(Tens of thousands and growing in number nationwide) Victims of Aquino's demolition spree and twisted housing program united, to seek reprisal on his second SONA

PRESS RELEASE I July 20, 2011

QUEZON CITY—Treated like animals, thousands of urban poor families nationwide were evicted from their communites and sources of livelihood and damped to dreadful relocation sites.

Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon, a national alliance against demolition, describes the tragic condition of 'informal settlers' nationwide under the Aquino administration. On its first year alone, the alliance has recorded not less than 35,000 settlers were evicted from their communities and scores of violent demolitions/ Some of them garnered international attention such as the demolition of houses in North Triangle in Quezon City, Corazon de Jesus in San Juan, and Soliman in Davao City.

Aquino's Public-Private Partnership, the program which he introduced on his first State of the Nation Address, permits the demolition of urban poor communities to give way to development projects that favor big foreign and local businesses in the pursuant to neoliberal policies.

AKD national spokesperson Estrelieta Bagasbas tags the president as 'demolition king' for according to the alliance 'Aquino's sole agenda for the urban poor is demolition and eviction from their communities.' It is reported that 360,000 families are currently facing threats of demolition to pave way for priority national projects under PPP.

“We question the place of urban poor in Aquino's development program,” Bagasbas, who is also a community leader from North Triangle remarks.

The violent demoliton in North Triangle in September last year is a result of the residents fierce resistance against the implementation of the World Bank-proposed Ayala-funded Quezon City-Central Business District. Ayala Teachno-Hub in Diliman is part the bsiness district that covers 250 hectares of urban land at the heart of the city. The project will wipe out seven communities of urban poor settlers, as the government offers relocation unit and P5,000-cash to around 20,000 families living in the area.

Twisted housing programs
“Of the 5,000 residents who transferred to Montalban relocation sites, almost half went back to San Roque (North Triangle), and sold their housing units. Most complained the lack of livelihood that the government has promised them.

“The worst type of life is in the relocation areas. Only those who have jobs in Metro Manila can survive it,” says a resident who left the relocation, sold his unit and went back to San Roque.

“There is a big anomaly behind the housing programs of the administration with top governement officials, may or may not be known to the president” AKD spokesperson states.

Aquino's grandiose plan for the urban poor
In a statement in May, Aquino announced of his grandiose plan to relocate half-a-million informal settler families in Metro Manila to nearby provinces. Among the administration's priority bills is the creation of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (DHUD), that according to government officials shall solve the long-standing housing problem in urban centers nationwide.

"It is important for the thousands of urban poor nationwide that are and will be facing eviction from their homes under the Aquino administration to unite and demand the president to end its fascist treatment to urban poor settlers,” Bagasbas says.

“We call on the the victims and would-be-victims of demolition in Quezon City and other cities nationwide as well as those from the relocation areas to mobilize themselves and seek for justice come July 25,” the group says.

Reference: Carlito Badion, Alyansa Kontra-Demolisyon Convenor (0939.3873736)