By Paulo Loreto Lim

Serving as guest speaker for the Lions Clubs International District 301-B1 of Negros and Panay Cabinet Meeting, District Convention’s Governor’s Ball, and induction ceremony over the weekend at the SMX Convention Center at SM City Bacolod, Negros Occidental third district Rep. Alfredo Benitez discussed the issue of urbanization.
According to the congressman, who chairs the House Committee on Housing and Urban Development, he is seeking the re-establishment of the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development, in order to address issues surrounding urbanization, in particular, resettlement.
He revealed, during a recent committee hearing, it was discovered only about seven to 24 percent of the structures built for the resettlement of Super Typhoon Yolanda victims are occupied as construction materials were found to be “substandard.”
Benitez called upon those gathered to provide projects to benefit the underprivileged.
He also sought feedback on the current push for federalism./WDJ