KORONADAL CITY (MindaNews / 21 May) – The Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD) in Region 12 (Soccsksargen) is planning to establish a one-stop processing center here for housing-related concerns.
Region 12 or Soccsksargen. Map courtesy of Google
Jennifer Bretaña, DHSUD-Region 12 director, said they will set up the facility at their regional office building that will be constructed soon in a lot located at the back of the city hall in Barangay Zone 3.
The agency formally signed on Thursday afternoon a usufruct agreement with the city government for the use of a 1,000-square meter lot within the 7.5-hectare city hall complex.
Bretaña said the location of their upcoming office is very strategic due to its proximity to the city proper and various regional line agencies situated at the Prime Regional Government Center in Barangay Carpenter Hill.
The city, a component locality of South Cotabato, is the regional administrative seat and center of Soccsksargen.
“We are confident that with our location, we will be able to support the priority of the department to establish a housing one-stop processing center in Koronadal,” Bretaña said during the signing ceremony.
She said the establishment of their permanent regional office here will also enable them to serve better the region’s constituents, especially the “low-income families, homeless and underprivileged.”
DHSUD-12 only opened its office here last February in a leased building space in Barangay Zone 2.
Mayor Eliordo Ogena committed to assist the agency in fast-tracking the development of its regional office building.
When completed, he said the presence of the DHSUD-12 office would greatly benefit the local government as it will be just be a few meters away from the city hall building.
DHSUD Undersecretary Marylin Pintor, who represented Housing Secretary Eduardo del Rosario, expressed gratefulness to the city government for helping the agency realize its “dream” to have its own home here.
“This would be the first DSHUD [regional office] that will have its own building in Mindanao,” she said.
Pintor said the budget for the project, which was not disclosed, will be sourced from the escrow fund of housing developers. (MindaNews)
