Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso bared on July 15 the city’s plan to build 1,000 more housing units for poor and middle-class families.
In his third “State of the City Address,” Domagoso said condo projects dubbed “Sebastian Residences,” “San Lazaro Residences,” and “Pedro Gil Residences” would be constructed in the city, following the path of squatter-free Singapore.
“For 50 years, Singapore achieved it, walang squatter sa Singapore. Kung nagawa ng Singapore, mawawala na rin ang squatter sa lungsod ng Maynila pagdating ng panahon,” Domagoso said.
(For 50 years, Singapore achieved it. There are no squatters in Singapore. If Singapore did it, we can also get rid of squatters in Manila in the future.)
The vertical housing projects will be 20-story high buildings with 300 units each and a health center, the mayor said.
Recently, the San Sebastian Basilica Conservation and Development Foundation, Inc. warned of the threat of Summithome Realty Corp.’s 31-story condominium project to the community, as it was being constructed near the 130-year-old San Sebastian Church in Manila.
Housing projects Tondominium 1 and 2 and Binondominium are under construction, while a community hospital is being planned for the recently completed BaseCommunity in Port Area.
“Ang mga pinatayo nating bahay ay magbabalik ng dignidad sa bawat pamilyang Manilenyo, mahirap at middle-class,” Domagoso said.
(The houses we have built will give dignity to every Manileño family, poor and middle class.)
Domagoso also cited the continuous growth in infrastructure and investments in the city.
An all-time high of 4,829 new businesses opened from January to June 2021, he said.
“We put ease to requirements and making it easy for them to develop their properties because development creates jobs, development creates taxes, and this is going to be our windfall in the next coming years. So that later on, the city council will not just raise taxes every now and then, we should create new source of taxes by inviting development into our city,” the Manila mayor said. Jelo Ritzhie Mantaring