Hundreds of relocatees to storm NHA Montalban office, to slam P10-B new relocation program of the Aquino gov't [Hungry stomach, inhumane condition drive relocatees crazy, literally]

PRESS RELEASE l 22 NOVEMBER 2011
MONTALBAN RELOCATEES’ ALLIANCE
REFERENCES: Merci Merilles, MRA Spokesperson, 09467026574

RODRIGUEZ, Rizal—We are humans, too.

This is the statement of hundreds of relocatees form the relocation sites in Montalban as they stage a protest outside the gate of the local office of the National Housing Authority. They bring hundreds of placards written with complaints on the situation in the relocation sites. They will force open the NHA gate if they will not be faced by the proper authorities.

With not less than 50,000 relocatees families, all victims of demolitions of homes from Metro Manila, Montalban relocation sites has become the seat of social unrest as relocatees find it hard to cope up with their new community. "We have been victim of the lies of the government who promised us of a more decent house and life in the relocation sites,” said Merci Merilles, spokesperson of Montalban Relocatees’ Alliance.

Hungry stomach and the inhumane living condition drive many of the relocatees crazy, literally, according to Merilles. Those who cannot adjust to their new social life either turned up crazy, as the popular call Mental-ban” refers too, or they leave the relocation sites and go back to their old communities.”

“Lack of livelihood programs and basic social services that the National Housing Authority promise them as they leave their old homes in Metro Manila disappoints many of the relocatees. “

Around 500 relocatees from different housing sites in Montalban join force in slamming the relocation program of the past and present administrations. “We can no longer live with the hunger, absence of basic services including livelihood and an infirmary that is operational only twice-a-week, Merilles adds, a relocatee in Montalban for 8 years. “The government doesn't see us as human.”

The national government has recently allotted P10 billion to finance the massive demolition and relocation of the bulk of urban poor communities in Metro Manila. The government housing agencies are planning to build new homes for the relocatees no different from the existing housing programs in Montalban, Rizal and Calaun, Laguna.

But the old relocatees demand “that before the Aquino administration build more relocations sites, the demands of old relocatees should be served first. The old housing unit must be rehabilitated as some as prone to roof-high flood as they experienced during Ondoy. The lack of livelihood and jobs for the relocatees that is the reason of the widespread hunger and poverty, and why they cannot pay the monthly amortization for their homes also must be immediately addressed.”

“We call on the national government to stop the relocation more urban poor families from Metro Manila to the Montalban relocation areas.

"We challenge President Aquino to investigate the relocation contract including the National Housing Authority and the New San Jose Builders, allegedly co-owned by Speaker Sonny Belmonte, which continued to build more housing units in the Montalban area amidst danger of big flood and earthquake, as studies say the floodplain sits on the Marikina Faultline," Merilles ends.###