Visit to the New Hope Village Housing Project (Speech) 1/25/2017

Barangay Sta. Elena, Tacloban City, Leyte
January 25, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte urged the public officials to expedite services and works as he cited indolence as one of the major problems in the government, relating to the slow response and assistance given to the communities affected by Super Typhoon Yolanda.

“Most of the people in the government take for granted the people’s interest… Galit ako kasi three years after, ‘yan lang ang natrabaho ng gobyerno. And the first time I came here, I was not really pleased,” he said in his speech during his visit to the New Hope Village Housing Project in Tacloban City.

He also challenged the government officials to finish the rehabilitation projects and to properly relocate all the affected families until March.

In a statistics report provided by the National Housing Authority (NHA) as of January 23, 2017, there are already 44,440 bid-out or awarded housing units out of 56,140 housing target in all places in the Yolanda corridor. A total of 10,794 units are in the process of construction while 12,048 were already completed.

During the event, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio Evasco reported the accomplishments of the national agencies and the status of the Chief Executive’s directives given on November 8, 2016 which include the completion of relocation sites, release of financial assistance, provision of better water supply, credit implementation and loaning approvals, the distribution of Livelihood Seeding Program (LSP) business starter kits and Pondo sa Pagbabago at Pag-asenso (P3) for micro-entrepreneurs and vendors, among others.

According to him, government agencies, Tacloban City representatives, Presidential Assistant for the Visayas Michael Lloyd Dino, and the Office of the Presidential Assistant for Yolanda Corridor convened in Davao City on January 17, 2017 to evaluate and assess the rehabilitation works for Yolanda-affected communities.

“This afternoon, NHA is set to turn over one of the relocation sites, the New Hope Village, with 1,000 houses. Of these 1,000 houses, 811 are already occupied and the remaining 189 units are prepared for occupancy,” he said.

After the report of the Cabinet Secretary, President Duterte witnessed the allocation of the LSP business starter kits and launching of the P3 for the two recipient representatives. NHA General Manager Marcelino Escalada also led the distribution of the Certificates of Eligibility for Lot Allocation (CELAs) to the representatives of the beneficiaries from the resettlement sites.

Meanwhile, Tacloban City Mayor Cristina Romualdez expressed her gratitude to President Duterte for keeping his promise to revisit Tacloban City.

“Two months after November 8, 2016, President Duterte’s return speaks a lot of the national government’s thrust to ensure that the displaced residents get decent housing and a second chance of a safer and better living conditions. The presence of the President is a clear indication that the national government is there, is here with us to share our efforts to achieve a safe, self-sustaining and vibrant community that will nurture future generations of all Taclobanons,” she said.

She gave an assurance that the local government is committed to continually work in bringing utilities and infrastructures, better social, educational and health services through satellite offices, and more job and livelihood opportunities through faster business license issuance for the residents.


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