On September 2012, eleven household member of the Lower Tipolo Homeowners Association, Inc. (LTHAI) located in Lower Tipolo, Mandaue City expected to receive their housing units. Last April 12, 2012 community members of the association started to do the lay-out for the 4th batch housing construction. During the first quarter of this year site clearing was done by community including women and children to give way for the said construction.
LTHAI was an informal settlers organized through the savings program of the Homeless People's Federation Philippines. According to Dometilla Subang, they started the savings program in the year 1996 for secure tenure. Even before the Mandaue City government donated the lot to the actual beneficiaries, it was their intention to buy the lot from the government. However, in February 1998 the City Mayor donated 9.2 hectares to the actual settlers in which LTHAI has a parcel of 1.6 hectare.
The community started the site development after they were hit by fire in 2007 by land filling with the help of Urban Poor Development Fund and in 2009 housing construction began. Financial assistance from Slum Dwellers International made the housing projects to happen with the technical assistance of Philippine Action for Community-led Shelter Initiatives, Inc. For 2 years time, a total of 126 housing units has been built by the community. Community participation, active in savings, are among the criteria for identifying batch members.
