Talisay expects scores of homeless residents to sign up for free housing

CEBU, Philippines – Talisay City Hall expects thousands of landless residents to join its list of potential socialized housing beneficiaries in next week's general registration.

The city is slated to open the registration from December 9 to 10, which is a part of the weeklong celebration of the Urban Poor Solidarity Week (UPSW), which kicked off with a parade yesterday.

"We are expecting thousands to register, but as usual, only those who are in need kaayo will be given priority," said city spokesperson Arturo Bas.

Bas said the city has existing relocation sites for its landless individuals, but admitted that these won't accommodate all 11,000 landless families scattered all over the city.

That number is based on last year's registration of potential housing beneficiaries, and so far only a few of them have been awarded by the city government relocation sites, some with housing units already while others just bare lots.

The city has several thousands of homeless and landless families, most are illegal dwellers living along the riverbanks or occupying private lots, who have not registered yet with the local housing office, and by next week, Bas said they are hoping to have most of these, if not all, listed "so the city will know."

"The city won't promise to relocate them right away, but every year the city allocates a budget for purchase of lots to be converted into relocation sites… like next year, there is already a budget for that," Bas said.

On Wednesday, the city will award certificates to some socialized housing beneficiaries, which is also a part of the UPSW celebration.

Last year, 200 families were awarded certificates of ownership of the lots they have been occupying.

And while for those thousands who are still waiting in line, Bas said "for the meantime," the city government will provide them "gift packs" on Wednesday.

There were at least 3,000 urban poor members from the different urban poor organizations in Talisay who joined the parade marking the start of the UPSW celebration, which, according to Presidential Proclamation No. 367 proclaiming every Dec. 2-8 days of the year as UPSW, is intended to "foster unity, dialogue and cooperation" among local government units, government agencies and non-government agencies and the urban poor sector.

After the parade, the group proceeded to the Sta. Teresa de Avila Parish in barangay Poblacion for the Holy Mass, and then to the Talisay City Sports Complex nearby, for the Ms. UPSW 2010.

Among those activities lined up for the week are a livelihood seminar on household technologies and meat processing, advanced leadership training, education tour, and raffle draws. (FREEMAN)