The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) will provide housing for 184 farmers in Pangasinan.
In a statement, DHSUD Secretary Eduardo D. Del Rosario said the housing units will be built through a project with the Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) for local farmers in Pangasinan.
The houses will be built on a 2.6-hectare land owned by the Umingan, Pangasinan Local Government Unit (LGU) for the farmer-beneficiaries.
The houses, which will cost between P250,000 to P300,000 each, will be built on a 2.6-hectare land owned by the Umingan, Pangasinan Local Government Unit (LGU) for the farmer-beneficiaries.
“Napakaganda nitong programa na ito dahil ina-address na niya ’yung poverty incidence sa provinces and it also prevents internal migration to the metropolis. Napakaraming andito sa NCR (National Capital Region), Metro Manila, Region 4A, dito nagre-reside, they would like to migrate because naghihirap, so this program aims to minimize poverty and spur economic activity in the regions,” Del Rosario said.
According to the DHSUD, farmer beneficiaries will amortize the units with an interest of 2 percent per annum at P1,100 per month.
Based on data from the Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA), farmers are among the poorest in the Philippines.
The country’s average basic wage and salary paid to workers in the agriculture sector increased to P247.81 per day in 2019. It increased yearly by an average of 6 percent growth from 2015 to 2019.
Agricultural workers engaged in fishing and aquaculture activities received higher basic wage and salary at an average of P262.42 per day, than those involved in agriculture and forestry whose payment averaged P246.62 per day.
In order to undertake the BALAI Farmers Housing Program, the DHSUD, DAR, Ayala Land Corp., and the National Home Mortgage Finance Corporation (NHMFC) signed two key pacts.
The Memorandum of Agreement and a Memorandum of Understanding were finalized by DHSUD, DAR, NHMFC with the Umingan, Pangasinan local government unit and the D’Plowman Cooperative.
“The BALAI Farmers Housing Program is a holistic and comprehensive solution aimed at achieving inclusive growth by means of uplifting the quality of lives of farmers, particularly the agrarian reform beneficiaries, through housing, livelihood, education and technological innovation,” DHSUD said.
Through the BALAI Farmers Housing Program, DHSUD hopes to tap the participation of private housing developers through balanced housing compliance, as well as facilitate affordable housing loans through the department’s key shelter agencies and government financial institutions.
The DAR, meanwhile, will spearhead efforts with regards to the provision of livelihood activities as an integral component of the housing program to ensure productivity of farmers.
Aside from Umingan, the project also has pilot sites in Bayombong, Nueva Vizvcaya, Gabaldon or San Jose City in Nueva Ecija, Basey in Samar, Argao, Cebu, Daet in Camarines Norte and Davao’s Calinan.