MANILA, Philippines?Some 243 families living in an old informal settlement along R-10 in Navotas City lost their homes to a demolition crew of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on Friday to clear the way for a road-widening project in the area.

Despite appeals from residents earlier to postpone the demolition until they were moved to relocation sites, the DPWH proceeded to tear down the shanties on R-10 to widen the road spanning parts of Tondo in Manila all the way to Navotas.

?Our houses were demolished despite our efforts to arrive at an amicable settlement of the issue. We feel the government values the road-widening project more than us,? said Prescilda Juanich, leader of the Samahang Pinagbuklod ng Pagkakaisa, a group representing the informal settlers. The evicted residents had been living on R-10 since the 1980s.

The residents claimed that on Aug. 1, 2008, President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo promised them that they were included in the 11 priority areas that would be relocated to a government resettlement site in Montalban, Rizal province.

Last Thursday, the affected families also had a dialogue with the National Housing Authority (NHA), but no relocation plans were confirmed.

Navotas Mayor Toby Tiangco said earlier that the city government had no power to stop the eviction since the DPWH was implementing a nationally-funded road project.