QC awards 12 new Units in Payatas’ Bistekville 5 to beneficiaries

• Source: http://news.pia.gov.ph/article/view/231474531270/qc-awards-12-new-units-in-payatas-bistekville-5-to-beneficiaries
• Friday, September 23, 2016

(QC PAISO/RJB/SDL/PIA-NCR)

QUEZON CITY, Sept. 23 (PIA)--The Quezon City Government’s Housing and Community Development and Resettlement Department (HCDRD) recently awarded 12 new housing units to the family beneficiaries of the Nagsama sa Tagumpay Homeowners Association of Barangay Payatas.

In a modest turnover ceremony Wednesday (September 21), 12 families received the keys to their own housing unit. The beneficiaries were given the priority after their homes were affected by an ongoing road access project in the area.

For Mr. Emiliano Octubre, his wife Maria Flor and their 3 daughters (age 10, 7 and 3), one of the family beneficiaries, moving to their humble 21 sq m home was an early christmas gift.

The Octubre family have been staying in Payatas since 1991; from a barong-barong they were able to build a concrete house in 1995. However, as informal settlers, Emiliano did not own the land where their house was built on. In 2015, the government decided to improve the access roads in Payatas, Emiliano and his family had to move. Fortunately, it was Mayor Herbert Bautista’s policy that whoever would be affected by the road development should be prioritized in the Bistekville Housing Project.

Thus, the HCDRD in partnership with the Nagsama sa Tagumpay HOA identified the Octubre family as one of the beneficiaries of Bistekville 5. Emiliano said that even though their home is smaller than their previous house, he considers himself fortunate because they can now proudly claim the house, as well as the lot, as their own.

Mrs. Nena Duron, also belong to the first batch of Bistekville 5 beneficiaries, was also thankful for the housing project. She is living in their Bistekville unit with her children (ages 25 and 23).

As a widower, she decided to let her children stay with her instead of living alone. Like the Octubre family, Mrs. Duron relocated to Bistekville 5 because her former house was also affected by the road improvements in Payatas. She also consider herself fortunate because claiming ownership of their new home was a fulfillment in itself.

Bistekville 5 will be building 58 units as part of its in-city/onsite relocation initiative for the informal settlers of Payatas. Bistekville 5 was initiated in November of 2015 and has currently finished construction of 25 of the targeted 58 units.

The 12 family beneficiaries expressed their gratitude to the QC government, they said that they were blessed to have the opportunity to avail themselves of well-constructed housing units in a well-organized community.

The City Government’s socialized housing program called Bistekville, is a multi-awarded program because of its ability to do onsite resettlement, with a viable financing program in developments in partnership with various stakeholders – international and local NGOs, private companies, landowners and HOAs.