Manila--Different groups stage protest actions today to slam the cases of demolition of homes and alleged corruption with the government's housing fund for the urban poor.
Urban poor Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap-Metro Manila who joined a anti-corruption protest at the office of the Department of Budget and Management has slammed the release of at least P11.05 billion housing fund under the controversial Disbursement Acceleration Program.
According to a document released by the Department of Budget and Management, the agency has released to the National Housing Authority (NHA) P10B for in-city housing for urban poor leaving along major waterways in Metro Manila, P450M for in-city housing of residents of North Triangle community in Quezon City, P100M for settlers along Iloilo river and its tributaries, and P500M for uniformed personnel of the Bureau of Fire Protection and Bureau of Jail Management and Penology.
The P10B fund for the housing of settlers along waterways in Metro Manila, together with the funds included in the annual housing budget that go to the treasury of the NHA, is collectively called the Informal Settler Fund, worth P50B pesos from 2012-2016.
The group has alleged that instead of providing services to the homeless and victims of demolition, this fund has only served as capital outlay of low-cost housing firms, particularly those who are closely linked to Malacanang.
Kadamay-Metro Manila also slammed the misuse of the ISF and other housing fund released under the DAP to fast-tract the implementation of different Public-Private Partnership (PPP) projects, including the Quezon City Central Business District, and the violent and costly clearing operations of informal settlements.
QC protest
Meanwhile, different urban poor groups in Quezon City under a network Alyansa Kontra Demolisyon staged this afternoon another protest action in time with the State of the City Address of QC Mayor Herbert Bautista.
AKD-QC has slammed the zero-informal settler policy being implemented in the city as they claimed that despite being the richest city in the Philippines, QC has no place for its urban poor constituents.
The group has called on the attention of the local government unit to scrap a newly passed ordinance, SP 2247-2013, which prohibits the construction of new structures without the permit of the legitimate owner of the land, or building permit from the QC LGU. It also permits the summary clearing of homes of informal settlers even without the necessary demolition order from the court.
Anti-poor ordinance
"The homes of at least 223,000 families are now at the mercy of corrupt officials of TF COPRISS (Control, Prevention and Removal of Illegal Structures and Squatting), an agency directly attached to the Office of the City Mayor, and local barangay chiefs, who can declare any structure as newly-built, therefore, a subject to summary demolition," said Estrelita Bagasbas, spokesperson of AKD.
Junk SP2247 Alliance, a member of AKD-QC, and also joined the protest this afternoon has called the ordinance as anti-poor mechanism of the LGU to contain the number of informal settlers in Quezon City, as it gears for a higher cost of land in the city.
The alliance has monitored at least 17 communities in QC issued with Certificate of Compliance, a document released by the Local Housing Board in QC to implement the eviction of informal settlers.
Series of demolition of homes
Kadamay, meanwhile, slammed recent cases of demolition of homes in other cities, including those in other cities in Metro Manila. The urban poor groups has condemned illegal demolition of homes in Brgy. Almanza 1, Las Pinas City; in Bgy. 732, Singalongin, Manila; and in Old Zaniga, Aglipay St., Brgy. Manggahan, Madaluyong City.
Demolition of homes in urban centers outside Metro Manila are also recorded by Kadamay such us in Galaxy Compound, Brgy. Maguikay and Sitio Mahayag, Brgy. Subangdaku in Mandaue City, Cebu; in Brgy. Laiya Aplaya, San Juan, Batangas; and in Brgy. Zapote 3, Bacoor, Cavite.
Meanwhile, the group has monitored more and more communities that were served with notices of eviction, and in due time, will be forcibly demolished. These include Macda community in Brgy. Cembo, Makati City, Acero community in Brgy Tuganon, Malabon City, community in Lot 5 and 6, Kalayaan Avenue, Brgy. Malaya and Manggahan Medium Rise Buildings in Brgy. Commonwealth in Quezon City, and Fort Bonifacio Tenement Housing in Taguig City.
"Despite the billions of housing fund supposedly for in-city housing program for the poor, the Aquino administration continues to relocate settlers to far-flung off-city relocation sites, in favor of its PPP partners and housing contractors," said Gloria Arellano, Kadamay national chair.
"We slam how President Aquino has misused billions taxpayer's money at the expense of the urban poor. These are among the many reasons why we call on our fellow urban poor to oust the corrupt and fascist Aquino regime," she added.###
PHOTO: http://www.gulf-times.com/asean-philippines/188/details/410568/protest-against-demolition-of-shanties
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