TAGUIG CITY

PUBLIC HOUSING
PROGRAM
CONTENT
Summary
Project Description
A serious and earnest attempt by the City Government to pursue
a mass housing project to alleviate the plight of the poor.
Project History
A dream that makes a difference.
Project Results
The Taguig Family Townhomes: A Home Like No Other
Key Implementation Steps
Lessons Learned
Annexes
SUMMARY
WHEN Taguig City Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga assumed office in 2001, one of his
priority concerns is the provision of housing and shelter for the less privilege
d
families in Taguig. Through a joint venture scheme, the Local Housing Office
draws the participation and resources of the private sector, the national
government & its attached agencies and non-government organizations (NGOs)
to effectively address the overwhelming problems of informal settlement and
homelessness.
The local government has since initiated socialized housing projects in
partnership with Habitat for Humanity, which resulted in the construction of 108
low-cost housing units in Bicutan using interlocking blocks in its first-ever Me
dium
Rise Buildings in Asia. Also, in Brgy. Calzada-Tipas, twenty-six (26) row house
units
were awarded while more than 4,000 Certificates of Eligibility for Lot Applicati
on
(CELA) have been distributed to qualified beneficiaries.
With the success of the housing and shelter program of the local government,
Mayor Tiñga is taking a bold initiative envisioned to be the next generation of
urban housing in the city with an innovative program that aims to build 30,000
low-cost housing units that will benefit the city s growing slum dwellers.
Known as the Family Townhomes, the project is Taguig s way of addressing the
country s squatting problem and would ultimately bridge the growing gap
between the rich and the poor.
Again, in partnership with the business sector, private individuals and nongover
nment
organizations like Gawad Kalinga, the Taguig Family Townhomes
project is in progress using new construction technologies that would lessen the
overall cost and construction time to ensure its affordability to beneficiaries.

Last August 11, 2006, Mayor Tiñga led the inauguration and ribbon cutting of
model units of the Family Townhomes located along Diego Silang Avenue,
Barangay Ususan, Taguig City with housing czar and Vice President Noli L. De
Castro as guest of honor. Project partners, donors and other stakeholders of the
housing project were in full force to grace the significant event.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
A serious and earnest attempt by the City Government to pursue a mass
housing project to alleviate the plight of the poor.
WHILE the local government s efforts of resolving the housing problem has
achieved a high degree of success with the construction of low-cost mass
housing projects in partnership with the private sector, the age-old problem of
professional squatting syndicates taking advantage of innocent victims still
hounds a number of people in Taguig.
Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga can only empathized with the indigent sector of the
community who without secure land and decent roofs above their heads are
often fall prey to notorious squatting syndicates and taking advantage of their
vulnerability.
The poverty-stricken families of Taguig are forced to live in informal settlemen
ts,
beside waterways, cemeteries, under bridges and along railroad tracks in
conditions that are environmentally sullied, illegal and in ever-present danger
of
eviction.
With the introduction of the innovative program on mass housing project, the cit
y
government of Taguig has started construction of model units of the Family
Townhomes to address the overwhelming problem of squatting not only in
Taguig but the country as well.
The project is probably the first serious and earnest attempt by a local
government unit to pursue a mass housing project in partnership with private
sector donors to alleviate the plight of the poor. Such LGU-private sector
partnership is rare; but Tiñga s initiative shows it can be done.
The cost of each unit is P150,000 and the beneficiaries will pay through an easy
financing program with an initial down payment of P5,000; the balance payable
at P600 P1,500 monthly for a maximum period of 30 years.
Some of the units would be subsidized through fund-raising efforts by the local
government and non-government organizations (NGOs) supporting the project.
Donors who give a P50,000 or $1,000 contribution will personally get to know the
ir
beneficiaries.
PROJECT HISTORY:
A dream that makes a difference.
IT ALL started with a dream. Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga wanted to make a big
difference in initiating the construction of the most affordable housing project
in
the country, which is envisioned to be the next generation of urban housing for
the city.
Since the completion and awarding of several housing units to beneficiaries,
Mayor Tiñga instructed the Local Housing Office to design a new housing
approach with an ambience of city living, breathing and self-contained
community at par with the most serene and classy residential paradise found in
the city that will serve as a model for future housing programs of the country.
The blueprint is a modular eight-in-one, two-storey building with a total floor
area
of 25-sq. m. per unit. It is called the Family Townhomes: A Home Like No Other.
Mayor Tiñga wasted no time to promote the project and solicit support from
generous private individuals and encourage business people to share whatever
they can effortlessly afford for the program --whether in the form of financial
support, construction materials, manpower or professional services.
Among the first to respond to Tiñga s appeal for support is a group of renowned
architects, interior designers, and creative artists that include Anna Sy of Xce
l
Property Ventures, Tessa Prieto-Valdez, Arturo Go, Ivan Acuña, Doltz Pilar, G&W
Architects, Arch. Joey Mastrili, and Robinson s Land. Furniture makers, suppliers,
and contractors likewise donated for the completion of the model units. They
have all contributed their works for the Family Townhomes, free of charge.
But Mayor Freddie wanted not just a dream house to be dispensed to qualified
Taguig residents. He is looking at a one-to-one relationship between the donor
and the beneficiary, so they know exactly who will benefit from their generosity
.
Tiñga explained, the contribution is not a dole-out, rather it is a down payment
that you are making on somebody s future.
Under the Taguig Family Townhomes program, the city government plans to
build 30,000 low-cost housing units in ten years in various locations in the cit
y.
Among the areas to be considered for the project are the 13 has. lot in South
Bay Regent Townhomes at DOTC Compound, Brgy. Lower Bicutan; the 2 has.
