SEN. REVILLA PUSHES FOR MEASURE PROVIDING FREE PUBLIC HOUSING
SEN. REVILLA PUSHES FOR MEASURE PROVIDING FREE PUBLIC HOUSING
“I dream of a tomorrow where Filipinos are no longer forced to make the sidewalks their homes. No child, after all, should grow up thinking the street is his home. We have to make this world better for all especially for the poor – that is what social justice demands”, Sen Revilla stressed.
Sharing his aspiration that all Filipinos should have a decent shelter regardless of their socioeconomic standing, Sen. Revilla filed Senate Bill No. 25 or the “Free Public Housing Act” that seeks to amend the “Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act” to propose new provisions that shall institute a program providing free public housing.
In a report released by DHSUD, the last estimate of the country’s housing backlog stood at 6.75 million units. The Department also projected that at year 2040, the backlog might reach 22 million, if not addressed properly today.
The bill aims to address the need of many Filipinos, especially those who are homeless, vulnerable, and marginalized by including in the mandate of DHSUD the provision of the free public housing program which should assure security of tenure to ensure legal protection from forced evictions, harassments, and other threats.
Sen. Revilla, having studied the current status of housing programs, crafted the measure in such a way that resettlement areas are now mandated to be accessible for employment opportunities, health care services, schools, and other social facilities. Situation on the ground revealed that many of the resettlement areas today are built too far away from the city where many opportunities and essential services are available.
Also recognizing that public housing should not only be free, but more importantly, decent and safe, the proposed bill also mandates that housing will include safe drinking water, adequate sanitation, and energy for cooking, lighting, and food storage.
Sen. Revilla echoes what President Ramon Magsaysay once said, that “those who have less in life should have more in law.”
LIBRENG PABAHAY, ISINUSULONG NI REVILLA
Isinumite ni Sen. Ramon Bong Revilla Jr. ang panukalang batas na ‘Free Public Housing Act’ na naglalayong amyendahan ang ‘Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act’ upang makapagpasok ng probisyon na magtataguyod sa programa hinggil sa libreng pabahay.
Ayon sa ulat ng DHSUD, ang pinakahuling bilang ng kakulangan ng pabahay sa bansa ay nasa 6.75 milyong unit na posibleng umabot pa umano sa taong 2040 sa 22 milyon kung hindi agad matutugunan.
Layon din ng naturang panukala na matugunan ang pangangailangan ng mga Pilipino na walang bahay, mahihina, kabilang na ang nasa mandato ng DHSUD hinggil sa programa ng libreng pabahay na magbibigay ng seguridad at proteksiyon sa mga mahihirap na may bantang gibain ang kani-kanilang tahanan at iba pang pananakot.
Nakapaloob din sa naturang panukala na ang resettlements sites ay dapat na madaling puntahan o malapit sa oportunidad sa mga trabaho, health care services, schools, at iba pang pasilidad sa lipunan.
Idinagdag pa ni Revilla na nakapaloob din na ang itatalagang pabahay ay dapat na may ligtas na inuming tubig, sapat na kailinisan at may kuryente para sa pagluluto, ilaw at pag-iimbak ng pagkain.
“Wala naman akong ibang hangad sa buhay kung hindi ang maiangat ang kalidad ng buhay ng bawat Pilipino at nawa ay samahan ninyo ng panalangin ang laban kong ito para sa inyo” pagwawakas pa ni Revilla.
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