The city government of Manila is planning to develop a long-term plan to address the housing needs of informal settlers.

Manila Mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso said during his weekly live update on Facebook that this has been his dream for the city.

He said he wanted to copy Singapore Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew’s vertical housing program in Manila.

“Yang vertical housing ay sinimulan sa Singapore at naging matagumpay. Eighty percent doon ay nakatira sa pinagawang bahay ng pamahalaan or what you call HDB o home development board, yun yung batas na ginagawa natin ngayon (vertical housing started in Singapore and it was very successful. Eighty percent of their residents live in houses built by government or what you call the HDB or Home Development Board, that is the plan we are doing now),” Domagoso said.

Currently, the city government’s projects Tondominium and Binondominium for informal settlers in Manila are ongoing.

He said after the two ongoing projects, other vertical housing projects in the city are already lined up.

Domagoso clarified that the informal settlers will always be the priority in these housing projects, but he also wanted to give other residents in Manila the opportunity to own a piece of property.

“Ang good news, sa ating mga incoming and future projects hindi na lamang ang squatter ang ating lilingunin, priority sila definitely, pero iniisip namin na itong pabahay na ito pwede maisama rin natin yung mga working class, yung mga nangungupahan (the good news is, for our incoming and future projects, we will not only cater to the informal settlers. They will be a priority, definitely, but we are thinking of including the working class, those who are renting),” he explained.

Domagoso said the city government will try to save money to invest in housing and eventually eliminate the informal settlements and provide families with houses. (PNA)