TWO government officials led the inauguration of at least three low-rise buildings (LRBs) over the weekend as permanent shelters for fire victims and residents living in danger zones in Valenzuela City.
Mayor Weslie Gatchalian and National Housing Authority (NHA) General Manager Joeben Tai opened Phases 1, 2, and 3 of the Disiplina Village in Barangay Arkong Bato, marking another milestone in the city’s housing program.
The housing project involved seven low-rise, four-story residential buildings with a total of 336 housing units, Gatchalian said.
During the ceremony, which was attended by Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) Secretary Jose Ramon Aliling, Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian, Social Welfare and Development Secretary Rexlon Gatchalian, and 1st District Rep. Kenneth Gatchalian, certificates of award were distributed to qualified beneficiaries, officially welcoming them as new homeowners under the city’s flagship housing initiative.
Implemented with the support of the NHA and DHSUD, the Disiplina Village Arkong Bato served as the city’s fourth in-city housing relocation project, following Disiplina Village Ugong, Bignay, and Lingunan, the mayor told The Manila Times on Sunday.
“The project primarily catered to fire victim families and informal settler families (ISFs), who previously resided in danger zones, including locations near waterways and beneath transmission lines,” he added.
Located on a 20,709-square-meter property along M.H. Del Pilar Street, the housing project was designed as a safe, accessible, and sustainable community.
Tai said the entire housing complex was envisioned to eventually consist of 20 four-story buildings with 960 housing units, strategically situated near the city proper and accessible to public utility vehicles and essential services.
In line with the city’s commitment to heritage preservation, the architectural facade of the housing buildings was inspired by the historic Arkong Bato, according to the first district lawmaker.
Saying that the event is part of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s commitment to deliver safe, decent, and sustainable shelters and communities, the NHA chief urged the beneficiaries to keep their homes in order and to ensure they remain places of peace within the community.
“This milestone housing project reaffirmed Valenzuela City’s vision of becoming a truly livable city, where every Valenzuelano will have the opportunity to enjoy a safe home, dignified living conditions, and a better future,” Mayor Gatchalian said. The event was also in line with the city’s 28th cityhood celebration this month, he added.
