By Ruth Abbey Gita-Carlos
MANILA – President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. on Tuesday vowed the completion of 42 additional buildings under a housing project in Davao City by the end of 2027, which will provide over 7,000 housing units once fully developed.
Marcos made the commitment during his visit to the People’s Ville in Calinan District, Davao City.
On the sidelines of his visit, Marcos cited the ongoing developments in the resettlement area, including the construction of the 42 new buildings.
“Mas malaki ‘yung building at hindi ganito karami sa isang development. Hindi pa tapos ito. Ang idadagdag, ilang building pa? Forty-two buildings ito. So, 7,000 plus ang unit na maitatayo kapag natapos na ang lahat ng ito (The buildings are bigger, and there are not as many units in a single development. This is not yet finished. How many more buildings will be added? There will be 42 buildings. So, more than 7,000 units will be built once all of these are completed),” he told reporters.
“Lahat ito, ‘yung buong ito matatapos by end next year. Baka sakali, matatapos natin iyan by the end of next year, lahat ng 42 buildings (The entire project will be completed by the end of next year. Hopefully, we can finish all 42 buildings by the end of next year).”
Marcos said housing plans also include the possible construction of a school within the community, adding that many of the areas visited have families with children.
He said access to basic needs such as markets and employment opportunities is being considered in developing housing projects.
Marcos said the project reflects his administration’s shift from simply constructing housing units to developing communities with essential facilities and complete services for residents.
“Kasi ang ginagawa natin ngayon, hindi lang tayo gumagawa ng bahay. Gumagawa tayo ng community na kumpleto na lahat dahil mahirap ang tirahan kung wala namang pupuntahan ang mga bata (Because what we are doing now is not just building houses. We are building communities that are complete because it is difficult to live somewhere if children have nowhere to go),” he added.
The People’s Ville project in Davao City is a flagship housing initiative under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Program (4PH) aimed at providing affordable housing to Filipino families.
Marcos said the Department of Public Works and Highways would also visit flood-prone areas and revisit the 2023 master plan for flood mitigation in Davao City.
He was referring to the collaboration between the Philippine government and the Japan International Cooperation Agency for the crafting of a master plan and feasibility study on flood control and drainage in Davao City, which aims to reduce flood damage and establish a long-term flood control management strategy for the city.
Marcos said some projects included in the master plan were not implemented, prompting the government to reassess and complete the necessary works to prevent future flooding similar to recent incidents.
Asked if funding for the projects would be immediately provided, Marcos replied, “Oo (Yes).” (PNA)
