by Lovely A. Carillo
A new real estate development project in Talomo District this city hopes to make life better for the urban poor residents, particularly those who do not have roofs over their heads, through the introduction of a new socialized housing project.
A growing city like Davao, with over a million people as of the 2007 Census, has often been faced with the problem of providing housing for its indigent population. This problem is clearly seen in the increasing number of squatter areas in the city.
“We are calling on all indigents in the city to take advantage of the benefits offered by this project,” lawyer Susan Cariaga said. The project is eyeing communities that have been demolished, those due for demolition as well as fire victims who are looking for new housing opportunities at a lower cost.
A total of 6.6 hectares of land is set to be developed by the Godfather Village Homeowners Association, Inc. into an ideal socialized housing, with up to 409 housing units to be constructed under the government’s Home Mortgage program.
The main prime mover of the government’s Home Mortgage Program is the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation or NHMFC. Under the NHMFC is the Socialized Housing Finance Corporation which is mandated to undertake social housing programs or the formal and informal sectors with low incomes.
“The homes are really very affordable since a homeowner will only have to pay an equity of P12,500 and only P500 monthly,” Cariaga said. This is in fact very ideal for the poor sector of Davao City who are still dreaming of owning a house someday.
Cariaga said it is actually the Homeowners Association which will develop the project. “We are just providing them assistance, especially in the design of the project,” she said.
The Godfather Village is not the typical socialized housing you see being implemented in the city and even throughout the country. For one, it is very environment-friendly and has been tailored to fit the city’s Rainwater Collection Ordinance which requires homes and business to collect rainwater for all their water needs except for drinking.
The homes in the Godfather Village will have simple water recycling facilities, especially those that will help the homeowners collect rainwater. The homes will also be solar-powered so the owners can become energy efficient.
If you’re amazed by the idealism of this socialized housing project then thank former United Nations worker Avelio Loseo who, together with Cariaga, developed the concept and are making it a reality.
“The concept is to transform the Philippines little by little by changing our communities, especially the marginalized sector,” Cariaga said. She said that as a country director of an international Youth Program, Loseo has traveled in almost 40 countries and has seen the stark difference in the living conditions of the poor Filipinos and the residents of these foreign countries.
Cariaga said they want to do their part in improving the Philippines by developing small communities first. This project, she said, “will show that we can develop the Philippines community by community.”
The Godfather Village will indeed be very different from the typical squatter and indigent housing communities because this socialized housing project will show the poor people that they too, can live with dignity and become responsible Dabawenyos.
