Gawad Kalinga to build more than 100 houses

Gawad Kalinga plans to build more than 100 houses this year in Calape, Ubay and Carmen, according to Joener Comahig of the Couples for Christ. At present, Gawad Kalinga has three housing sites located at Cabawan District in Tagbilaran City , Tabalong in Dauis, and the recently-inaugurated President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo-Gov. Erico Aumentado Gawad Kalinga Village in Bayongan, San Miguel.

The program has already benefited about 111 families, Comahig added. Beneficiaries and Couples for Christ members helped in building the houses while funds are taken from the Gawad Kalinga program and its partners. A house today cost about P65,000, Comahig said. Gawad Kalinga is a housing and development project implemented by the Couples for Christ.

Meanwhile, at least P125 million has been set aside from the 2007 national budget for a Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) housing project in partnership with private foundation, Gawad Kalinga, according to Budget Secretary Rolando Andaya. In a statement, Andaya said the P125 million will put up at least 5,000 housing units under the DSWD's Core Shelter Assitance Project for the Gawad Kalinga Luzon Housing Project. The government allocation is 50 percent of the project's total cost. The statement said the other half will be shouldered by Gawad Kalinga. “This project aims to provide economically-handicapped and underprivileged citizens of the country shelter, education, livelihood, health and value formation or transformation," Andaya added.

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