Socialized housing accreditation, housing for homeless sought
Posted on | Saturday, 18 June 2011 | No Comments
by Aileen Refuerzo
Councilor Isabelo Cosalan sought the accreditation of the city government with the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) to enable the city to avail of the Localized Community Mortgaged Program (LCMP) for its housing project.
In a proposed resolution, Cosalan said the city has many homeless residents in need of low-cost housing projects and the city despite several local legislations asking for the implementation of housing projects has not come up with a concrete settlement project due to lack of funds.
“The lack of funding is the primary reason why there has been no city government implemented or completed socialized or mass housing project,” Cosalan said.
He said this can be addressed by the LCMP of the SHFC which is, “… an innovative scheme whereby qualified partner-local government units (LGUs) may apply for an Omnibus Commitment Line (OCL) not exceeding P 50 million.
This is made available through the SHFC to accommodate priority projects identified by the partner-LGUs.
He said the city government, through Mayor Mauricio Domogan, can apply for accreditation with the SHFC to avail of the LCMP.
“The City has to demonstrate its sincerity in uplifting the plight of its poor and homeless constituents by providing access to decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities,” Cosalan said.
The provision housing opportunity for the residents is recognized by the city which in its Comprehensive City Land Use Plan acknowledges that, “Shelter planning is a responsibility of the Local Government Unit … The implementation of low cost housing programs and projects to benefit the underprivileged sector of the population is a primary concern under this sub-sector.”
It is also enshrined in Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code and Republic Act 7279 also known as the Urban Development and Housing Act, mandate local government units to implement within their respective jurisdiction programs and projects for low-cost housing and other mass dwellings. (AR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Councilor Isabelo Cosalan sought the accreditation of the city government with the Social Housing Finance Corporation (SHFC) to enable the city to avail of the Localized Community Mortgaged Program (LCMP) for its housing project.
In a proposed resolution, Cosalan said the city has many homeless residents in need of low-cost housing projects and the city despite several local legislations asking for the implementation of housing projects has not come up with a concrete settlement project due to lack of funds.
“The lack of funding is the primary reason why there has been no city government implemented or completed socialized or mass housing project,” Cosalan said.
He said this can be addressed by the LCMP of the SHFC which is, “… an innovative scheme whereby qualified partner-local government units (LGUs) may apply for an Omnibus Commitment Line (OCL) not exceeding P 50 million.
This is made available through the SHFC to accommodate priority projects identified by the partner-LGUs.
He said the city government, through Mayor Mauricio Domogan, can apply for accreditation with the SHFC to avail of the LCMP.
“The City has to demonstrate its sincerity in uplifting the plight of its poor and homeless constituents by providing access to decent, safe and affordable housing opportunities,” Cosalan said.
The provision housing opportunity for the residents is recognized by the city which in its Comprehensive City Land Use Plan acknowledges that, “Shelter planning is a responsibility of the Local Government Unit … The implementation of low cost housing programs and projects to benefit the underprivileged sector of the population is a primary concern under this sub-sector.”
It is also enshrined in Republic Act 7160 otherwise known as the Local Government Code and Republic Act 7279 also known as the Urban Development and Housing Act, mandate local government units to implement within their respective jurisdiction programs and projects for low-cost housing and other mass dwellings. (AR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Category:
Baguio City
City to work out settlement for purchase of Baguio Convention Center
by Aileen Refuerzo
Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week directed city legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes to work out the compromise settlement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the resolution of the ejectment case it filed against the city over the purchase of the Baguio Convention Center.
In his Ugnayang Panlungsod press briefing last Wednesday, the mayor said he asked Rabanes to immediately coordinate with the GSIS legal counsel in preparing the compromise settlement which will be submitted to the court for approval.
This developed as the city council last Monday approved the mayor’s request for the realignment of P200,185,882.05 pooled from unused funds from the city coffers to pay the city’s outstanding balance to purchase the convention facility and avoid incurring more interest or lose the facility altogether.
The mayor pushed for the city’s payment amid the still unclear status of the city’s share from the lease rental of Camp John Hay from which the city was supposed to get the payment for the BCC as per the 2004 tripartite purchase agreement with the GSIS and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).
The BCDA failed to deliver the amortizations on the deadlines set under the MOA due to the developer Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo)’s default in its payments.
