‘No houses for the poor, no business permit’

The mayor of one of the country’s richest city wants big businesses to provide houses to the poor.

According to the Quezon City government, companies will not be allowed to operate in the city unless they look after illegal settlers who will be displaced by their projects.

“If they want to put up their businesses in Quezon City, they should have a housing program for the families who will be affected by their projects,” Mayor Herbert Bautista said in a recent statement.

Bautista added that the new government policy would take effect this year and it would apply to all businessmen, even those with multi-million peso projects that could bring in much-needed revenues to the city government’s coffers.

If they want their business permits to be approved, the owners of the companies should look after the illegal settlers who face eviction should their projects push through, he stressed.

Bautista said the new government policy was aimed at making companies accept their corporate social responsibility, especially to families who stand to lose their homes.

“This move is a sincere gesture of this administration to help the poor,” he stressed.

The mayor said that firms that want to do business in the city, particularly those that want to construct malls, condominiums and mass transport systems, should input in their operating expenses the cost of providing houses for informal settlers.

“Families who are bound to lose their homes because of multi-million-peso infrastructure projects such as malls, condominiums and mass transport hubs should not [have to] worry about their relocation,” Bautista added.

He said that one of his responsibilities to the city’s residents, particularly informal settlers, was to address their housing needs.

“I am serious in addressing the housing needs of my constituents; only in this manner could I touch their hearts… that’s why I want businessmen who really want to establish a business in Quezon to consider the lives of the people who will be affected by their project,” the mayor said.

Bautista stated that he believes that companies could still gain much profit from their investments despite providing housing projects for the city’s poor.—Nancy C. Carvajal