Relocation of squatters living in Metro ‘danger zones’ backed

THE Trade Union Congress of the Philippines (TUCP) expressed alarm over the plight of squatter families still living in so-called danger zones in Metro Manila with the onset of the rainy season.

Alan Tanjusay, TUCP spokesman, said concerned government agencies should immediately work together to relocate them to safer grounds before the onset of the rainy season.

Tanjusay noted the announcement of the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) last week about the “deep convection” or low-pressure area that will develop on May 21, which signals the start of the southwest monsoon.

He said the onset of rainy season, associated with the southwest monsoon, is expected between the last week of May to early June.

He said there are 7,000 priority families who need to be relocated, but the program is hounded by government bureaucratic layers in releasing public funds, approval of people’s plan, availability of transfer sites and local- government politics.

“There is an adequate window period between now and the rainy season for government agencies to harmonize their approach in relocating informal family settlers earlier identified as living in dangerous areas in the metropolis. We encourage the various government [agencies] involved to put their acts together and evade committing again the same blunder of failing to make preemptive action way before big floods hit Metro Manila and claim more innocent lives,” Gerard Seno, executive vice president of Associated Labor Unions-TUCP (ALU-TUCP), said for his part.

ALU is the biggest affiliate of TUCP and the largest labor federation in the country today. It represents the labor center TUCP in various tripartite focused and technical working group discussions on various critical and strategic national policy issues.

President Aquino earmarked in July 2013 P50 billion for the adequate, decent and affordable on-site, in-city and near-city relocation of squatter families.

He ordered the Department of the Interior and Local Government to spearhead the effort in coordination with local governments, the Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor, National Anti-Poverty Commission, National Housing Authority, Department of Social Welfare and Development, Social Housing Finance Corp., Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and other government agencies.

These government agencies are tasked to consult with the various non-governmental organizations and civil-society groups, and convene as the national technical working group (NTWG) in implementing the program. Last week the NTWG approved the relocation of particular 8,000 squatter families in waterways, riverbanks and esteros by July 2014, who may be affected by flooding during the rainy season.

In July 2011 the MMDA identified 104,219 families who are living in dangerous and high-risk areas located in 17 cities and towns. These families are living in waterways, riverbanks, creeks, shorelines, transmission lines, railroad tracks, garbage dumps, landfill and sidewalks in Metro Manila.

Quezon City has the most number of families, with 31,274, followed by Manila, with 26,129; and Navotas and Taguig Cities, with 6,652 and 5,439 families, respectively. Other areas with informal-settler families include Caloocan, with 2,129; Malabon, 1,849; Mandaluyong, 1,081; Valenzuela, 4,261; Marikina, 386; Pasig, 4,173; Las Piñas, 2,161; Makati City, 671; Muntinlupa, 3,428; Parañaque, 3,320; Pasay, 4,200; Pateros, 1,977; and San Juan, with 5,238 families, the group said. - BusinessMirror