BY GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Forty-six homeowners’ associations in the third district of Negros Occidental participated in series of orientation workshops for the formation of a Metro Third Housing Confederation, as facilitated by the congressional office of Rep. Jose Francisco Benitez.
The orientation workshops from November 21 to 25, held in cities of Victorias, Talisay and Silay, as well as in Murcia, aims to integrate efforts of local government units in the 3rd district to address the housing problems, as pushed by Benitez, the chairman of the House committee on Housing and Urban Development.
The advocacy of Benitez dubbed “Hilway Balay” strengthens the collaboration among various housing stakeholders in a direction toward providing safe, affordable, and decent housing for the informal settlers in the 3rd district.
Officers of various homeowners’ associations were given updates on the salient features of RA 9904, or the Magna Carta for Homeowners and Homeowners’ Associations, its implementing rules and regulations, and requirements for the creation Homeowners’ Associations Federation.
Participants were also briefed about their rights and duties, their relationship with the LGU, and the different functions of attached agencies and bureaus under the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development.
DHSUD regional director officer-in-charge Gelzar Almira said the orientation aims to make homeowners fully aware of their rights, obligations, and consequence of their non-compliance, awareness of RA 9904 that protect members and homeowners in a community.
The workshop, as further explained by Almira, will guide and organize new HOAs and register existing ones for the creation of a City or Municipal Federation of Homeowners Association.
Once federated, this will pave the way for the formation of a Metro Third District Housing Confederation.
Almira also announced that there will be workshop for the Confederation for the province of Negros Occidental, the first leg of this initiative, next month.
Through the formation of a Federation of Homeowners Association as a people’s organization, it will give the opportunity for participation, consultation, representation in the government to avail of various housing and community development projects, Almira further said in a statement issued by the Metro Third district congressional office.*
