Settlers defy order to leave houses

Housing units at the Padre Pio de Pandi Resettlement Project, Barangay Cacarong Bata, Pandi, Bulacan. —LYN RILLON

PANDI, BULACAN—Families occupying several low-cost houses here refused to leave despite a warning given by housing officials that they would be evicted soon.

At least 4,000 people, who broke into five government housing projects here and in San Jose del Monte City on March 8, took turns guarding the houses despite the toll it had taken on some of them.

On Saturday, the fourth day of their stay, Estelita Rom, who occupied a house in Pandi Village 2 in Barangay Mapulang Lupa here, collapsed and was taken to a hospital.

She is a leader of the Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), the group that initiated the occupation by families who said their appeal for housing had been ignored.

Rom said many of the families suffered from stress because of the occupation, but added they were not giving up the houses they occupied.

Rowi Gonzales, 26, a father of four children, said many also suffered from fatigue because they could not sleep well.

The families said some of the houses were unfinished. Some had no electricity and water. Some did not even have toilets.

Discomfort

“We just sleep outside … because it is hot inside. The women stay inside but they have not been able to sleep because it is hot there,” Gonzales told the Inquirer.

Some families leave the houses early in the morning, allowing relatives to guard the place. They return at night.

“None of us plans to leave. We will no longer leave,” said Gonzales. “We believe NHA won’t fulfill its promise and we will never be able to return here.”

His family had been renting a unit at the Saint Martha Subdivision, a government housing project for urban poor in Bocaue town. He said many of them occupied the houses because they no longer wanted to rent.

Sharing

Some families were allowed to share the kitchen of households, which were beneficiaries of the housing project, said Chief Insp. Manuel de Vera Jr., Pandi police chief.

Ludivina Cadano, 60, a native of Dapitan City in Zamboanga del Norte province, has been living with her son-in-law in Barangay Malibung Bata in Pandi for more than two years now.

She said her son-in-law encouraged her to join the group that occupied the housing project at Barangay Mapulang Lupa in Pandi.

On Friday, Liza Maza, lead convenor of the National Anti-Poverty Commission, met with the families while NHA officials talked with Kadamay leaders in Malolos City.

Beth Guerrero, Kadamay leader in Bocaue, said Maza had asked for a complete list of members of the group to be presented to President Duterte.

Guiguinto Mayor Ambrosio Cruz Jr. said the government began an inventory of units at the North Ville 5 housing and relocation project in Barangay Malis in the town to determine if recipients had been renting out their houses.

A housing project in Mapulang Lupa that has yet to be turned over to NHA is now being guarded to prevent a similar takeover there.

Rommel Alimboyao, NHA Central Luzon manager, said the agency would issue eviction notices this week to families who took over houses in Villa Elise in Barangay Masuso, Pandi Village 2, in Barangay Mapulang Lupa, Villa Louise in Barangay Cacarong Matanda and Padre Pio in Cacarong Bata, all in Pandi, and some units in San Jose Heights in San Jose del Monte City. —CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE