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Solving Welfareville issue: Sen. Cynthia Villar presides over the public hearing conducted by the Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change on two local bills -- House Bill No. (HBN) 428, also known as the Welfareville Property (Mandaluyong City) Open for Disposition to Bona Fide Residents, and House Bill No. (HBN) 10015 or the Welfareville Property (Mandaluyong City). Villar said HBN 428 aims to provide long-term residents an opportunity to buy the land they had occupied for years while HBN 10015 seeks to preserve portions of the property occupied by schools to ensure their continued use for education. Villar said the Welfareville property, spanning 118.60 hectares, was donated to the government in the 1920s to support child welfare services and institutions. In 1968, Republic Act No. 5260 mandated the sale of the property through public bidding to fulfill the Philippine Government’s agreement with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Health Organization (WHO) to decentralize welfare institutions and upgrade child welfare services. She said the proceeds from the sale were intended to establish the national children’s homes and community services for children across the country. But despite multiple attempts to sell the property, all have failed leaving the property and its residents in a state of uncertainty, according to Villar. She said the proposed measures seek to resolve the issue. (Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau)