As urban poor residents “Occupy NHA”: STATE WORKERS JOIN FIGHT AGAINST IMPLEMENTATION OF QC-CBD PROJECT

PRESS RELEASE l October 24, 2011
CONTRA-CBD
Reference: Santiago Dasmariñas Jr., Lead Convenor, cp #09196771626

QUEZON CITY- Government employees linked arms with urban poor residents from Brgy. Central and Sitio San Roque, Brgy. Bagong Pag-Asa, Quezon City today in reiterating their opposition to the controversial Quezon City Central Business District (QC-CBD) Project.

CONTRA-CBD Alliance Lead Convenor Santiago Dasmariñas Jr., expressed support for the affected residents. “The leaders and members of the CONTRA-CBD alliance join the residents of Brgy. Central and Brgy. Bagong Pag-Asa in opposing the impending demolition of their homes, which we believe will result in greater destitution for the residents. We reiterate our demand to scrap the anti-people QC-CBD Project which aims to dislocate QC-based government offices and demolish urban poor communities in order to make way for a business venture that will only benefit multinational and foreign corporations. We call upon all concerned organizations and individuals to unite and struggle against the implementation of the QC-CBD Project.” Dasmariñas asserted.

“Essentially, the QC-CBD Project is merely a manifestation of the detrimental effects of the privatization of housing and other social services, since it is a part of the administration’s Public-Private Partnerships program. Sa halip na matigil ang mga demolisyon, naging mas marahas pa ang mga ito sa ilalim ni PNoy. Ang mga tinaguriang “development projects” ng pamahalaan sa aktwal ay bumiktima sa libong pamilya, sumira sa maraming tahanan at nag-alis ng kabuhayan ng marami. Samantalang ginagamit ang rekurso at pwersa ng estado upang ‘maibalik’ sa mga pribadong may-ari ang lupang kinatatayuan ng maraming komunidad, binabarat naman ng gobyerno ang programang pabahay para sa maralitang mamamayan. At sa todo-largang PPP, daan-libong pamilya pa ang tiyak na mawawalan ng tahanan sa ilalim ni Aquino,” said Dasmariñas.

The alliance reiterated their stand against the privatization of housing and other social services.

“Amidst the rising costs of basic goods and the near-starvation wages received by workers and employees, State abandonment of social services like housing, food security, education and health care is a criminal act—the government should allocate sufficient resources to support and improve the living conditions of the people, instead of abandoning social services at the hands of private profiteers and corporations. It is disappointing to see the Aquino administration repeating the anti-people policies of its predecessor. More than a year after Noynoy assumed the presidency, there has been no substantial change in the living conditions of poor Filipinos. Walang pagbabago sa ilalim ni Aquino!” Dasmariñas asserted.

Established during the last quarter of 2008, the CONTRA-CBD Alliance is a coalition of neighbourhood associations, government employees’ unions and other sectoral and national formations united in opposing the implementation of the Quezon City Central Business District (QC-CBD) Project which will lead to widespread lay-offs, displacement and demolitions among the communities and government agencies affected by the project.###