The pag-ibig motto of the past administration was more or less like this: “Bakit mangungupahan pa, pwede namang magkaroon ng sariling tirahan?” (Why rent if you can have a house of your own?)
Many government agencies, like the Senate, the Department of the Interior and Local Government, and even Pag-Ibig itself, are still renting private properties at the total cost of billions of pesos.
The Aquino administration, with Vice President Jejomar Binay as the housing czar, should now address this concern. The government has funds for pork barrel. And it owns lands in Metro Manila and other parts of the country where the government buildings may be built.
We can save billions if the government will no longer rent its offices.
—DANTE G. HUERTA,
dghuerta@yahoo.com