Philippine President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo and her vice president and housing chief Noli de Castro laud a tripartite approach of government, the private sector and non-governmental organizations as a practical approach to tackling the Philippine's huge housing need.
"Major urban renewal has to be undertaken in Manila. We cannot allow the metropolis to deteriorate," the president said during a formal audience with Habitat for Humanity CEO Jonathan Reckford in the presidential
Malacanang Palace.
Land not jobs is the issue, she said, and welcomed Habitat's ambition and desire to be a partner in solving the problem.
The new 2006-2011 strategic plan endorsed at the November meeting of Habitat's international board of directors calls for achieving greater scale and impact by partnering with private sector, NGOs and government bodies.
During his two-day stopover in the Philippines, Reckford saw examples of Habitat-government partnerships. He also visited the former BASECO shipyard in central Manila for the dedication of 46 of 120 homes being sponsored by ING Bank, part of the Netherlands finance group.
An estimated 6,000 low-income families live illegally on the BASECO site in 4,000 structures. As part of the redevelopment, the city authorities are granting land-use rights to rehoused families. Habitat for Humanity Philippines is one of several groups working on the site and committed to building 1,000 houses.