Group asks gov't to pursue "in-city" relocation

CEBU, Philippines - An urban poor confederation lauded the recent initiative of the Valenzuela City government in providing an “in-city relocation” among its affected residents as it calls for local government units in Cebu to follow the same considering that several informal settlers in the Cebu City are facing evictions like in Barrio Luz, who will be relocated in a mountain barangay.

“Nindot na ang gihimo sa Valenzuela City. Maayo unta mao na sundon sa atong mga LGUs nationwide,” said Evangeline Abejo, president of NAKABUS Confederation, an urban poor mother organization focusing in helping those whose house would be demolished. (The move of Valenzuela City should be emulated by other local governments nationwide.)

Earlier, Vice President and Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council  Jejomar Binay cited Valenzuela Mayor Sherwin “Win” Gatchalian’s concept of Disiplina Village, wherein it provides “in-city relocation” for displaced families.

Gatchalian, the first local chief executive to move for such concept, has recognized the impact of displacement only to be worsened by off-city relocation projects, adding that off-city relocation disrupts the living condition of beneficiaries rather than improve them.

Informal settlers are being uprooted with scarce options to livelihood, with other problems commonly being encountered such as water, sanitation, healthcare and education facilities and these experiences force them to return to or near their previous area of residence and become informal settlers again, Gatchalian said.

“Kasagaran gyud kung naay i-demolished sa siyudad kay adto gyud ibutang sa bukid nga layo sa panginabuhian sa pamilya. Walay suga, walay tubig,” Abejo said adding they have already asked from Binay to intervene in the current plight of the residents of the  depressed community of Bo. Luz in Cebu City, who have been preparing to fight off an eviction. (Families whose houses are demolished are usually transferred in remote areas where there are no water or power and away from their sources of income.)

Abejo said that a HUDCC director is sent by Binay to have a dialogue with the affected residents on May 10, five days before the scheduled demolition.

More than 70 families are expected to be evicted on May 15 but NAKABUS said that they are doing their best to stop this and they call on Department of the Interior and Government Secretary Jesse Robredo to extend the moratorium on a nationwide level until the housing and even jobs policy of the government are reviewed and reformed.

Robredo has ordered last week a moratorium on demolitions in Metro Manila only. — (FREEMAN)