Samahan ng Maralita sa Temporary Housing held a dialogue which was participated by Brgy. 105 residents alongside 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 Happy land covered court in Tondo, Manila.
SMTH said that the dialogue aimed to discuss issues among marginalized sectors especially the dirt-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”.
500,000 families from the said numbers are from the National Capital Region which included the Temporary Housing communities.
NHA says Temporary Housing “doble gastos pa ng gobyerno”
The former Ramos administration ambitioned to revamp the image of the Philippines in the international scene as the country was then referred to as the “Sick Man of Asia”.
Given this, the shanties were removed from Smokey Mountain. More than 3,500 displaced families were moved to more than seven-point-seven hectares (7.7 hectares) of land from the Vitas Reclamation Area, called NHA Temporary Housing. Since then, Temporary Housing was built in 1995 to shelter the marginalized families living in Smokey Mountain, at a time it was presented as a large landfill of garbage dump.
Two decades after, NHA alongside the Manila LGU would want the Temporary Housing to be demolished as the buildings they claimed are 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 naming 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.” NHA said
NHA further emphasized that only industrial or port-related infrastructures are allowed in the area as per Executive Order 1086 signed during the dictatorship of Marcos Sr.
But SMTH argued the said order was amended through Executive Order No. 221 signed under Estrada administration citing 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 naming ito ay dumoble ang gastos ng gobyero. Dahil gumawa kami ng temporary housing, tapos inilipat sa permanent housing ang mga inilagay noon dati,” NHA added.
In-city relocations include vertical housing projects like Tondominium, San Sebastian, San Lazaro Residences, and Pedro Gil Residences as well as the Basecommunity. While off-city relocations include housing sites in Naic in Cavite and Pandi in Bulacan.
NHA noted they have already relocated 808 families under off-city program.
“Ang ipinapanukala na talaga ngayon ay high-rise. Naunahan na nga kami ni Mayor Isko dahil nakapagumpisa 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 edi mas mahal. Wala naman nang libre ngayon,” NHA 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,” it added.
More than 20,000 residents in Vitas Katuparan, Aroma, Happy land including Gawad Kalinga compound among the communities of Brgy. 105 in Tondo worried on 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 hard work for residents to avail of such housing projects.
In Tondominium, residents have to shell out P2,000 as 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 e parang kumain nalang kayo sa Jollibee. Gusto ninyo ng comfort ng buhay, siguro magsipag lang ng kaunti,” said MUSO.
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.
MUSO has only replied “Ganito talaga ang buhay. Tripleng sipag dapat yata.”
The proposal of the Manila Local Government Unit (LGU), as endorsed by NHA, that informal settler families (ISF) must be transferred to in-city housing projects like Tondominium. In fact, families Buildings 12 and 13 in Vitas Katuparan housing has already been transferred to the 15-storey Tondominium towers.
While some residents have welcomed the initiative; however, SMTH noted most families especially those who do not have regular jobs that only relied in freelance or sidelines as street vendors, pagbabawang, or pangangalakal (junk collector) could barely even earn a livable wage to suffice the needs of their family; so much so to afford the said relocations.
“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 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
Philippine Statistics Authority reported 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, eighteen point one percent (18.1%) or nineteen point ninety-one million (19.91 million) of Filipinos live below the poverty line by earning one point ninety US dollars (USS 1.90) or less than one hundred pesos per day.
SMTH asked where exactly will this P100 go.
“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” altogether 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 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.
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.
The reality among Temporary Housing residents
According to SMTH president Maria Fe Hulipaz, several residents lived their homes for up to two-to-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 dire conditions among marginalized brought about the culture and socio-economic struggles.
“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 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 victoried the shutdown or closure of the said coal facility since 2015. However, that has not been the case because of its continued 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?” asked Hulipaz.
