New homes eyed for 1,000 victims of Caloocan fire

The Caloocan City government has unveiled plans to construct permanent housing for over a thousand families left homeless by a fire on Easter Sunday.

The city government said talks were going on for the construction of medium-rise buildings on a three-hectare lot at BMBA Compound, Barangay 120, Grace Park, Caloocan City, that was ravaged by fire on April 21.

“Initially, we recommended to the National Housing Authority that the affected families become beneficiaries of their medium-rise housing project and for the agency to help us construct at least six to eight five-story building structures, with every floor having 20 housing units each,” Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan said in the statement.

Malapitan said the city government was continuously meeting with the NHA and the Diocese of Kalookan, the owner of the lot.

“We have been meeting with NHA officials in order to effectively come up with a permanent solution to this predicament and fast-track the delivery of medium-rise housing for the fire victims,” he added.

Authorities said about 500 houses, mostly built by informal settlers, were destroyed by the blaze which lasted about eight hours and killed one resident.  Nathaniel Melican