Senator Mar Roxas and his mother, Judy Araneta Roxas, donated 7 hectares of land in Sitio Magsungay, Barangay Singcang, Bacolod, to Gawad Kalinga at signing rites at the new Bacolod Government Center, Saturday morning.

The land will enable GK to build 700 houses to benefit almost 4,000 people, who will no longer be squatters or informal settlers, GK founder Tony Meloto said.

The informal settlers on the donated land will be among the beneficiaries of the GK project, he said.

Meloto said he hopes the generosity of the Araneta family will be emulated by others.

“What we have today is something very symbolic, we hope other families and individuals who are blessed will also be able to share whatever success and resources that they have with the poor in the towns and cities where they come form,” he said.

Meloto thanked the Araneta family and Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia for their support, and said they will make the Magsungay GK project a global showcase.

Roxas said they were donating the land to the City of Bacolod, through GK, to coincide with the reunion of Araneta family.

The donation is being made in the presence of Bacolod Mayor Evelio Leonardia, because under him we see that development can be brought to the housing project, the senator said.

GK, on its part, will raise funds here and abroad to build the houses on the donated land to fulfill the dream of a slum and squatter-free Philippines, Meloto, who is from Bacolod City, said.

And if the City of Bacolod helps in building roads and setting up water and electricity connections on the donated land, they will succeed in changing the face of the place, he said.

“If we all don’t work together it will become a slum again,” he said.

“As the need arises and whatever is possible for the city government to do, we will give this the appropriate support”, Leonardia said.

Leonardia said that, in behalf of the beneficiaries of the GK project and the city government, he is thanking the senator and his mother for their huge donation that will go a long way in solving the squatter problem.

“Bacolod City has one of the biggest squatter populations in the Philippines. This is a priority concern of the city,” he said.

“We are also happy that Gawad Kalinga, which has been successful around the country, is also embarking on something gigantic in Bacolod,” the mayor added.

GK has built 1,600 houses in various parts of Negros Occidental and more are still underway, GK Negros head Bobby Magalona said.*CPG

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