'It takes a thousand lives for the govt to address squatter problem'--Kadamay

PRESS RELEASE l 22 DECEMBER 2011
KALIPUNAN NG DAMAYANG MAHIHIRAP
Reference: Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretary general (0921.392.7457)

"It is sad that a thousand lives have to be sacrificed for the government to sincerely act on the squatter problem in urban centers. Thousands of urban poor have to be drowned by flood, and buried in mud before the government would implement the relocation of those living in danger areas."

This is the statement of Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), a militant urban poor group, after President Aquino has announced a permanent relocation for the urban poor in Cagayan de Oro City affected by tropical storm Sendong.

With this, Aquino ordered the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP) to prevent the displaced residents from returning to areas that have been declared as Cagayan de Oro's danger zones.

Yesterday, President Aquino has reportedly led the ground breaking ceremony of a relocation site in Pasay City to house urban poor in Metro Manila who are living in danger areas.

The national government has allotted P10.55 billion as fund to aid the relocation of urban poor, and has announced to spend P50 billion a year until 2016 to solve the squatter problem in the country.

Just for phot-ops
But Kadamay says, the huge relocation fund is just for photo-ops as it is bound to be another palliative 'pro-poor' program of the Aquino administration.

Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national secretery-general says, "The recent report of the Aquino government to allot budget P10.55 billion relocation program for those who live in danger areas and slum areas is too late, as the government has never sincerely addressed the squatting problem ever since Ondoy."

"We doubt that this fund would ever benefit the urban poor," she adds.

Arellano says, "The relocation program needs to have the economic component. otherwise, the urban poor settlers would return to their old place in no time, where they could have an easy access to livelihood opportunities."

"Either the residents would reject the relocation offer to far-flung relocation sites because of lack of livelihood opportunities, or the P10 billion relocation funds would only fall into hands of a few politicians and non-government organizations that are in connivance with big low-cost housing firms," she says.

"Meanwhile, in-city relocation plan has remained on the drawing board," she points out.

Danger areas, off-limit
The group slams Aquino's order prohibiting the urban poor from going back to their old places, saying that it's survival that drives them to stay in danger areas.

“Going back to danger areas should no longer be permitted. I want that very clear… (there should be) no settlement in portions already described as extremely dangerous, …like Isla de Oro, and neighboring barangays…,” the President said in a briefing with government officials in the CDO last Tuesday..

"It is not the stubbornness or the 'criminal minds' of the urban poor that made them decide to live in danger areas," Arellano explains.

"They are forced to live along river banks because their income cannot make them avail of a house in city's residential areas that seem to be only for the elite or the middle class, while danger areas give them easy access to their sources of livelihood,” she adds.

Real solution to the squatter problem
The Aquino administration should address the basic problem of lack of regular employment and decent wages for the millions of urban poor nationwide so they can afford decent housing in the urban centers, the group says.

"Unless this is resolved, no relocation program will answer the squatter problem in the country, and avoid another tragedy brought by Ondoy and Sendong," Arellano adds.

The group says, Aquino should as well address the 'faulty' land reform program in the country.

As landlessness in the countryside drives hundreds of thousands of peasants into urban centers nationwide each year, Arellano says, the limited employment in the cities will only force the urban poor to live on city spaces free from monthly rentals, or where housing rentals is less costly.

Call for support
The group still calls for assistance for its members and other flash flood victims in Cagayan de Oro City, the city that has been hit worst by the tropical storm, as well as in other areas that were havocked by Sendong.

Kadamay Cagayan de Oro chapter has started its relief drive and operation since Sunday.

"We welcome the overwhelming support of the Filipino people for the victims of Sendong, as it is high time to share our blessings this Christmas," Arellano says. ###