BY FREDDIE VELEZ
BULAKAN, Bulacan – After receiving lump-sum cash assistance to build their own houses inland or start anew in their provinces, former coastal settlers at what will be the site of the country’s largest and most modern international airport, have received another windfall, thanks in large part to Malolos Bishop Dennis Villarojo.
San Miguel Corp. (SMC) president and chief operating officer Ramon S. Ang lauded Villarojo not only for ensuring the concerns of residents of Barangay Taliptip reached the company but also for distributing to them the total cash value of abandoned chapels in the area that SMC also paid for.
“Today, as our country battles the COVID-19 global pandemic, acts of generosity and ‘malasakit’ (concern) towards our fellow Filipinos are what we need. Bishop Villarojo exemplifies this kind of selflessness. We are proud to have helped the people of Taliptip through the efforts of Bishop Villarojo,” Ang said.
Residents – many of whom were former caretakers and workers at privately-owned fish ponds that had gone out of business or were sold off when profits ran dry because of tidal floods – have voluntarily moved out of the coastal area.
This development brings the much-awaited airport project – touted as the biggest investment in the country at P734 billion – one step closer to becoming a reality.
According to Ang, the prelate pushed for the distribution of cash to the people for the appraised values of their homes and of four abandoned chapels in the area.
Upon the direction of Villarojo, SMC appraised the values of chapels at Sitio Pariyahan, Sitio Dapdap, Sitio Bunutan, and Sitio Capol, and distributed to residents of each sitio the cash value of their respective chapels. A total of P2,253,000 was given to 242 residents, on top of additional cash assistance given by SMC as requested by Villarojo.
These amounts are separate from payments made by SMC to both qualified and non-qualified claimants, for their homes.
“We thank the good bishop for helping the residents and for suggesting to us steps on how we can address their concerns. Because of him, we were able to provide what the residents really needed, and we assured him that we would care for everyone,” Ang said.
Meanwhile, as part of its efforts to help residents start life anew, San Miguel provided owners of non-concrete houses or shanties were given P250,000 each, while owners of concrete houses were given the appraised value of their homes multiplied by two, plus P100,000.
A total of 277 owners of concrete and shanty houses qualified for financial assistance.
