PASAY CITY -- Underscoring the need to address cases of homelessness in the country, Senator Christopher “Bong” Go has once again pushed for his priority bills which aim to provide more resilient, affordable and decent houses to disadvantaged Filipinos across the country.
Go has refiled Senate Bill No. 192 and reintroduced SBN 426, providing for the Rental Housing Subsidy Program, and the National Housing Development, Production and Financing (NHDPF) Program, respectively, as part of his efforts to ensure that the homeless have access to decent yet affordable shelters.
Because of its geographical location, the Philippines is prone to natural disasters, such as typhoons, floods and volcanic eruptions. Thus, Go reiterated the need for the government to step up measures in dealing with crisis situations.
SBN 192 aims to provide adequate, sustainable and habitable shelter for Filipinos affected by disasters and other crisis situations. Under the proposed measure, a housing and social protection program will also be developed to provide disaster victims better and more affordable access to the formal housing market through the provision of rental subsidies provided by the government.
The bill seeks to address the plight of displaced families caused by various disasters and calamities, whether natural or man-made, as well as those families who cannot afford or build their own homes.
“Kapag po tinatamaan ng bagyo ang bansa o kung ano pa pong klaseng sakuna, alam naman po natin kung gaano kahirap para sa kanila ang mawalan ng bahay. Kaya tayong mga lingkod-bayan, dapat po gawin natin ang lahat ng ating makakaya para mabigyan natin ng disenteng matutulugan ang mga naapektuhang pamilya,” stressed Go.
“Ang iba po sa kanila ay mas takot pa pong mawalan ng bahay kesa po matamaan ng COVID-19. Naging isa po talaga ito sa layunin ni dating pangulong (Rodrigo) Duterte kaya naman po tiwala rin ako na isa rin po ito sa magiging prayoridad ni Pangulong Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr.,” he expressed.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker also pushed for SBN 426 which seeks to increase housing production by forging partnerships among relevant stakeholders to address the social housing demands of the Filipino families.
As proposed, the bill shall generate and mobilize funds to guarantee the development of a sustainable, accessible, and affordable housing financing system for the country’s informal settlers. Meanwhile, the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development and its attached key shelter agencies, shall intensify the implementation of the vital components of the NHDPF program.
The National Housing Authority shall be the sole national government agency tasked to implement and develop the housing programs intended for the bottom 30% of the income population. Furthermore, the Social Housing Finance Corporation is tasked to develop social housing programs that will cater to the formal and informal sectors in the low-income bracket and to take charge of developing and administering social housing programs, particularly the Community Mortgage Program and its different modalities.
“Sa aking pag-iikot sa bansa, talaga pong nakakalungkot makita na napakarami po talaga sa ating mamamayang Pilipino ang walang matirahan dahil sa kahirapan. Paano pa po kung tinatamaan ang ating bansa ng mga bagyo o pagputok ng bulkan? Mas lalo pong dumadami ang nawawalan ng matitirahan,” expressed Go.
“Para sa aking mga kapwa mambabatas, nakikiusap po ako sa inyo na ipagpatuloy niyo lang po ang inyong suporta sa dalawang panukalang ito na naglalayong magbigay ng disenteng pabahay sa ating mga kababayan,” he added.
Apart from these measures, Go also refiled his bills establishing the Department of Disaster Resilience and mandatory evacuation centers in every city, municipality and province to further intensify and strengthen the country’s resilience to disasters.
The senator was also the main proponent of the Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa Program (BP2) which is a long-term plan of the government to decongest urban areas, boost countryside development, and improve the quality of life in all regions.
“Sikapin nating mabigyan ng maayos na tirahan ang mga nangangailangan. Wala dapat maging squatter sa sariling bayan. Magtulungan tayo para mabigyan ng mas komportableng buhay ang bawat Pilipino,” Go asserted. (OSBG)
