By: JOEL PINEDA JAQUINTA

EB Magalona Mayor Marvin M. Malacon lauded President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and Negros Occidental 3rd District Cong. Albee Benitez for the enactment into law of Republic Act 11201 or the “Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development Act”. He expressed gratitude to both for the law will address the many gaps and problems in the public housing and urban development, ultimately improving the quality of life of Filipinos.

Being one of the principal authors and the Chairperson of the House of Representatives Committee on Housing and Urban Development, Cong. Benitez is considered as among the prime movers behind the said law aimed to support the policy of the State to ensure access of underprivileged and homeless citizens to adequate, safe, habitable, sustainable, resilient and affordable home.

The law also orders the consolidation of the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) and the Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) to create the new Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, which will be the sole and main planning and policy-making, regulatory, program coordination, and performance monitoring entity for all housing and urban development concerns.

“We are thankful to our beloved President Duterte and Cong. Albee for their hard work to realize this essential housing measure designed to fulfill the housing dreams of the Filipinos, including the Saraviahanons. EB Magalona is truly blessed to have Cong. Albee as our representative for all his programs and projects that benefit the people,” Mayor Malacon said.

Currently, the Office of Cong. Benitez together with national government is working with the Municipal Government of EB Magalona in the implementation of various resettlement and housing projects that would benefit the town's informal settlers. In addition to the resettlement site in Barangays 3, Manta-angan and Gahit that were made possible by the administration of then Mayor Alfonso F. Gamboa, the newly developed “Tumandok Village” in Barangay Sto. Nino will accommodate more or less 1,100 informal settler families and will be soon ready for occupancy.

This is in line with the “TUMANDOK CARES Development Agenda” of the administration of Mayor Malacon.