This prompted the GSIS to file an ejectment case against the city for failing to pay its amortizations for the purchase of the facility originally pegged at P250 million.
Due to the non-payment, the city’s obligation has ballooned to P318 million exclusive of the initial payments made by the city amounting to at least P100 million.
After negotiations, the city’s balance was cut down to P200,185,882.05 and the city was given until May 30 to settle.
The mayor said that since the city failed to beat the deadline as the city council’s approval came only last Monday, the arrears can be expected to increase anew thus the need to speed up the settlement process. (AR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Mayor Mauricio Domogan last week directed city legal officer Melchor Carlos Rabanes to work out the compromise settlement with the Government Service Insurance System (GSIS) for the resolution of the ejectment case it filed against the city over the purchase of the Baguio Convention Center.
In his Ugnayang Panlungsod press briefing last Wednesday, the mayor said he asked Rabanes to immediately coordinate with the GSIS legal counsel in preparing the compromise settlement which will be submitted to the court for approval.
This developed as the city council last Monday approved the mayor’s request for the realignment of P200,185,882.05 pooled from unused funds from the city coffers to pay the city’s outstanding balance to purchase the convention facility and avoid incurring more interest or lose the facility altogether.
The mayor pushed for the city’s payment amid the still unclear status of the city’s share from the lease rental of Camp John Hay from which the city was supposed to get the payment for the BCC as per the 2004 tripartite purchase agreement with the GSIS and the Bases Conversion Development Authority (BCDA).
The BCDA failed to deliver the amortizations on the deadlines set under the MOA due to the developer Camp John Hay Development Corporation (CJHDevCo)’s default in its payments.
This prompted the GSIS to file an ejectment case against the city for failing to pay its amortizations for the purchase of the facility originally pegged at P250 million.
Due to the non-payment, the city’s obligation has ballooned to P318 million exclusive of the initial payments made by the city amounting to at least P100 million.
After negotiations, the city’s balance was cut down to P200,185,882.05 and the city was given until May 30 to settle.
The mayor said that since the city failed to beat the deadline as the city council’s approval came only last Monday, the arrears can be expected to increase anew thus the need to speed up the settlement process. (AR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Category:
Baguio City
City to develop idle lots and non-performing assets
by Paul Rillorta
The city government is now looking into its non-performing assets for eventual development.
City Mayor Mauricio Domogan has specifically designated a project study team to pinpoint city- owned idle lots which could be converted into economic hubs.
Domogan said “non-performing assets needs to be utilized into more productive and self-sustaining economic ventures in order to optimize its use.”
Administrative Order No. 68 series of 2011 specifically designates members of the project study team to study city properties as an income- generating project composed of the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator, Office of the City Building and Architecture, Office of the City Assessor, Office of the Social Welfare and Development, Office of the Budget Officer, Office of the City Accountant, and Office of the City Treasurer.
Among the targeted city property being studied is a vacant lot located at Upper Session Road adjacent to the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
The lot is about 2,000 square meters and covered under Proclamation No. 611 of then President Ferdinand Marcos reserving the same for demonstration and training center site purposes of the Department of Social Welfare.
A memorandum of agreement on the lot was entered into between the DSWD and the city government in 1992 which devolved half of the area (1,000 sq. m.) to the city for its social welfare purposes.
The project study team will prepare the development proposal for the area and will conduct official survey site inspections and technical assessments on the property and would also prepare engineering designs, architectural plans, estimates, and specifications.
The market, technical, financial, economic, and operational analysis aspects of the project will also be prepared by the team. (PR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
The city government is now looking into its non-performing assets for eventual development.
City Mayor Mauricio Domogan has specifically designated a project study team to pinpoint city- owned idle lots which could be converted into economic hubs.
Domogan said “non-performing assets needs to be utilized into more productive and self-sustaining economic ventures in order to optimize its use.”
Administrative Order No. 68 series of 2011 specifically designates members of the project study team to study city properties as an income- generating project composed of the Office of the City Planning and Development Coordinator, Office of the City Building and Architecture, Office of the City Assessor, Office of the Social Welfare and Development, Office of the Budget Officer, Office of the City Accountant, and Office of the City Treasurer.
Among the targeted city property being studied is a vacant lot located at Upper Session Road adjacent to the Office of the City Social Welfare and Development Office.
