DAGUPAN CITY, June 3 (PNA) -— At least 30 families living within the premises of the Dagupan dumpsite were assured of their own houses following a groundbreaking ceremony on Wednesday for the core shelter assistance program to be built under the Bottom Up Budgeting (BUB) in Sitio Korea, Barangay Bonuan Binloc here.
The ceremony was led by Marcelo Nicomedes Castillo, director of the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Region 1 and Mayor Belen Fernandez, along with department heads of the city government.
At least 30 houses, one for each of the 30 families living within the dumpsite, will be built. Each house will cost Php496,166.65.
Castillo said the joint project of the DSWD and the city government of Dagupan is in response to the need to provide shelter to the families living in critical areas.
He asked the families not to sell their houses as some beneficiaries in other places had done.
“Do not sell your houses as these are given to you by our government for free. If you wish to do so, please coordinate with your local social welfare office,” said Castillo.
Meanwhile, Mayor Fernandez inaugurated a newly-built day care center at Sitio Korea to cater to children of indigent families resettled in Sitio Korea.
“We wanted to bring the services of our city to you,” she said.
Fernandez said the families will also be prioritized for employment in the proposed Waste to Worth (W2W) project to be built with the help of Procter and Gamble Philippines together with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) once this is realized.
W2W is a million worth of project which has the capability to convert waste into commercial gas needed by transportation and industries.
“When this project (W2W) will finally start, you will be employed in the plant for you to earn a living,” said Fernandez.
The mayor urged the families to be given core houses to be responsible, show love and support for each other and avoid immoral habits such as gambling.
“We will help you but you should also help us by helping yourselves,” Fernandez said. (PNA)