Kadamay beneficiaries to pay increasing amortization rates for NHA housing in Pandi —Tiangco

Members of urban poor group Kadamay awarded housing units by the National Housing Authority (NHA) in Pandi, Bulacan will have to pay increasing monthly amortization rates for their house and lot, Navotas Representative Tobias Tiango said Wednesday.

Tiangco, the sponsor of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development's proposed P2.5-billion budget for 2023, made the response upon questioning by Kabataan party-list Representative Raoul Manuel.

Tiangco said that the Kadamay beneficiaries would pay a monthly amortization of P312.65 in the first four years; P426.65 in the fifth to eighth years; and P673.65 in the ninth and 10th years since being awarded the housing units in October 2020.

The monthly amortization rates cover the fees for land and housing unit as well as occupancy and legalization fees. The total worth of each house and lot in Pandi, Bulacan is P265,000.

"This is the standard escalation [of monthly amortization] for all NHA projects. Of course, we have to look at the value of money after a few years. By fifth year, wages would have increased," Tiangco said.

"The escalation of fees does not happen every year," he added.

Manuel, however, argued that such increasing rates would burden the beneficiaries amid rising prices of commodities.

"I recognize the answer of the sponsor, but based on the framework of [the government] providing housing as one of the social services, we should not subject the rates to the market indicators," Manuel said.

"Bakit po sinisingil ng NHA ang mga maralita ng pataas nang pataas [na monthly amortization] gayong pababa ang kalidad ng buhay sa bansa at mataas ang presyo ng bilihin," Manuel added.

Tiangco responded by saying that the increases would also fund the NHA's revolving fund to build more government-subsidized housing units.

"NHA has a lot of projects too, and they would be even more  hard pressed to build houses without enough funding. Our housing backlog is at 36 million. Doon pa lang po, hindi na natin malaman kung paano natin itatayo 'yun," Tiangco said.

"NHA needs P36 billion [to address backlog], but the government subsidy is just at P2 billion. That is really the reason, para mas madami pong makinabang [sa pabahay ng gobyerno]. Kung palaging deficit po ang NHA, lalong wala silang matutulungan," Tiangco added. — BM, GMA News