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JV Ejercito: Govt can't give free houses, only affordable ones


Senator Joseph Victor Ejercito said Friday the government cannot provide free housing units to the Kadamay members as it is unfair to those paying the monthly amortization and underwent the process before becoming a beneficiary.

“I hope the Kadamay people would understand na hindi pwedeng libre. There is no such thing as free. Even in the Constitution, the 1987 Constitution says that the government should provide affordable housing, it doesn’t say free housing,” Ejercito said in an ANC interview.

He was referring to Article 13, Section 9 of the Constitution which states: “The State shall, by law, and for the common good, undertake, in cooperation with the private sector, a continuing program of urban land reform and housing which will make available at affordable cost, decent housing and basic services to underprivileged and homeless citizens in urban centers and resettlement areas.”

The senator said it is very unfair because like in the AFP-PNP housing project in Pandi, Bulacan, there are already beneficiaries, and residents living there when Kadamay members took over.

He said the Kadamay members cannot argue that they are too poor to pay the amortization fee as the beneficiaries who enrolled in the program are also underprivileged.

“It is very unfair because the people who are there earlier have been paying amortization for as low as P200, P300 a month, very, very affordable. They followed the process. And they are also poor that’s why hindi pwedeng sabihin na laging ginagamit na kami ay mahirap, kami ay napabayaan dahil mahihirap din ito,” he said.

“So these are also poor people that are paying their dues, they have been working very hard just to make sure they are able to pay their obligation to the government,” he added.

In May, the National Housing Authority said some members of Kadamay have reportedly refused to sign their contracts obligating them to pay for the houses provided by the government, despite being eligible to own the units. 

Earlier, President Rodrigo Duterte approved the congressional resolution authorizing the NHA to award unoccupied housing units to other qualified beneficiaries, including informal settlers and formal sector employees with low salaries.

Ejercito said the National Housing Authority need to collect amortization as the funds will be used to finance future housing projects.

“They have to understand also that NHA and key shelter agencies have to collect (amortization) from them so that they can address the housing backlog and produce more housing. Whatever they collect from amortization, these will be used also as funds to produce more housing units for those who are homeless,” he said.

Ejercito asked Kadamay members to practice restraint as the Congress works for the passage of the bill seeking to create the Department of Housing which aims to reform the government housing program.

“So I’m appealing to the  members of Kadamay to hopefully practice restraint. Just give us a little more time because I’m very optimistic that with the passage of the Department of Housing, its creation would definitely synchronize and improve the housing programs of government,” he said, adding that the Senate bill is not on the final process of passage.

In February, the House of Representatives approved its version on third and final reading. —Amita Legaspi/LBG, GMA News 

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