Orosa Property at South Rail Townhomes in Bagong Tanyag and at the 6,000 sq.
m. Rotary Habitat Cluster Village in FTI Compound, Western Bicutan.
PROJECT RESULTS:
Hope for the homeless
The Taguig Family Townhomes has not only met the specific objectives of
providing a decent shelter for the hard-up homeless families of the city or
breathe in the same ambience of the comfort of elegant living in the city. With
the completion of the fully furnished eight model units of the Family Townhomes
housing project, the city government has revitalized the fading hope of the slum
dwellers to own a decent and affordable home.
Support from Home Builders
Mayor Freddie R. Tiñga had little difficulty finding for project partners to proce
ed
with the innovative public housing program which, when duplicated on a higher
extent could effectively address the age-old squatting problem in the country.
The outpouring support from a group of renowned architects, interior designers,
and creative artists have provided free professional services to sketch the inte
rior
design of the model units of the Family Townhomes. It will then become the
prototype plan for the beneficiaries to prefer. Furniture makers, suppliers, and
contractors similarly contributed for the projects.
Commitment from the Business, Private Sectors and the NGOs
The city government task to solve the problem on informal settlers through the
Family Townhomes has started a domino of commitment from business and
private sector as well as non-government organizations or NGOs. The question of
sustainability has been resolved through the financial assistance provided by
these concerned citizens and private companies.
In the inauguration and ribbon cutting ceremonies last August 11, 2006, Mr.
Bernard Vincent Dy, president of Community Innovations, Inc., a subsidiary of
Ayala Land Inc. donated P17-Million for the project. Megaworld Corporation
represented by Mr. Tony Tan, Senior Vice President for Operations contributed
P10-M. Dr. Romeo Santos, Treasurer of the Kilusang Diwa ng Taguig committed
P1-Million donation while Engr. Castor Concoles of Pacific Plaza Towers allocate
d
P450,000.
De La Salle University s Batch 82 have pledged to donate to the project a
sizeable amount from the proceeds of an 18-hole golf tournament that they will
be mounting as part of their fund-raising activities. To ensure transparency of
the
project, Lightomorrow Foundation has taken the task to manage the funding
contribution of the housing program. More financial commitment from other
sources is expected to follow.
Partnership with the National Government
The city government needs all the help of the national government to ensure the
success of this project. In a Memorandum of Agreement with the Department of
Transportation and Communication, Housing and Urban Development
Coordinating Council and the National Housing Authority, they forged an
agreement to pursue the implementation of the project.
The Taguig Family Townhomes: A Home Like No Other.
The Taguig Family Townhomes is not just a low-cost mass housing project for the
underprivileged sector of Taguig. It s a home like no other, a community where
every Taguig poorest homeless resident interact with each other in the spirit of
genuine camaraderie and cooperation. With the backing of the city
government, they are free to organize themselves for a worthy cause.
What they say about the Family Town Homes
Salamat po sa aming pamahalaang lokal sa magandang bahay na ipagkakaloob sa
amin. Eto, simple pero maganda at tamang-tama sa pamilya ko. Sa 12 taon kong
pagtuturo, sa wakas meron na akong matatawag na tahanang akin talaga. -Gemma
Sabido, a teacher for 12 years.
Roque Marasigan, PNR Site resident has nothing but praises for the program: Sa ri
les po
mahirap ang buhay, nandiyan ang panganib oras-oras kaya nagpapasalamat kami na
makakalipat na kami sa disenteng pabahay na ito.
Salamat po sa pagbibigay dignidad sa aking pamilya at sa wakas, magkakaroon na
kami ng tahanang matatawag na sariling amin. -PO1 Lebo Casay.
We decided to contribute to the Taguig Family Townhomes program because our
organization is strongly committed to making a significant impact in communities
we are
part of, not only from a business standpoint but also from a social development
perspective by supporting and working closely with the local government in commu
nity-
building projects. -Mr. Bernard Vincent Dy, Community Innovations.
We at Megaworld Corporation believe in building decent communities that give the
underprivileged people of Taguig renewed hope and dignity. We are stakeholders i
n the
City of Taguig and the contribution we have made to the Family Townhomes program
of
Mayor Tiñga is an investment in the future of our city. -Mr. Tony Tan, the firm s sen
ior
vice president for operations.
We have chosen Family Townhomes to be a beneficiary of our fund raising efforts
because this project is real, something that people can hold on to. -DLSU s Batch 82
chairman Henry Atayde.
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LESSONS AND INSIGHTS:
Formulation of Policies
First and foremost, the technical team in its initial meetings has formulated
policies and procedural guidelines on the community planning, housing and
settlement programs and projects prior to the implementation of the city s
various housing programs. The Family Townhomes project is no different for it
follows the same course of action.
Technical Requirements
The local government housing agency and other implementers of the project
had to put their acts together to deal with the enormous challenge in putting up
the appropriate design and the technical requirements of the project.
Test Build
Translating every technical detail to actual construction of the Family
Townhomes was really a whole new story. It was a day-to-day concern
from layout to purchasing, to delivery to actual construction was really
inspiring. The technical team has taken the challenge and was able to
complete the task and has launched the program successfully. The real
task of the program is slowly being realized. The LHO is gearing up its
people to be able to cope with housing demands and other requirements
of the housing program.
Funding
The most important concern of the program is the financial aspect where
the Local Housing Office must initiate exploratory talks with formal and
non-formal financial institutions, national agencies and partner
organizations to appreciate the following necessary presentations
regarding the Taguig s Public Housing Initiatives:
. Opportunities for project partnerships
. Setting up of structures for sustainability
. Access for credit financing
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