Additional 100 houses for families of street kids

A generous donation from a telecommunications company will enable the city government and Gawad Kalinga to build an additional 100 houses for families of street children, Mayor Jerry P. Treñas declared yesterday.

Treñas said funds for the additional 100 houses were solicited from Smart Communications and their construction would start next year.

Aside from the additional houses solicited from Smart, Treñas said the city government will be sponsoring a breakfast-conference with local businessmen here aimed at soliciting support in building more houses for street children and their families.

Earlier, the Gawad Kalinga and the city government forged a pact to initially build 32 houses for street children and their families anytime this month in a 1.2-hectare land owned by the city.

The land, located at Barangay Sooc in Arevalo district, is actually part of a relocation area acquired by the city government for families affected and displaced by the Iloilo flood control project.

Treñas said Gawad Kalinga will be responsible for the housing materials with an estimated cost of P50,000 per house while the beneficiaries and some volunteers will provide the labor.

Funds for the construction of the 32 houses came from (10) Gawad Kalingan-Manila, (10) Taytay sa Kauswagan, (10) Sen. Francisco Pangilinan, (1) Sangguniang Pnalungsod and (1) City Councilor Eduardo Peñaredondo.

This organization has already established 570 communities all over the country and has forged partnerships with over 200 local government units already.  They have more or less built 10,000 houses nationwide.

In Iloilo City, GK-sponsored houses can be found in Barangay Sooc, Mandurriao and Barangay Sto. Niño, Arevalo.

Meanwhile, a task force, chaired by Treñas himself, was created to monitor the development of the GK community in Arevalo.  Aside from Treñas, other members are vice-mayor Guillermo de la Llana, with city councilors Peñaredondo and Jose Espinosa III, ICUPAO chair  Roy Firmeza, CSWD head Clarita Dignadice, Task Focrce on Street children chair Rosalie Treñas and the Iloilo City Hall Press Corps. (Adora B. Bandorio/PIO)