Lim: Clearing of Manila’s informal settlers in danger zones long overdue

HOME ALONG THE WATERWAY. Informal settlers’ dwellings packed together side by side along the waterway of P. Casal bridge in Quiapo, Manila. The government plans to move 20,000 squatters yearly away from flood-prone areas. INQUIRER PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines – The clearing of informal settlers occupying danger zones in the National Capital Region, particularly in Manila, has been long overdue.

Speaking to reporters, Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim said President Benigno Aquino III has allotted P10 billion for the construction of relocation sites for families squatting along waterways that served as “obstructions” to the easy flow of water especially during the rainy season where flooding was always a possibility.

“That should have been done a long time ago because these informal settlers face danger. Whose lives are affected when storms come? Those who are in danger zones,” Lim said in Filipino.

Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson said the President ordered him to clear water channels of all “obstructions,” to the point of blowing up “houses if they [residents] won’t leave within a certain period.”

Lim said affected residents in Manila would be briefed about the relocation process that would guarantee them a “better” home.

Among the city’s priorities are those living in creeks and along Pasig River, Lim said.