President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. broke ground on a trailblazing, high-rise mass housing project with 10,000 units combined in Camarines Sur that is the first such joint venture that the Administration has undertaken in partnership with a provincial local government unit (LGU), under its ambitious Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino (4PH) Program, according to Camarines Sur Rep. and National Unity Party (NUP) president LRay Villafuerte.
Villafuerte said the groundbreaking ceremony for the 12 residential towers each rising 25 floors high in Naga City highlighted Mr. Marcos’ day-long Camarines Sur visit last Thursday March 16), which also included the launching of a Kadiwa ng Pangulo outlet, a visit to a coconut processing center, and the distribution of assorted government assistance to farmers and fisherfolk, small-scale entrepreneurs, flood victims and other local beneficiaries.
Villafuerte cited the speed in which the project has materialized, with the March 16 groundbreaking happening just weeks after the signing of the MOA between the DHSUD and the Camarines Sur LGU.
The President also visited another government housing project, also in Naga City.
The President led the handover of cash aid; livelihood grants and kits; loans for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs); fertilizer discount vouchers and farm machinery like rice transplanters and harvesters for farmers; and plastic boats for fisherfolk to over a thousand beneficiaries at the Kafuerte Sports Complex in the capital town of Pili, Villafuerte said.
“Of course … I am happy to be here, to be able to see na marami na yung ginagawa. It’s good to be able to come out and actually see for yourself,” the President told reporters after the Camarines Sur events. “I suppose that I can attribute that support that people are showing … the enthusiasm is because I hope that they can see na kung ano man ang pinangako namin noong kampanya talagang sinubukan namin ipatupad lahat ng aming sinasabi.”
Villafuerte noted that the 4PH housing project, once completed, will boast the tallest structure in Bicol at 25 stories, higher than the current tallest building in the region that is 20 stories high.
“This is the first province na nag ground break ng ganitong programa and according sa DHSUD (Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development), this launching will be the biggest to date with over 3,000 people witnessing this occasion, kaya Mr. President ulit maraming, maraming salamat po sa inyo.”
Villafuerte said the 4PH low-cost housing complex will not only provide homes to more than 10,000 families or over 50,000 people; it will also generate an estimated P6 billion- to P8 billion-worth of local economic activity and create thousands of jobs.
President Marcos aims to close the housing gap, estimated at over 6 million homes, by building one million 4PH homes each year over his six-year term.
Alongside the 4PH and Kadiwa events, Mr. Marcos also visited the P230-million Sustainable Agriculture and Fishery Enterprises (SAFE) Innovation Hub, a coconut processing and marketing center in Pili’s Barangay San Jose for coconut products and by-products.
The Kadiwa store in Pili is the first such outlet put up in Bicol under the Marcos administration.
In his remarks at the 4PH groundbreaking rites, Villafuerte pointed out that: “There are 81 provinces in our country … pero pinili po ng mahal na Pangulo bisitahin po ang ating probinsya ngayong araw. Ito po ang pinaka unang probinsya na mag pipirma ng Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) under the pabahay program of our President.”
In his speech, Villafuerte stressed that the presidential activities in the province are “the latest proof that, true to your (President Marcos) promise during the 2022 presidential campaign and in your first SONA (State of the Nation Address) last July, you have started to deliver on your commitment to pursue national unity and improve the lives of our people.”
Villafuerte said the President’s decision “to visit and give priority to the province of one of the presidential contenders in last year’s balloting is solid proof of his desire to achieve national healing and unity on his watch. Ilang dekada na po tayo nag aaway-away, political discord, political divisiveness that have hurt our country’s growth and development. Tama na po ‘yan, magkaisa na po tayo …”
“Our President wants our families united, our province, region and country united, it’s because if you are all united nothing is impossible. Malinaw na ang panawagan ng ating Pangulo na magkaisa tayong lahat ay kita at ramdam hindi lang sa isip, hindi lang sa salita pero malinaw sa kanyang mga aksyon at gawa,” he said. “Kaya tama po ang sinabi ni Governor Luigi (Villafuerte) that, “His (Mr. Marcos) success is our success,” ang kanyang tagumpay ay tagumpay ng bawat Pilipino.”
