IGACOS receives housing awards

ISLAND GARDEN CITY OF SAMAL, February 5, 2015 -  For consistently curtailing the activities of professional squatters and squatting syndicates  in the local government, the city government here received several awards  from the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).

The LGU copped the  2014  Best Practices Award and won third place in the  Local Drive Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates from Vice President and  National Drive Against Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicates (NDAPSSS) Chairman Jejomar Binay and HUDCC Undersecretary Cecilia Alba  at the Coconut Palace, CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard,  Pasay City on January 26.

City Mayor Aniano P. Antalan represented by his Executive Assistant and former City Mayor Rogelio P. Antalan,  OIC_City Administrator Guillermo Olden and Housing Division head Ernesto Tundaan received the plaque and facsimile cheque  worth  one hundred thousand pesos Php100,000.00.

In year 2013, IGaCoS had also won the local level Best Practices on the drive against professional squatters and squatting syndicates  and for consistently  implemented the housing programs and services and the national program on the drive campaign against proliferation of informal settlers  and at the same time providing  tenurial security among legitimate informal settlers of the city.

The local government through the City Human Settlement Division in close coordination with HUDCC, Presidential Commission on Urban Poor (PCUP), Samal Island Housing Board, Urban Poor Organizations and the Barangay Officials resulted to the  successful  implementation of the  housing programs and services particularly the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992 known as UDHA Law.

The NDAPSS recognized the outstanding achievements of the city  in curtailing the activities of Professional Squatters and Squatting Syndicate through sound legislative actions, pragmatic policies, and projects, and its effective implementation and addressing housing and urban development concerns.   

Since the start of  City Mayor Aniano P. Antalan’s administration, Landbanking and relocation of informal settlers were few of his priority programs  and projects.  His desire to relocate all informal settlers to safe and decent residential areas and to have land of their own was his unwavering aspiration.

Moreover, the relocation of informal settlers residing along the shorelines and danger zones support the tourism industry which eventually help spur development in the island. Furthermore, possessing and promoting clean and open access shoreline  and maintaining its natural endowment  attracts local and foreign tourists to rest and enjoy . Samal Info.