The Tagbilaran City Council has accredited the Dampas Urban Poor Homeowners Association (DUPHOA) as a people’s organization helping pave the way for the implementation of a housing project which will benefit the 126 member families of the group.
According to Councilor Jonas Casho, chairman of the Sangunniang Panlungsod’s committee on external affairs, they passed a resolution accrediting DUPHOA during the council’s regular session on Friday last week.
“Accredited na sila sa City Government of Tagbilaran kadtong DUPHOA at least they can enjoy and avail sa mga programa kay apil mana sa atoang requirement sa mga non-government organization, people’s organization ug civil society organization,” Cacho said.
DUPHOA official Chita Patac said the accreditation was among the requirements set by the village council of Barangay Cabawan for the legislative body to pass a resolution approving the housing project’s construction in their area of responsibility.
“Among gi dung ani para matabangan mi sa council na sa Cabawan magawas to ang among resolution kay mao ra man jud among gikinahilanglan sa Cabawan for acceptance sa housing didto,” said Patac who attended the council’s regular session.
Barangay Cabawan is one of proposed the sites for the large-scale, multi-agency housing program for urban poor Tagbilaran City residents.
Patac hoped that their accreditation would pave the way for the implementation of the housing program as they continued to stay at a temporary resettlement site in Barangay Dampas where they do not have access to basic commodities.
“Way tubig, way suga mao naghinaot mi na matabangan mi adto sa Cabawan na, so naghinaot mi na kining [accreditation] maoy yawi na madawat mi didto,” she added.
Earlier, Undersecretary Paterna Ruiz of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), which facilitated the housing program, lamented that the Barangay Cabawan Council opposed the program’s implementation which stemmed from residents’ concern over the proliferation of “illegal drugs and other crime in the barangay” due to the project which will house displaced urban poor families.
The Cabawan SB in May this year formally raised its stand against the initiative through a resolution, which was deemed by Ruiz as “malicious” and “prejudicial.”
According to Ruiz, the SB changed its tune when it was summoned by the Tagbilaran City Sangguniang Panlungsod on August 6, 2021.
The Cabawan village officials instead called for DUPHOA’s accreditation by the Tagbilaran City local government unit.
NAPC had tapped the following to be part of the multi-agency project: Tagbilaran government, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Technical Education and Skills Development Authority and Department of Public Works and Highways, among others. (A. Doydora)