Decent Housing Program for Squatters
Can you believe that Pasay City vice mayor asking the MMDA chief Bayani Fernando to give more time for the squatters instead of agreeing with him that the families squatting under the bridge (that will soon overflow with water from the river due to the recent typhoon) that it’s time for them to leave? The water under the bridge is overflowing and the squatters were actually submerged with flood water already and yet the vice mayor insists that the people should be given more time. More time for what? To stay put and drown?
These people, instead of tolerating their ‘squatting’ activities, should be given by the government decent housing programs that they can avail of. No, please, NOT in Sapang Palay! The people who relocated there are in the metro once again, squatters once more. The place is just too far away and there’s no jobs available for them there. Naturally, those people will go back to the metro to find jobs. What will they do with a decent place to live in when their stomachs are empty.
I am not in favor of the demolition jobs conducted by MMDA. It’s barbaric. There is a much better way of relocating all those squatters, I believe. But this time (it was in the news last night), the MMDA people were right in forcing those squatters to move. They will drown in that place. Tsk tsk… And that vice mayor playing the hero there… He (and the Pasay local government) should have done this job before the MMDA demolition.
I really wish some of the (big) taxes we are paying will go to a decent housing program for the poor. And the government should create jobs near the relocation sites so as not to tempt these people to go back to the metro and squat once again. Squatters clog the metro and they clog the creeks and rivers where rain water should flow to. But since they are there blocking the way together with the metro garbage, well, there goes the flood.
The government should do something about this.
This entry was posted on Monday, August 20th, 2007 at 2:47 am and is filed under Infotainment. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.
August 20th, 2007 at 7:35 am
Mari says:If the government cares they would do something about it. It’s not a money making venture for them, so they put them on hold, till the next election. Maybe.
August 20th, 2007 at 10:17 pm
annamanila says:I think there have been a lot of relocation programs that failed because the sites are too farflung and away from jobs, from business opps, from educational and social services. I agree there should be something done .. but what and how with a bankrupt government. ay naku
August 21st, 2007 at 1:27 am
Honney says:Yeah, that’s really sad. Ang hirap talaga maging mahirap. That’s why I hate politicians during election campaigns because they spend a lot of money on their stupid campaign when there are tons of people who don’t even have a decent roof above their heads.
August 27th, 2007 at 4:16 pm
Ryx says:My opinion is the government should also focus on developing other cities outside Manila. Parang lahat na lang kasi ng Pilipino gustong pumunta dito sa Manila in the hope na makahanap ng hanapbuhay o pagkakakitaan. Ang nangyayari, nagsisikip dito sa Manila and many poor Filipinos resort to squatting.
Imagine if cities like Olongapo, San Fernando, Lucena, San Pablo, Bacolod, Cebu, Davao, and other cities would have the same establishments and investments at par with Metro Manila. I see people would start moving to these cities instead, resulting to a more distributed population across the country and less housing problems.
August 27th, 2007 at 10:51 pm
dimaks says:that’s the problem with reactive planning – it is always a knee-jerk approach. you can’t just put people away with just a nipa hut – they need livelihood. and this means, at least, a minute sense of comprehensive planning.
oh well! somebody has to make an image out of something just to win some elections.
August 31st, 2007 at 11:44 am
iskoo says:in one point in my life i have lived in a squatter, but i dont like the the kind of life i have there. from nothing i strive hard and did everything to have a better life. i dont want to wait for the government to knock down my house. i’m feel sorry for those who were given housing and yet they return to squatting.
August 31st, 2007 at 9:52 pm
maiylah's snippets says:yes, some of them are “professional squatters”, if i may call them that .. kasi bumabalik sila when they know that they shouldn’t. yung kawawa ay yung mga bata …
September 2nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
yorokobee says:oh philippines!!! waah ko ma say She!
how are you?
September 4th, 2007 at 10:27 pm
Schumey says:Unlike the BLISS projects, the new relocation sites do not offer anything but a harder life. Government should rethink its housing programs. Many of those who squat actually comprise the metro’s workforce.