Settlers guard the units that they occupied in one of the government housing sites in Bulacan province. The National Housing Authority gave them a week to leave the area. —LYN RILLON
CITY OF MALOLOS—The group that led the occupation of idle houses in Bulacan province last week has asked President Duterte to give its members free mass housing.
Kalipunan ng Damayang Mahihirap (Kadamay), in a statement, said it joined members of urban poor groups who went to Malacañang on Tuesday to protest how the distribution of socialized housing had been “treated like a business for far too long, especially by the National Housing Authority.”
Families continued to occupy houses in Villa Elise in Barangay Masuso, Pandi Residence 2 in Barangay Mapulang Lupa, Villa Louise in Barangay Cacarong Matanda and Padre Pio in Barangay Cacarong Bata, all in Pandi town in Bulacan. Some families also occupied houses in San Jose Heights in the City of San Jose del Monte.
On Monday, 500 people occupied units in a private housing project developed by Atlantica Realty in Barangay Mapulang Lupa.
Some parents said they took children to local health centers after they had fallen ill. According to them, children in the housing sites have been exposed to the elements since they transferred there on March 8. Some of these units were unfinished and had no roofs, electricity and water.
Bulacan Vice Gov. Daniel Fernando asked the provincial board’s committees on social services, land use and urban development to look into the takeover of the housing projects.
Board Member Therese Cheryll Ople said the provincial government wanted to know if the families were being manipulated by other individuals or groups.
On Tuesday, members of the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC) met to discuss the occupation of the houses. Liza Maza, NAPC lead convenor, visited the settlers on March 10.
Carlito Badion, Kadamay secretary general, said: “[The poor] deserve free mass housing as a right and as the engine of our society.” —WITH A REPORT FROM CARMELA REYES-ESTROPE