MANILA, Philippines — The Manila City government on Monday formally turned over 229 townhouse style units to its indigent owners in the slums of Baseco, Tondo, through a project called “Basecommunity”.
Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso led the turnover ceremony of the housing units, with a gentle warning to recipients to take good care of the units.
“Ako ay naniniwala na para maibalik ang dignidad sa pagiging mahirap, ikaw ay magkaroon ng sarili mo na masasabi mong iyo,” the local chief executive said during a speech.
(I believe that having a home that a poor person can call his own raises their dignity.)
“Alagaan n’yo ito, ‘wag n’yong bababuyin. ‘Di baleng mahirap tayo, ‘wag tayong maging dugyot,” he added.
(Please take care of this, always keep it clean. Let’s see to it that even if we are poor, we are not untidy.)
RELATED STORIES: ‘Tondominium’ rising in Manila’s largest slum area
Each of the 42 square meters unit contains two bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, laundry area and toilet.
Meanwhile, Moreno also said that the local government will also build an additional 1,000 public housing units in San Lazaro, San Sebastian and Pedro Gil, in a series of housing projects in the city.