Samahan ng Maralita sa Temporary Housing (SMTH) of Brgy. 105 held a dialogue with the Department of Human Settlements and Urban Development (DHSUD), Presidential Commission for the Urban Poor (PCUP), Manila Urban Settlement Office (MUSO), and National Housing Authority (NHA) on July 28 at the Happyland covered basketball court in Tondo, Manila.
SMTH said that the dialogue aimed to discuss issues among marginalized sectors especially the poor residents of Brgy. 105 regarding housing, job security, and health concerns.
According to DHSUD, the Marcos Jr. administration has 6.5 million housing backlogs under its “Pambansang Pabahay para sa Pilipino Housing Program” (4PH) to provide “affordable housing to millions of homeless Filipinos.”
Out of that number, 500,000 families are from the National Capital Region, including temporary housing communities.
NHA says Temporary Housing “doble gastos pa ng gobyerno”
The former Ramos administration aimed to revamp the image of the Philippines on the international scene as the country was then referred to as the “Sick Man of Asia”.
Given this, shanties were removed from Smokey Mountain. More than 3,500 displaced families were moved to more than 7.7 hectares of land from the Vitas Reclamation Area, called NHA or Aroma Temporary Housing. It was built in 1995 to shelter the displaced families from Smokey Mountain.
Two decades later, the NHA and Manila local government unit wanted the Temporary Housing to be demolished due to the state of the buildings, classified as already “condemned'”
“Taong 2017, panahon ng Duterte administration, napag-atasan kami mula sa inilabas na condemnation order. Hindi naming pwedeng balewalain ito. Kaya kung tatanungin kami sa NHA kung ano ang balak namin sa Temporary Housing ay doon po kami susunod sa kung ano ang itinalaga ng building official na condemned na ang building at di na pwedeng tirhan,” the NHA representative said.
NHA said that only industrial or port-related infrastructures are allowed in the area as per Executive Order 1086 signed by the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos Sr.
But SMTH argued the said order was amended through Executive Order No. 221 signed under the presidency of Joseph Estrada so that the Smokey Mountain Development and Reclamation Project, particularly the housing project, benefit from the proceeds of the disposition of the Vitas property of NHA.
“Sabihin nating tama ang isinisigaw natin na gusto natin ng in-city. Lahat naman ay may option, kung in-city o off-city. Kaya lang, napagtanto namin na noong ginawa namin ito ay dumoble ang gastos ng gobyero. Dahil gumawa kami ng temporary housing, tapos inilipat sa permanent housing ang mga inilagay noon dati,” NHA said.
There are several in-city relocation sites like the vertical housing projects Tondominium, San Sebastian, San Lazaro Residences, Pedro Gil Residences and the Basecommunity.
Off-city relocation sites offered to the residents of the Aroma Temporary Housing included housing sites in Naic, Cavite and Pandi, Bulacan. NHA noted they have already relocated 808 families under the off-city program.
“Ang ipinapanukala na talaga ngayon ay high-rise. Naunahan na nga kami ni Mayor Isko dahil nakapag-umpisa na tulad ng Tondominium. Kaya lang ang problema talaga ay presyo. Kung magpapagawa kayo ng bungalow, ng two-storey, kung gagawin mo pang mas mataas ay mas mahal. Wala naman nang libre ngayon,” the NHA representative said.
“Kung tatanungin ninyo kami sa National Housing kung ano ang binabalak namin sa Vitas, sa Temporary, ay susundin nami ang iniatas na condemnation order,” the NHA added.
More than 20,000 residents in Vitas Katuparan, Aroma, Happyland including Gawad Kalinga compound are among the communities of Brgy. 105 in Tondo who will be affected by the looming threat of demolition.
MUSO implored residents should “triple the hard work”
Vertical buildings or medium-to-high-rise buildings are being offered and endorsed by NHA and backed by the Manila LGU. MUSO said it only takes “tripleng sipag” or triple the hard work for residents to avail of such housing projects.
In Tondominium, residents had to shell out P2,000 for their monthly rental and amenities in the residential building. MUSO added that the accumulated funds will be refundable when the residents decide to move out.
“Sa amin po, halimbawa umunlad ang buhay niyo. Lahat ng ibinayad ninyo ay ibabalik sa inyo. Saan kayo nakakita ng ganiyan? P2,000 ay parang kumain nalang kayo sa Jollibee. Gusto ninyo ng comfort ng buhay, siguro magsipag lang ng kaunti,” said the MUSO representative.
SMTH was quick to refute these statements.
“Kung kumikita po ng P300 sa isang araw, kapos pa po talaga ito sa pagkain. Iyan ang binabanggit sa tanong kung paano makakakuha ng pabahay sa P300 bawat araw na higit lima pa ang umaasa rito,” said SMTH.
