(PNA) - Around 35 delegates from Vietnam, Thailand, Cambodia and the Philippines arrived in Iloilo City Thursday for an international learning exchange-cum-visit of various community-driven upgrading initiatives.
The group which is hosted by the local Homeless People’s Federation Philippines, Inc. (HPFPI), Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives, Inc. (PACSII) and the Iloilo City Urban Poor Network (ICUPN) are expected to share and learn from each other some experiences on community upgrading, partnership building and networking.
They will also be conducting initial monitoring assessment of the upgrading communities which have already availed of the Community-led Upgrading Program being implemented by the ICUPN.
The first initiative was the 10 small-scale infrastructure upgrading projects in the city in 2006 that were funded by the Asian Coalition for Housing Rights (ACHR).
Under this program, each of the 10 urban poor associations has availed of a maximum loan worth P140,000 which is interest free, purposely for the construction of their priority upgrading need such as streetlighting, main road improvement, dike and perimeter wall, solar home lighting system, water refilling station, among others.
Of the 10 community associations, six have already implemented the upgrading program and started their loan repayment.
Further the delegates will also have an opportunity to learn how the city government responds to the slum dwelling and housing problems likewise its effective strategies in developing public and private partnerships.
One of these is the city’s 16.2 San Isidro Relocation Site in Jaro district which is a showcase of various initiatives from the government, non–government organizations and other sectors in an attempt to provide decent homes to the urban poor and other displaced families.
The visit is being sponsored by the ACHR which is an international network of professionals and individuals supporting the grassroots that are working towards upgrading and housing, based in Bangkok, Thailand. (PNA)
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