Binay: HUDCC-World Bank housing strategy to help informal settlers

The Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council will implement a housing strategy to help the country’s informal settlers, Vice President Jejomar Binay said Tuesday. Speaking before the 38th Philippine Business Conference in Manila, Binay said the National Informal Settlements Upgrading Strategy (Nisus) will be a comprehensive shelter plan for informal settler families. The HUDCC is formulating the strategy with the aid of the World Bank. "The plan will ensure that informal settlers will have access to basic social services such as schools, public markets, healthcare centers, and livelihood opportunities at the resettlement areas," Binay said. "No less than the World Bank has recognized our efforts at improving the lives of our fellow citizens through the provision of housing in an efficient, transparent and multi-sectoral way," he said. Nisus is being funded by the World Bank through a grant from Cities Alliance, a global partnership aimed at reducing urban poverty worldwide. Binay urged local governments to take part in the implementation of proper zoning and land use to maximize the use of land. "In my own capacity as housing czar, good governance carries great weight in making the vision of providing 3.6 million houses to Filipino families. To complete this goal, nothing less than a nationwide collaboration between stakeholders is necessary," he said. Binay added that an effective land use plan instituted on a national scale can lead to fulfilling long-standing needs such as traffic management, responsible industrialization, and sustainable clean environments. Earlier, Binay said the country’s 3.6-million housing backlog could be reduced to one million by the end of his term in 2016. — BM, GMA News