The
Development of Poor Urban Communities Sector Project (DPUCSP) was envisioned to contribute to the Government’s overarching goal of poverty alleviation. It addresses the underlying deficiencies in the shelter sector that contribute to the prevalence of urban poverty, and to the vulnerability of the poor, causing their exclusion from mainstream society. The Project was designed under a technical assistance grant funded by the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
With the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP) as implementing agency and HUDCC as oversight agency, the DPUCSP shall provide different stakeholders with financing facilities to:
- Improve access of the poor urban households to secure land tenure, affordable shelter, basic municipal infrastructure services, and community facilities;
- Avail of financial services for microenterprise development, home improvements, and housing; and
- Assist in the decentralization of shelter sector activities and strengthen the role and capacity of local governments to meet their shelter sector responsibilities, as provided for in the Local Government Code.
Signing of Pulungbulo Subloan Agreement.
VP Noli de Castro (seated second from left) witnessed the signing of the first DPUCSP subloan agreement between DBP and Angeles City during the inauguration of the Pulungbulo Housing Project on 20 October 2004 in Angeles City. Mayor Carmelo Lazatin (seated leftmost) and DBP President Reynaldo David (seated second from right) signed on behalf of the LGU and DBP, respectively. HUDCC Secretary General Armando de Castro (seated middle) and ADB Project Officer, Dr. Michael Lindfield (seated rightmost) were also present during this landmark occasion.
To attain the objectives of DPUCSP, the proposed Project has been designed to consist of three parts:
Part A – Site Development and Tenure Distribution:Under this component, existing slums and new sites will be developed to provide affordable basic infrastructure services and secure land tenure to poor urban families belonging to the lowest five deciles of the Philippine income distribution.
VP De Castro Leads Inauguration Rites of Angeles City’s Pulungbulo Housing Project.
VP Noli "Kabayan" De Castro is seen laying the initial housing foundation during the inauguration of the first project under DPUCSP in Angeles City, Pampanga on 20 October 2004.
As of July 2007, five sub-projects have been approved under this component amounting to P44.9 million: the Pulungbulo Housing Project in Angeles City, Pampanga benefiting 66 families, Barangay 21 Housing Project in Victorias City, Negros Occidental with 327 families, Passi City Government Housing Project, Passi City Iloilo with 233 families, Balangayan Butuan Land Site Dev’t, Butuan City benefiting 633 families and Pinagmangalukan Homeowners Association in San Vicente, Palawan benefiting 35 families.
Pulungbulo Build Day.
Angeles City Mayor Carmelo Lazatin (second from left) accepted the check from DBP representing the LGU’s loan under DPUCSP for the Pulungbulo subproject during the Build Day on 12 July 2006 in Angeles City. Mayor Lazatin was joined by HUDCC Deputy Secretary General Celia Alba and representatives from the LGU and DBP.
Part B – Shelter Finance Provision:
Under Part B, delivery mechanisms will be established, using microfinance institutions (MFIs) to enable poor urban families to access financing for the following: (i) plots serviced with basic urban infrastructure services, particularly those developed under Part A, (ii) housing improvements, (iii) new housing units, and (iv) microenterprise development.
As of July 2007, a total of P870 million has been approved, of which P85.19 million has been released to six (6) MFIs, which targetted 10,547 families. These MFIs are CARD-NGO, Negros Women for Tomorrow Foundation, Enterprise Bank, Taytay sa Kauswagan, Inc., Kabalikat para sa Maunlad na Buhay, Inc. (KMBI), and People’s Credit and Finance Corporation (PCFC).
Part C – Capacity Building and Implementation Support:In Part C, capacity building and project management support programs will be implemented to improve decentralized shelter delivery. Technical assistance for project management, support for community-driven planning and implementation, and capacity building for LGUs and MFIs will be provided under this component.
