Caloocan village residents protest road blocking

MANILA, Philippines — Residents of Pangarap Village in Caloocan City are protesting the blocking of roads leading to their homes by a private firm that is claiming ownership of the land they occupy.

Ronaldo Palmera, a resident of the village, said guards, carrying high-powered firearms, from Carmel Development Inc. stand at roads leading in and out of the area.

The guards put up fences made of bamboo and barbed wire, then reinforced the structure with cement blocks, he told state-owned Radyo Pilipinas on Friday.

He added that the guards also put sandbags along the roads and made the area look like a war zone.

Palmera said residents could no longer enter or leave the village and have also been deprived of access to basics such as food and water.

In a statement, the Caloocan City government said it was alarmed over the blockage of roads at the Pangarap Village.

The company’s action would also prevent students living outside Pangarap Village from attending classes at the Pangarap Elementary School and Pangarap High School when the schoolyear starts tomorrow.

The city government said it would coordinate with officials of barangays covering Pangarap Village to ensure that residents remain safe and government services would continue to be delivered to the area.