ANTIQUE – The Antique Provincial Board is calling on the National Housing Authority (NHA) to distribute the remaining units of its housing projects to intended beneficiaries, particularly families in need of safe and permanent shelter.
During a regular session on Monday, Provincial Board Member Joseph Eugene Alojipan requested an update from the NHA on the status of their housing projects, including an official list of beneficiaries, and urged closer coordination with local government units (LGUs) for the distribution of the units.
“It is our moral duty to ensure that no housing unit remains idle while there are families sleeping under makeshift shelters,” Alojipan said in his privilege speech.
The Municipal Social Welfare and Development Offices (MSWDOs), the Provincial SWDO, and mayors or their representatives have also been invited to assist in identifying deserving families, particularly those living in flood-prone and disaster-affected areas.
Eby Archangel Butiong, head of the Antique Provincial Housing and Regulatory Office (PHARO), said in a separate interview that the NHA has 33 Super Typhoon Yolanda housing projects in the province. As of August 28, 17 project sites remain unoccupied or have not yet been turned over to beneficiaries.
“The remaining housing projects are either not raffled off or turned over due to various reasons, handled on a case-by-case basis per LGU,” Butiong explained. He added that some host LGUs have not accepted the structures because of defects in the units or incomplete payment of the lots.
The provincial board’s call highlights the need to accelerate housing distribution and ensure that families affected by disasters have access to safe and permanent homes. (PNA)