The lot is about 2,000 square meters and covered under Proclamation No. 611 of then President Ferdinand Marcos reserving the same for demonstration and training center site purposes of the Department of Social Welfare.
A memorandum of agreement on the lot was entered into between the DSWD and the city government in 1992 which devolved half of the area (1,000 sq. m.) to the city for its social welfare purposes.
The project study team will prepare the development proposal for the area and will conduct official survey site inspections and technical assessments on the property and would also prepare engineering designs, architectural plans, estimates, and specifications.
The market, technical, financial, economic, and operational analysis aspects of the project will also be prepared by the team. (PR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Category:
Baguio City
Dad pushes for blood council in city
by Paul Rillorta
“Blood donation is a humanitarian act” (RA 7719).
Banking on this principle and in order to strengthen voluntary blood donation in the city, Councilo Erdolfo Balajadia passed a measure for the creation of the City Local Blood Council (CLBC).
The CLBC will be organized as a non-profit, non-government, multi-sectoral group with members coming from the city government and private sector of the local community committed to support the blood program of the government.
“When this is realized, it will ensure adequate supply of blood through blood promotion of voluntary blood donation for our people especially our indigent residents,” Balajadia said.
The blood council will spearhead the planning, organization, and coordination of implementing a local blood donation program of the local government, non-government organizations, companies, religious and civic actions groups,and universities on a monthly basis to ensure adequate supply of safe blood for the community.
The council will be sourcing out financial and other support from allocations of the city government, contributions from the business sector, contributions from the Philippine Red Cross-National Blood Service, fund raising activities of the community, grants from donor agencies (local and international), contributions from civic, religious and non-government organizations, contributions from the mass media, grants from government, financial institutions and subsidy from hospitals, private, and government to support the Local Blood Donation Program.
The proposed ordinance will hope to strengthen Department of Health Administrative order 2010-02 pertinent to the establishment and operation of a local blood council to support the implementation of National Voluntary Blood Service Program (NVBSP) for blood safety, adequacy, quality care and patient safety in every region.
Balajadia said, "This will bolster RA 7719 or the National Blood Service Act of 1994 in promoting voluntary blood donations in the city."
This will also strengthen the mandate of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as one of the key organizations tasked in providing safe blood for the people.
The PRC-Baguio chapter to date gives comprehensive blood services in the city including donor recruitment, blood testing, blood processing, blood storage and supply to hospitals. (PR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
“Blood donation is a humanitarian act” (RA 7719).
Banking on this principle and in order to strengthen voluntary blood donation in the city, Councilo Erdolfo Balajadia passed a measure for the creation of the City Local Blood Council (CLBC).
The CLBC will be organized as a non-profit, non-government, multi-sectoral group with members coming from the city government and private sector of the local community committed to support the blood program of the government.
“When this is realized, it will ensure adequate supply of blood through blood promotion of voluntary blood donation for our people especially our indigent residents,” Balajadia said.
The blood council will spearhead the planning, organization, and coordination of implementing a local blood donation program of the local government, non-government organizations, companies, religious and civic actions groups,and universities on a monthly basis to ensure adequate supply of safe blood for the community.
The council will be sourcing out financial and other support from allocations of the city government, contributions from the business sector, contributions from the Philippine Red Cross-National Blood Service, fund raising activities of the community, grants from donor agencies (local and international), contributions from civic, religious and non-government organizations, contributions from the mass media, grants from government, financial institutions and subsidy from hospitals, private, and government to support the Local Blood Donation Program.
The proposed ordinance will hope to strengthen Department of Health Administrative order 2010-02 pertinent to the establishment and operation of a local blood council to support the implementation of National Voluntary Blood Service Program (NVBSP) for blood safety, adequacy, quality care and patient safety in every region.
Balajadia said, "This will bolster RA 7719 or the National Blood Service Act of 1994 in promoting voluntary blood donations in the city."
This will also strengthen the mandate of the Philippine Red Cross (PRC) as one of the key organizations tasked in providing safe blood for the people.
The PRC-Baguio chapter to date gives comprehensive blood services in the city including donor recruitment, blood testing, blood processing, blood storage and supply to hospitals. (PR-PIO Baguio City/PIA CAR)
Category:
Baguio City