The Quezon City government has received P100 million from the Department of the Interior and Local Government to fund housing projects for informal settlers, particularly the victims of the Jan. 1, 2015, fire in Sitio Kaingin Bukid.
The check was turned over last week in line with an agreement signed in July by Mayor Herbert Bautista and then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas.
City Hall will set aside P57 million for onsite housing units for the creekside community of Barangay Apolonio Samson, where the New Year’s Day fire affected some 4,000 families.
The local government also plans to build a retaining pond for floodwater and a 6-meter wall along the riverbank since the site was classified as a flood-prone no-build zone in the Quezon City Risk Atlas.
Tadeo Palma, secretary to the mayor and head of the socialized housing task force, said at least 1,500 units had been awarded out of the target 5,000 units under the Bistekville Socialized Housing project.