Some 1,013 employees from the government and private sectors have applied to own a home in the Sidlak Residential Complex of Victorias City, Negros Occidental.
Being implemented by the city government under the Pambansang Pabahay Para sa Pilipino Housing (4PH) Program, the Sidlak Residential Complex comprises up to 10-five storey mid-rise buildings that will be developed inside the Sidlak Village Global City in Barangay XIII.
Mayor Javier Miguel Benitez said it is one of the city’s biggest priority projects that started last year under his dignified human settlements agenda.
“We have entered into an agreement to develop the Sidlak Residential Complex. The settlement will be built near our new development areas,” Benitez said in his mid-term report delivered before the City Council on Monday, March 18.
He said the housing project will be developed in partnership with the Department of Human Settlement and Urban Development (DHSUD) and the Pag-IBIG Fund.
Data of the City Human Settlement and Urban Development Office showed that as of end-2023, the 1,013 applicants include 39 percent local government employees; 34 percent private sector workers; 24 percent Department of Education and Commission on Higher Education employees; and 3 percent, personnel of Philippine National Police and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
In November last year, Benitez, on behalf of the city government, signed a joint venture agreement (JVA) with Scheirman Construction Consolidated Inc. to develop the Sidlak housing project, which covers financing, design, construction and development of a mixed-used integrated infrastructure for housing and a sustainable community.
The signing of the JVA complies with the memorandum of agreement between the city government, DHSUD and the Pag-IBIG Fund in February last year.
Meanwhile, Benitez said the city government has also initiated relocation activities for informal settler families and updated the status of unoccupied units and vacant lots in the previous relocation projects such as the Villa Victorias.
He said that for the first time, the city government organized homeowners’ associations in various housing sites.
“As early as now, we are putting this into place to avoid problems related to informal settlers and poorly planned communities for future leaders of the city,” the mayor said.*PNA
***
Benitez also revealed several groundbreaking achievements in his Midterm Report, a press release from Victorias City said.
The mayor highlighted the city’s digitalization programs under the Sidlak City Digital Network Assets.
These are comprised of all digital-technology-related infrastructure and software development projects of the LGU such as the distribution of office productivity tools, Human Resource Information System (HRIS), and online government payment and registration services.
Benitez also underscored the intensive efforts of the city in improving its tourism accommodation assets such as the Victorias Aquatic Center, Gawahon Eco-Park, and Mangrove Eco-Trail.
He revealed that the City Tourism and Promotions Office recorded a total of 80,000 same-day tourists last year and had sought a 35.48 percent increase in overnight accommodations.
He also cited the recent inauguration of the P55 million state-of-the-art Victorias City Command and Evacuation Center, and his administration’s big-ticket project, Sidlak Learning Technologies worth P114,569,670.
This includes the distribution of 924 laptops, 713 Smart TVs, 3,555 tablets, 589 teacher’s tables and chairs, and 4,230 monobloc chairs.
He also cited several health programs of the City Health Office such as the Primary Eye Care Program, Renal Disease Control Program, Mental Health Program, Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Program.
Victorias, through Benitez, also entered into 36 memoranda of agreement and understanding for various relevant partnerships, the press release said.
Among these are the Mingo MingGrow Protocol for Stunted Children and Nutrition Master Plan with the Negrense Volunteers for Change (NVC), GCash Digital Service Payment Acceptance and Digital Funds Disbursement, and Carabao-based Business Improvement Network (CBIN) with the Provincial Veterinary Office and San Antonio Farmers Multi-Purpose Cooperative Center.
The city’s national awards included the 2023 Seal of Good Local Governance (SGLG), Gawad Kalasag, and Tourism Champions Challenge, he also said.*