THE National Housing Authority under the stewardship of General Manager Joeben Tai has proven itself to be effective in extending the much-needed assistance especially to the poor.
Aside from providing affordable housing units and emergency financial aid especially to those affected by disasters, Tai and his ever-reliable Assistant General Manager Alvin Feliciano – a good, longtime friend and a former newspaperman – have been initiating the agency’s People’s Caravan called ‘Serbisyong Dala ay Pag-asa,’ the latest of which took place in Cauayan City, Isabela.
GM Tai told Good Riddance that more than 1,500 housing beneficiaries from nearby resettlement areas availed of the services offered during the event.
The NHA chief’s initiative, the caravan aims to bring a wide array of programs and services from its partner agencies closer to its primary clientele and residents of neighboring communities.
He then lauded the efforts of acting NHA-Region/Cordillera Administrative Region head Rofelie Balagat and Ifugao/Nueva Vizcaya/Quirino/Isabela District Office officer-in-charge Juniffen Tacadena and their staff for the success of the latest caravan.
He said at least 25 government and private institutions have participated and provided services to the concerned communities.
AGM Feliciano, for his part, said the caravan also featured various livelihood programs, skills demonstrations, entrepreneurship training, business registration and capital consultancy, and scholarship offerings from the Department of Trade and Industry and the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority.
The NHA said the Public Attorney’s Office under the stewardship of its chief, Persida Rueda-Acosta, has offered free legal consultations and notarial services, among others.
Moreover, Feliciano said the National Commission of Senior Citizens conducted profiling and registration of qualified NHA beneficiaries under Republic Act 11982 or the Expanded Centenarians Act.
Affordable farm-to-market products and rice were made available through the Department of Agriculture’s Kadiwa-on-Wheels program. It also distributed free vegetable seeds, seedlings, fertilizers, and information materials, and conducted hands-on planting skills training.
Launched in September 2023, the people’s caravan has continued to receive strong positive feedback nationwide, bolstered by the collaborative efforts of the agency’s partner organizations—furthering the goal of building more sustainable communities for a ‘Bagong Pilipinas.’
