Senate Approves Creation Of QCDA

Senate Approves Creation Of QCDA

The Senate last week approved on third and final reading a bill creating the Quezon City Development Authority (QCDA) which will be mandated to promote investments and generate employment opportunities in the city.

Senate Bill No. 2161, introduced by Deputy Minority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III, and sponsored by Sen. Joseph “JV” Ejercito, would address Quezon City’s housing and urban development concerns through the creation of the QCDA, a government-owned and controlled corporation (GOCC). Senate President Pro-Tempore Ralph G. Recto co-sponsored the measure. 

According to Sotto, one of the tasks of QCDA will be “to provide adequate and affordable housing to marginalized and low-income families of Quezon City.”

To encourage the participation of the private sector, QCDA will promote and develop vacant, blighted and under-utilized lands owned by the local government of Quezon City; develop resettlement sites, and enter into joint ventures and partnerships to pursue QCDA’s primary objective of urban renewal.

“We must always look for ways to uplift the way of life of the people. The QCDA gives the local government the chance to provide projects aimed at improving the quality of life of the people of Quezon City, such as providing them affordable transportation, energy, access to telecommunications and information,” Sotto said.

The measure provides the QCDA an authorized capital stock of P2 billion. It also provides QCDA all the powers and functions in accordance with established urban development and housing plans of the QC government.

With the creation of the QCDA, the QC Housing and Urban Renewal Authority, a corporation owned by the city government mandated to provide low-cost dwelling units for the city’s informal settlers and low-income government employees will be dissolved, Sotto said. /MP