THIS REFERS to Anna Marie Karaos’ article “HUDCC-LGU partnerships.” (Inquirer, 9/5/10) I wish to extend my deepest appreciation of her insightful article which enumerated the challenges of housing a nation.
She correctly pointed out that the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) must also address the need to steer urban growth and development. As she noted, all housing programs and urban development thrusts will need the active participation of local government units.
I am deeply moved by Karaos’ challenge and confidence that I, as a former city mayor and now HUDCC chair, have excellent opportunities to do this. We are indeed drawing up housing and urban development programs with the LGUs in mind, so that they can better serve their constituents. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of LGUs will soon have a national framework to stand on as we are gearing up for the enactment into law of a National Land Use Plan (NLUP). I have written Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga, who chairs the NLUP Committee, that we will proactively participate in deliberations and consensus-building activities for this purpose.
We are retooling our own key shelter institutions to make them more responsive to the needs of LGUs engaging in housing and urban development and to ensure that LGUs would partner with our private sector stakeholders.
At the same time, I have challenged local chief executives to be more creative in addressing the needs of their low-salaried employees and constituents, specifically by tapping lands in their towns for housing projects. We are in the process of creating a lending window for LGUs that will fast-track the processing of loan applications of developers and home buyers.
Indeed the recurring problem of distant, off-city resettlement is something that we need to address. I have directed a re-assessment of government’s existing resettlement directions and practices in the hope that we can come up with an adequate and sound approach to reducing poverty and a more humane way to handle informal settlers. The results of this reassessment, as well as a new policy direction principally premised on in-city/near-city resettlements and an enhanced distant, off-city alternatives, will be discussed in a stakeholders forum that we will organize pretty soon. I will encourage Karaos, the urban poor groups, the NGOs and people’s organizations to participate in the forum so that relevant and responsive views can be considered in the formulation of a new policy direction.
I will look forward to more of Karaos’ insights and will rely on her continued support in calling civil society groups to partner with the public and private sectors for better housing and urban development programs.
—VICE PRESIDENT JEJOMAR BINAY
chair, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
She correctly pointed out that the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) must also address the need to steer urban growth and development. As she noted, all housing programs and urban development thrusts will need the active participation of local government units.
I am deeply moved by Karaos’ challenge and confidence that I, as a former city mayor and now HUDCC chair, have excellent opportunities to do this. We are indeed drawing up housing and urban development programs with the LGUs in mind, so that they can better serve their constituents. The Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP) of LGUs will soon have a national framework to stand on as we are gearing up for the enactment into law of a National Land Use Plan (NLUP). I have written Socioeconomic Planning Secretary Cayetano Paderanga, who chairs the NLUP Committee, that we will proactively participate in deliberations and consensus-building activities for this purpose.
We are retooling our own key shelter institutions to make them more responsive to the needs of LGUs engaging in housing and urban development and to ensure that LGUs would partner with our private sector stakeholders.
At the same time, I have challenged local chief executives to be more creative in addressing the needs of their low-salaried employees and constituents, specifically by tapping lands in their towns for housing projects. We are in the process of creating a lending window for LGUs that will fast-track the processing of loan applications of developers and home buyers.
Indeed the recurring problem of distant, off-city resettlement is something that we need to address. I have directed a re-assessment of government’s existing resettlement directions and practices in the hope that we can come up with an adequate and sound approach to reducing poverty and a more humane way to handle informal settlers. The results of this reassessment, as well as a new policy direction principally premised on in-city/near-city resettlements and an enhanced distant, off-city alternatives, will be discussed in a stakeholders forum that we will organize pretty soon. I will encourage Karaos, the urban poor groups, the NGOs and people’s organizations to participate in the forum so that relevant and responsive views can be considered in the formulation of a new policy direction.
I will look forward to more of Karaos’ insights and will rely on her continued support in calling civil society groups to partner with the public and private sectors for better housing and urban development programs.
—VICE PRESIDENT JEJOMAR BINAY
chair, Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council
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