The MUSO representative replied, “Ganito talaga ang buhay. Tripleng sipag dapat yata.”
The proposal of the Manila Local Government Unit (LGU), as endorsed by NHA, is that informal settler families (ISF) must be transferred to in-city housing projects like Tondominium. Families Buildings 12 and 13 in Vitas Katuparan housing have already been transferred to the 15-storey Tondominium towers.
While some residents have welcomed the initiative, SMTH noted most families especially those who do not have regular jobs and only relied on informal work and side hustles as street vendors, pagbabawang (peeling garlic), or pangangalakal (junk collector) could barely even earn a livable wage to fulfill the needs of their family.
“Paano naman makakapag-apply ang katulad naming namamasura lang? Kasi ang ibang naipasok diyan pinadlock na ang mga units kasi di nga nakakapagbayad. Wala bang ‘yong kaya lang ng maralitang Pilipino?” asked a member of SMTH.
The Tondominium towers are two of the seven housing projects by former mayor Isko Moreno. Six of which are vertical housing. The said project has been granted a PHP10 billion loan by the Development Bank of the Philippines (DBP).
PCUP recommends TikTok for residents to profit
PCUP said it devised a program called “Piso Mo, Bahay Mo” but has yet to pilot its full implementation.
“Ang sa amin, hindi ka bibigyan muna ng bahay, trabaho muna. Kapag may trabaho ka na at may panghulog ng bahay, saka palang sa iyo i-ooffer ang bahay,” PCUP explained.
The commission also highlighted the job caravans they offer, similar to the ones offered by DOLE, NHA, and LGU.
“Iniinvite namin hindi lang DOLE kundi mga private entities na may mga inooffer na trabaho. Hindi tayo natatapos kung gugustuhin natin lalo na sa online, mag-TikTok nga lang kayo, malaki na ang bayad. Ibig sabihin, lawakan din natin ang ating kaalaman,” PCUP added.
Philippine Statistics Authority data showed that the current unemployment rate in the country is at four-point five percent (4.5%) or an equivalent to two point twenty-six million (2.26 million). It is further expected to increase slightly due to the additional number of graduates from college this year.
Additionally, 18.1% or 19.91 million Filipinos live below the poverty line by earning one point ninety US dollars (USS 1.90) or less than P 100 per day.
The members of SMTH said P100 is not enough, even for the poor like them.
“Sa DOLE po kayo mag-inquire sa kakulangan sa trabaho. Pinopost naman nila ito,” said PCUP.
PCUP further mentioned that the offered relocations are established as “packaged” together with livelihood support programs.
“When it comes to Brgy. 105, kapag may problema, package naman ito. Kapag kayo ay irerelocate, package na may kasamang livelihood. Noon pa ito pinag-aralan ng gubyero kasi ang laging sinasabi ay bumabalik, so katawan na po natin iyon kung bakit bumabalik,” the commission rep noted.
“Hindi po iyon magsisimula kung walang titira. Ibig sabihin, lipat muna kayo. Kampantihin ninyo muna ang katawan ninyo tapos saka palang ito i-offer sa inyo,” it added.
The reality among Temporary Housing residents
According to SMTH president Maria Fe Hulipaz, several residents have lived in their homes for up to two or three decades already despite socio-economic struggles.
“Marami ang walang trabaho, kung may trabaho man o diskarte ay lubhang mapanganib sa kanilang kalusugan. Maraming mga bata at kabataan na imbes na naglalaro at nasa mga paaralaan ay napipilitan na maghanapbuhay para sa kanilang pamilya o lumaboy na lamang sa lansangan. Marami ang naliligaw ng landas,” said Hulipaz.
Hulipaz emphasized the socio-economic struggles among the marginalized brought about this way of life.
“Hindi natin sila hinuhusgahan, naniniwala ang SMTH na bawal ang maging judgmental. Ika nga, matitiis ng isang ama o ina ang pansariling gutom ngunit hindi ang pagkalam ng sikmura ng kanyang mga anak. Napipilitan siyang kumapit sa patalim,” she added.
She also slammed the operations of the coal facility under Rock Energy International Corp that has resumed even amid the pandemic. She lamented that many have been worried about their health, especially regarding the water and noise pollution.
Hulipaz said they have campaigned and achieved the shutdown or closure of the said coal facility in 2015. However, the coal facility continued its operations.
“Naniniwala kami sa SMTH na seryoso naman ang Marcos administration sa pangarap nito, ngunit nakukulangan kami sa aksyon ng pamahalaan. Papaano nga ba lalagutin ang tanikala ng kahirapan sa mga residente ng Barangay 105?” said Hulipaz.
