHA chief, however, said that only some and not all housing units will be given to Kadamay.

At present, over 50,000 housing units meant for the AFP and PNP personnel remain unoccupied.

Sen. Joseph Victor Ejercito, chair of the Senate Committee on Urban Planning, Housing and Resettlement, lamented how the current housing programs of the government remained to be in a “sorry state.”

Ejercito, meanwhile, reiterated his call to establish a Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development to attend to housing projects which would also prioritize in-city, on-site or near-city resettlement.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/index.php?idn=1&sid=&nid=1&rid=980795