Urban poor groups ask solons to block P5.6B demolition budget, to probe anomalous relocation contracts [Proposed 2012 P5.6B 'resettlement budget,' budget for demolition]

NEWS l September 5, 2011

QUEZON CITY, Philippines—Urban poor groups under Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon, a national alliance against evictions and demolitions, and the group that tagged Aquino as 'demolition king.' stage a protest action outside the Batasan Pambansa Complex today to ask congressmen to halt the passage of the P5.6B resettlement budget. According to the alliance, the budget would only be used to finance the 'demolition rampage' of the Aquino government. They also asked the lawmakers to investigate the anomalous contracts entered by the National Housing Authority (NHA) with private land developers and low-cost housing units firms.

Of the P7.0 billion proposed budget for the housing sector for 2012, P5.6 million is intended for the resettlement of urban poor settlers that occupy public and private lands in major urban poor centers in the Philippines, including those living in danger areas along creeks and railways. The proposed budget has passed the initial deliberation by the lawmakers at the Senate and the House of the Representatives, compiled under the Office of the Vice President fund.

"With this 'resettlement' budget, we expect more counts of demolition of urban poor communities as the Aquino government remains in penchant of big businesses under its Public-Private Partnership program," Carlito Badion says, convener of AKD.

"More violence and even demolition-related deaths will be on the rise because of the government's blunt perception of the urban poor as hindrance to development," Badion adds.

While the relocation package offered to demolition victims turns out to be insufficient, that relocatees go back to their old communities and selling the allotted housing units become a business in the relocation area, the P5.6 billion will certainly not go to where it is intended for, providing alternative to the torn down houses of the urban poor. The group blames the relocation syndicates composed of the housing developer, officials of government housing agencies and of the local government units.

"They earn millions from a demolition of a big community, and the eventual relocation of the residents," Badion says. "While the government allots millions of pesos in building substandard raw houses in the relocation sites, that are channeled to contracts with the land and housing developers, the government still seek monthly amortization from the relocatees saying that nothing is free this days.

"The relocatees also receive meager financial assistance, only a small fraction of the housing fund. So it turns out, the resettlement budget serves as capital for these housing developers in connivance with the National Housing Authority and the local government officials," he adds.

Of the not less than 5,000 families from North Triangle that the NHA has transferred to Montalban and Bulacan relocation sites since last year, almost half of them have come back to their old community. Same is the case with other relocatees from other communities in Metro Manila. The common complaint is the lack of livelihood opportunities, while the expensive transportation fare is an issue to a very few who have work in Manila.

Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon has been calling for an urgent halt to the demolition and relocation process facilitated by the government and the issue of the anomalous relocation contracts be investigated, and the corrupt officials prosecuted.

"Justice must be served to thousands of families who have lost their livelihood and homes, and experienced economic and social disintegration in the relocation sites, and to more than 350,000 more families who will soon become victims of the Aquino regime's well-funded demolition rampage to give way to economic development that will only benefit a little fraction of the population," Badion adds.

Also, the group has asked for an increase in the housing budget but to accommodate more housing programs for the millions of urban poor families in urban centers nationwide. The additional budget must be used to finance direct subsidies of housing programs, and not be used as investment capital for land developers and low-cost housing providers.

REFERENCE: Carlito Badion, AKD Lead Convener l 09383873736