Akbayan party today reiterated its call to the Aquino government to impose a blanket and indefinite national moratorium on the demolition of informal settlers in the country amid the devastation wrought about by Typhoon Falcon.
Former Akbayan Representative Risa Hontiveros said the government must show compassion to the informal settlers who were hardest hit by the tropical storm.
“We’ve received numerous reports that many urban poor communities were severely affected by the storm. As such, even as we call on the government to provide the necessary assistance to aid all the victims, we also call on the government to officially declare a blanket and indefinite moratorium on all demolition to provide the informal settlers ample time to rebuild their lives, properties and rise from the recent catastrophe,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros said the threat of forced demolitions which she described as a “Damocles sword” hanging over the heads of informal settlers must be removed from the equation.
“President Aquino must restore peace to the troubled minds of our informal settlers. Masyado ng marami silang binabalikat na mga problema. Sapat lamang na tanggalin ang banta ng mga demolisyon upang makabawas man lang sa kanilang mga suliranin,” Hontiveros said.
Hontiveros also said the context of the moratorium is not only because of the devastation of Typhoon Falcon. She said the more important context of the moratorium is to provide the government the necessary time and space to develop its comprehensive policy on mass housing.
“Our group together with different urban poor communities have been demanding this since the start of the Aquino government. But because of the series of powerful typhoons besetting our country and which falls hardest on informal settlers, the proposal for a national moratorium on demolition makes it more urgent,” Hontiveros stressed.
Hontiveros proposed that during the duration of the moratorium, the government must develop and implement policies which will lead to the realization of state-subsidized, low cost mass housing programs for the poor coupled with job creation, and distribution of social services and other subsidies.
Hontiveros also said the government must ensure the safety of informal settlers living in danger zones, saying they should be immediately relocated provided that they will be receive decent housing programs from the government.
It was reported that one in every four residents of Metro Manila lives in informal settlements, according to Interior Secretary Robredo.
Robredo said 556,526 families, or about 2.7 million of the national capital’s roughly 10 million residents, live in slums or informal settlements, representing a 2.14 percent increase from the MMDA’s 2007 figures.
Typhoon Falcon battered the country particularly Luzon affecting 50,000 families, many of which were informal settlers. ###
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