National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Joeben Tai over the weekend said they are fast-tracking the agency's relocation activities for informal settler families (ISFs) living along the waterways of Malabon City.

Tai said 20 families who are living under the Don Basilio Bridge in Brgy. Dampalit, Malabon City, is set to be resettled to one of the city’s largest housing projects, the St. Gregory Homes Housing Project in Brgy. Panghulo, on 25 March 2024.

The NHA-Malabon/Navotas/Valenzuela (MANAVA) District Office identified them through census and tagging activities and processed their qualification as a housing beneficiary.

Implemented under the Housing Program for Informal Settler Families (ISFs) Living Along Danger Areas in Metro Manila, the St. Gregory Homes Housing Project is an in-city resettlement project, complete with 24-square meter housing units, community facilities, socio-economic and other community support programs.

Live-in partners Juliet De Guzman and Dante Cilia expressed their anticipation for their upcoming relocation. “Masaya po kami na sa wakas, hindi na po kami mangangamba na kapag umuulan ay abutin po kami ng tubig. Makakapaglaro na rin po ang mga anak namin nang hindi kami nag-aalalang mahulog sila sa ilog,” they shared.

Meanwhile, Benedicta Omeres, who was a neighbor of De Guzman and Cilia, expressed her joy and gratitude for the opportunity provided by the Authority. “Nagpapasalamat po ako sa NHA, kay GM Tai at President Marcos dahil makakaahon na rin po kami sa hirap at pangamba na baka ma-washout po ang aming tahanan.”

Aside from the dangers imposed by living on the Dampalit riverside, the homes of these 20 families will also be affected by the construction and development of a river dike and flood control facility.

Geared towards the Bagong Pilipinas campaign of the Marcos administration, the NHA, together with the LGUs, not only ensures the quality of housing units but also implements sustainable programs for the benefit of its housing beneficiaries. Testament to this, the rise and development of community facilities, such as basketball courts, schools, wet markets, and livelihood centers, among the many, are continuously being built within resettlement projects. Accessibility to urban areas and city centers, basic commodities, education and health facilities, and government offices were also among the considerations prior to the construction of NHA projects.

With NHA’s Charter about to end in 2025, and its renewal is in the process, Omeres’ expressed her support to NHA’s Charter Renewal as a housing beneficiary herself, “Ipinagdadasal ko po talaga na magpatuloy pa ang NHA dahil marami po silang natutulungan na kagaya naming mahihirap at kapuspalad na naiaahon kami sa aming kinalulugaran.”

In a related story, the NHA-MANAVA District Office recently spearheaded the distribution of P10,000 Emergency Housing Assistance Program (EHAP) cash grants to 81 fire-victim families in Navotas City. The beneficiaries were part of the previous 1,328 Navoteño families who received the same assistance from NHA.

For the first quarter of 2024, the NHA has already distributed EHAP funds to various calamity-stricken areas such as in Manila, Mandaluyong, Muntinlupa, Quezon City, Cavite, Iloilo, Palawan, and Tawi-Tawi.

Tai personally spearheaded EHAP distributions in Zamboanga together with Senator Imee Marcos in Laguna and Cebu.