Manila Mayor Francisco "Isko" Moreno Domagoso leads the groundbreaking of Tondominium 1 and 2 in Vitas, Tondo on Monday (June 1, 2020). (Photo by Manila PIO)
MANILA – Manila Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso on Monday led the groundbreaking of his very first in-city vertical housing project in Tondo under the #BuildBuildManila program.
Domagoso took pride in the Tondominium 1 and 2 projects, worth nearly PHP1 billion in Vitas, especially that he himself grew up in an informal settlement in Parola.
"Bibigyan natin ng tuldok ang mahabang panahon na pamumuhay sa gitna ng kalsada, sa gitna ng highway, sa gilid ng dagat, sa gilid ng ilog. Magkakaroon (tayo) ng pag-asa (we will put an end to the agony of those living in the middle of the street, in the middle of the highway, beside the sea and creeks. There will be hope)," Domagoso said during the groundbreaking ceremony.
He added that he knew the feeling of uncertainty of those living in the informal settlements.
“Lumaki akong squatter, alam ko po ang mamuhay at pakiramdam ng lumaking squatter (I grew up in an informal settlement and I know how they live and how it feels),” Domagoso said.
Tondominium 1 and 2, with 15-story each, are expected to be finished in two years and will be able to accommodate around 336 families.
Each unit has two bedrooms with an area of 44 square meters.
Domagoso said after the Tondominium, other construction projects will follow under the #BuildBuildManila project like the Binondominium 1 and 2, Bagong Ospital ng Maynila and the Bagong Manila Zoo.
"All (of) them, on the go na, naka ratsada na and it has money already. We are utilizing our loan from last year na magamit ito sa (and use it for the) long term development ng (of) Manila.”
Aside from the Tondominium 1 and 2, Domagoso said the Vitas slaughterhouse will also be constructed in the area.
“Pangarap natin na ibalik yung slaughterhouse sa tao, kasi yung mga mangangatay dun kawawa naman. Ang gagawin ko kooperatiba ng mga mantasero at mga boy, sila magpapatakbo nito. Yung mga nakapaligid dito, buhay nila to eh (it is also my dream to give back the slaughterhouse to the people, especially to the butchers. What I will do is to help them form a cooperative so that they will be the one to run this),” he said.
Domagoso said all of these projects are part of his vision to uplift the standard of living in the city of Manila.
"It’s not an easy task. It will never be an easy task addressing housing in the highly populated city of Manila, but today is the start of the new era, the new beginning that in every open space that we can make available, it will be built with housing in the City of Manila," Domagoso said. (PNA)