Villafuerte and his governor-son both thanked the President for his past support at the Senate, when he was still senator and chairman of the chamber’s local government committee, for the then-public clamor to keep Camarines Sur intact by opposing a then House-approved bill splitting the province into two.
“You stood your ground and fought for your strong belief and principle not to divide our people, not to divide our province despite all the pressures thrown at you back then,” the NUP president, a former Camarines Sur governor, said.
Villafuerte likewise thanked the President for making the first provincial launch of the 4PH national-LGU joint project in Camarines Sur, his sustained assistance to calamity victims, and for going ahead with the Camarines Sur Expressway and the Pasacao-Balatan Highway in the province as part of his government’s infrastructure buildup “Build Better More” program.
Villafuerte noted that the 4PH housing project, once completed, will boast the tallest structure in Bicol at 25 stories, higher than the current tallest building in the region that is 20 stories high.
Villafuerte cited the speed in which the project has materialized, with the March 16 groundbreaking happening just weeks after the signing of the MOA between the DHSUD and the Camarines Sur LGU.
“Pagkatapos po ng pirmahan a few weeks ago, nag ground-breaking na po tayo ngayon at kahapon nag uusap po kami ni Secretary Jerry (Jose Acuzar) na gusto namin bago mag 2nd SONA may nakatayo na po na ilang floors, kahit isa or dalawang floors lang para maipakita niyo po,” he said.
Villafuerte said that, given the DHSUD plan to build 6 million homes and the President’s P9-trillion infrastructure program, he had told Azucar that the government would be needing hundreds of thousands of skilled laborers such as carpenters, plumbers, painters and welders for these projects.
“Kaya Mr. President, our goal in support of your infra program is for Camarines Sur to train skilled workers in partnership with the national government,” he said. “Kami na po dito sa Camarines Sur ang mag te-train ng libo-libong tao to supply the skill labor requirements of Metro Manila and even Luzon to help realize your ‘Build Better More’ infrastructure program.”
The housing complex in Naga City is the first national-LGU partnership project under the 4PH that the DHSUD has entered into with a provincial government, Villafuerte said.
The Home Development Mutual Fund (Pag-IBIG Fund) has set aside P250 billion for the entire 4PH program.
As of March this year, the DHSUD has separately signed four MOAs and 83 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with LGUs across the country.
Under this pioneering initiative, 5 residential towers with a total of 10,000 units will rise on a six-hectare (ha) land on Panganiban Drive in Naga City. Four commercial buildings will also be built around the residential towers to let the would-be residents have access to basic facilities like schools, medical facilities and markets, said Villafuerte.
Accompanying the President at the events were DHSUD Secretary Acuzar, Defense Secretary Carlito Galvez Jr., Trade and Industry Secretary Alfredo Pascual, Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian, Labor Secretary Bienvenido Laguesma, Press Secretary Cheloy Garafil, NUP chief Villafuerte, Gov. Villafuerte, Camarines Sur Rep. Miguel Luis Villafuerte (5th district) and Rep. Tsuyoshi Anthony Horibata, and Bicol Saro Rep. Brian Yamsuan.
At the 4PH event, Gov. Villafuerte presented to President Marcos a resolution passed by Camarines Sur’s Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) declaring the Chief Executive an adopted son of the province.
Like the NUP president, the governor had pointed to the key role played by the President in fostering the province’s unity by opposing in the Senate in 2012 a bill dividing Camarines Sur into two provinces.
“Kung hindi po kay dating Senador Bongbong Marcos, na ngayon ay ang Pangulo ng ating bansa, nahati na po ang ating probinsya. Our President has always believed in the power of unity. He wanted our province to remain united. He wants our country to be united,” said the governor.
