PROMDI presidential candidate Sen. Manny Pacquiao led the groundbreaking rites of two future sites of his “Pacman Village” projects in Eastern Visayas as he hopes to provide more free, decent, and disaster-resilient housing for poor Filipinos.
Pacquiao said other Pacman Villages will also soon rise in the provinces of Bohol, Cavite, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Cebu, Cotabato, and Marawi City to augment his five Pacman Villages where more than 2,000 houses were built and given away for free to poor and homeless families in General Santos and Sarangani province.
The Pacman Villages are located in General Santos City and in the towns of Malungon, Glan, Alabel and Maasim.
During the groundbreaking rites in the town of Kananga and Leyte in Leyte province, Pacquiao said this program providing free housing for homeless Filipinos has been his advocacy even before he joined politics.
He said that unlike other candidates who are giving lofty promises to the electorate, he has dedicated his life to helping the country’s poor and lifting the pride and honor of all Filipinos.
“Kung resibo ang pag-uusapan, eh ‘yung pabahay ko matagal na ‘yung ginagawa ko. Wala pa ako sa pulitika namimigay na ako ng sariling tahanan bahay at lupa,” Pacquiao told media.
If elected President, Pacquiao promises to resolve the country’s 3 million housing backlog in 6 years by allocating P400 billion a year to build free housing units for all homeless Filipinos, including those who are still renting their living space.
He said the fund would come from government savings generated from his all-out war against corruption. Pacquiao estimates that the government is losing at least P700 billion to P1 trillion a year due to the systemic corruption at all levels of governance.
During his sorties, his team has been distributing the so-called Pabahay Plus forms which would provide him with a quick database of Filipinos who needs housing, employment, livelihood, and educational support.
The one-hectare property in Kananga and two-hectare property in Leyte were donated to him by supporters who share his pro-poor advocacies. These properties will be maximized to provide housing for Eastern Visayas residents who are homeless or have lost their homes due to calamities.
Pacquiao said he hopes to begin the construction of the houses right after the May elections.
After barnstorming across Eastern Visayas that was capped with a big “People’s rally” in Biliran province, Pacquiao flew to Zamboanga City Saturday for a motorcade. He was also adopted as an Honorary member of JCI Zamboanga.
From Zamboanga City, Pacquiao is scheduled to lead a wreath-laying ceremony organized by the Cagayan De Oro City Press Club at the Press Freedom Monument in Cagayan de Oro City to commemorate the World Press Freedom Day.
After the event, Pacquiao is scheduled to hold a caravan around Cagayan De Oro City followed by a “People’s Rally” at the Cagayan de Oro Amphitheater.
READ: ‘Ambassador for homeless’ Pacquiao leads groundbreaking of Cebu housing community center