Icupao no longer part of selection committee for P35M core shelter project
Iloilo City Urban Poor Affairs Office (Icupao) headed by Roy Firmeza will no longer be part of the selection committee for the P35 million Iloilo City Disaster Response Core Shelter project in San Isidro, Jaro relocation site.
Mayor Jerry Treñas said the Icupao will only serve as secretariat of the selection committee to avoid further controversy regarding the housing projects of the city government.
The selection committee for the core shelter project in San Isidro will be headed by Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) regional director Teresita Rosales.
The other members of the selection committee are the committee on urban poor of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, City Social Welfare and Development and Association of Barangay Captains in Jaro district.
Treñas said Atty. Noel Naciongayo of the City Legal Office is now finalizing the order creating the committee to handle the selection process for the core shelter project beneficiaries. The executive order is expected to be out this week.
Earlier, Treñas admitted that there are "gray areas" in the selection process of the beneficiaries in the city's different relocation sites.
Icupao's image, particularly its chair, was tainted when reports on the questionable selection of beneficiaries in the different relocation sites came out.
The issue on Firmeza offering Councilor Antonio Pesina bribe money and the call of the different urban poor housing groups under the Iloilo City Urban Poor Network asking for Pesina's ouster as chair of the committee on urban poor likewise placed the Icupao office in bad light.
The core shelter project was funded by the Housing Urban and Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC) through Vice President Noli de Castro, who is also the HUDCC chair.
The funds for the core shelter project was channeled by the HUDCC to the social welfare department with the Habitat for Humanity Philippines Inc. as the implementor.